Happy belated new year. So, I'm now moved to my new home in Shimokitazawa. I love it here. It's full of cafes, vintage goods shops, restaurants, colors, and people, music venues (live houses) and cool narrow streets. (The streets in Japan are all pedestrian streets, until a car drives through. Sidewalks are uncommon.)
遅なってしまったけど、明けましておめでとうございます。さて、最近下北沢で新しい家に引っ越しました。私はここが大好きです。カフェや、ヴィンテージショップや、レストランや、色や、人たちや、ライブハウスや、かっこよくて狭い道がいっぱいだからです。
Last week I ventured into Mona Records, a live house in Shimokitazawa that has been recommended to me as a place that's good for acoustic, indie-folk sets. I spoke to a manager regarding playing a show there. Once again, despite my endless hours of studying Japanese, I was able only to sputter loose words and to grasp even fewer and looser words from what was said. But eventually we managed to exchange the relevant information, and I've booked a show there for May!
先週、モナレコードという下北沢でライブハスに入りました。店のマネージャーとライブをすることについて話しました。何時間も日本語を勉強しているにも、かかわらず、単語を並べることしかできませんでした 。僕が言えた言葉より、マネージャーの言った言葉の方がもっと分かりませんでした。だけど、どうにか、大切なことを一緒に話し合うことができました。5月にそこでライブをします！
In the meantime, I'm continuing to play shows within the ex-pat scene -- at Pub Republic Irish pub in Otsuka, Restaurant Papera in Shinjuku, and most recently at Infinity Books near Asakusa. The scene has been quite supportive and everyone's been very inviting to me. It's been nice to be able to land in Japan and right away find shows to play. I'm thankful to the organizers, especially Andi Brooks, Ade Crawley, and Maya Masaki Knighton of Magic Marmalade Folk Duo, who I shared the bill with on a couple of weeks ago.
そんななか、外国人の音楽の世界でライブをしています。大塚のPub Republicというアイリッシュパブと新宿のレストランパペラと浅草の近くにあるインフィニティブックスという本屋でです。ここでは、みんな僕を歓迎してくれています。主催者の皆さんありがたいです。Andi Brooks、Ade Crawley、とMagic MarmaladeというバンドのMaya Masaki Knighton. ありがとう！
I'm starting to dream up plans for recording my next album at the end of this year and releasing it (perhaps along with a Japan or Asia tour) the following summer. I'm thinking of presenting the songs as I've written them chronologically, as a sort of documentation of my journey to and within Japan. Perhaps too much of my future is unknown for that sort of planning right now, as I'm still fighting to find solid ground and to learn to communicate with the people surrounding me, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
In the meantime, here's my latest song, possibly titled "And You Save Me." Enjoy!
今、新しいアルバム作りの予定を考えています。今年が終わる前には作りたくて、来年の夏に発売したい。これは、最新の歌です。タイトルは（多分）「And You Save Me」です。楽しんでください！