“Ronin” was released on July 17, 2024, but its starting point came earlier, in a studio where Rio Suyama was recording with Re:O’s former lineup. There she met bassist James Wright. Rio wanted to make heavier music. James wanted to combine that weight with the synth-led sound she had already built.
Guitarist Jon Roberts and drummer James “J” Stevens completed the lineup. A solo project created in Japan had become a Japanese-British band in the UK. Rio still brings the first idea. She no longer decides alone where it ends.
On release day, J-POP streaming spoke to Re:O about learning to write as four people, moving from Japan to Britain and why too much tea may be responsible for some almost unplayable drum parts.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
A solo project learns to argue
Before anything else: how should Re:O be pronounced?
Rio: “Rio,” just like my name.
What changed when Re:O became a band?
Rio: It used to be my solo project. I moved here and turned it into a band.
James Wright: Rio was in the studio with her former lineup, recording an EP. We started talking, and she wanted to change the direction of the music she was making. We decided to mix heavier influences with the sound she had already established.
To make that work, we needed a guitarist, which is where Jon came in, and a drummer, so James joined us too. With four people, every instrument gained its own character instead of the music being directed by one person.
Re:O: We make a lot of sounds that are better the louder they are. At least, we think so.
Those four people arrived with very different musical references. What does each of you bring?
Jon: Metallica is probably the easy answer. Among Japanese bands, I love LOUDNESS. Akira Takasaki is one of my favourite guitarists, even if I cannot do anything he does. He is simply fun to listen to.
Rio: I listen to pop and heavy music. Grimes is an influence, and so are UVERworld, 10-FEET, MAXIMUM THE HORMONE and Nine Inch Nails. I like too many different things.
James Wright: Breaking Benjamin and Tool are two bands I never get tired of. Spiritbox too—the way they write and what they have built as a band is fantastic.
J: I grew up with grunge and the nu-metal era: Nirvana, The Offspring, Green Day, Silverchair, Deftones, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Skindred. If I had to choose one band, though, it would be Foo Fighters.
The move was about people
Rio, why did you leave Japan for the UK?
Rio: I enjoyed making music alone, but I missed writing with other people. I had played in several bands before Re:O, but unfortunately they did not work out.
I had always wanted to come here because the UK has a strong music scene. I grew up listening to British music—Arctic Monkeys, but also heavy music, indie rock and punk. I thought that if I moved here, I might find great people to make music with.
Re:O: Maybe one day you will. Until then, you have us.
Songs begin alone, then become arguments
How does a Re:O song begin now?
Rio: I am not very good at going out or hanging around with people, so I am usually at home. Sometimes a melody appears while I am relaxing. I open my Mac, build the song and, when I think the idea is good, send it to the band.
James Wright: It starts with an idea from Rio. Then we build on it and add our own very different influences.
J: Rio has a habit of writing drum parts that are almost impossible to play. I receive a video of her screen: double kicks everywhere, hi-hat patterns, a snare part that sounds a little like jungle.
I understand the idea, but physically I would need to mount the hi-hat and snare so close together that I would hit both with the same stick—and probably punch the rim. But it pushes me outside my comfort zone. The first reaction is, “That is impossible.” The next question is, “How do we make it work?”
Rio: It is because I drink too much tea. I get excited and write crazy drum patterns.
Why “Ronin” had to become heavier
Did “Ronin” follow that same process?
James Wright: It began with a synth idea from Rio. Then it became, “Let’s write a song about a samurai.”
Rio: I said no.
James Wright: So I asked again.
Rio: I made the instrumental, we worked on the lyrics, and they kept saying, “This is a samurai song.” It was not what I had planned.
Re:O: To be fair, it is not about a samurai. It is about a ronin. A small but important difference.
The joke found the right image. Re:O describes “Ronin” as a song about betrayal, self-doubt and the decision to forge a new path, expressed through the figure of a masterless samurai. The music was written by all four members, with lyrics by Rio Suyama and James Wright.
A few weeks from now, you will play your first concert with this lineup. What will be different?
Rio: It will be my second time at The Spice of Life, but our first show together with this lineup. I am excited to return with these people.
J: It is a new set, a new band and almost a new sound. We now have synths, backing tracks, in-ear monitors and click tracks, so everything has to be exact. It has been a learning curve, but it sounds good. I cannot wait to get on stage.
Re:O: Only one song from the old material survived. The rest is new.
Friends before business
You already seem unusually close for a new lineup. Is the studio this harmonious?
J: You should see the string section in the studio. It can look like two rhinos butting heads. We have creative differences because everyone knows how they want their own style to appear in a song.
Re:O: Sometimes we bicker like an old married couple. Then we move on.
J: Our WhatsApp group is full of memes and edited videos, but we also know how to lift each other when someone is having a bad day. We have goals, but it is not all business. Above everything else, we are friends.
Re:O: We are a group of friends making music we love. We want people to come along for the ride.
