There’s nothing quite like watching an artist you love reach new heights. This series spotlights up-and-coming artists, recommended by Japanese music fans, experts, and insiders – so you catch them on the rise.
“I want to be proud of the things I’ve suffered for.”
Dealing with illness the past few years has made me reflect a lot on life.
One of those moments came unexpectedly, on a car ride home, when Retroriron’s track “Last Hunch” circled back into my playlist.
It’s been a recent favorite of mine, but the last line by vocalist Suzune, “I want to be proud of the things I’ve suffered for,” hit me really hard - and before realizing it, the tears were falling down my face.
Formed in June of 2020, Retroriron is built around a single concept: living for the present.
I love how the band leans into their honest feelings about being human…and the highs and lows of it all. Suzune’s soul-filled voice carries those words, and each of the members’ different musical backgrounds comes together in their genre-fluid discography.
As the band celebrates its fifth anniversary, I found myself wondering, what journey brought them together? And in my typical deep dive through articles and interviews, I came across an interesting story - learn more below!
Before Retroriron was formed, all of the members were classmates at the same music college. Yet, it wasn’t until the end of their university days that the band came together.
During a fun get-together for a university seminar, drummer Taiki Nagayama, in a drunken haze, told vocalist Suzune that he wanted to start a band with him.
At the time, Suzune was wrestling with his future plans. He was planning to give up on his singer-songwriter ambitions during his college days, to become a recording engineer. So, he made a deal with himself: if this new band didn’t work out, he would step away from performing altogether.
Days later, Suzune reminded Nagayama of their conversation…only to discover that Nagayama had no memory of it. Still, the two decided to give it a try, and the band was born.
When it came to forming the rest of the lineup, Suzune wanted to avoid the typical guitar-band setup. So he invited miri to join on keyboards.1 Finally, bassist Kazuaki Iinuma, already a fan of Suzune’s solo shows, noticed the trio hanging out together - and asked if he could join in.
In the beginning, Retroriron struggled to find its sound. As the members each came from different musical backgrounds, their styles were (understandably) clashing.
Suzune, as the main songwriter, initially tried to write songs that pleased everyone. Yet, he soon realized he wasn’t pleasing anyone, including himself.
About a year in, Suzune sat the group down. He told them plainly: if they were going to continue, he said, they needed to trust his creative vision.
He expected them to walk away. Yet, they all believed in Suzune’s songs - and followed him forward.
Retroriron’s breakthrough came in 2022. First, their track “Restart?” landed on Spotify Japan’s Viral Top 50 and reached #23 on the platform’s Best of Early Noise 2022 chart. Later that year, “Shin'ya 6-Ji” became a long-running hit on social media. (Check it out above.)
With this surge of attention, their stages grew larger. Retroriron began performing at major festivals, selling out tour dates, and catching the attention of music media.
In late 2024, MUSICA named them in its Rising Artists issue. And a few months later, Spotify Japan’s RADAR: Early Noise spotlighted them as one of this year’s artists on the rise.
Then, in April 2025, at the final stop in their tour, the band announced their major-label debut.
“I want people to say they are glad this band existed.”
Since their major-label debut this May, Retroriron’s momentum shows no signs of slowing.
But, even as their recognition grows, the band has stayed rooted in the belief that brought them this far: to keep creating music that captures the experience of living fully in the present, with all the struggles and joys that come with being human.
As Suzune sums it quite simply: “It is not that we do not want success. But, more than that, I want people to say they are glad this band existed.”
Be sure to support Retroriron, via the links below!
X | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
Rockin’on Japan - Interview by Mie Sugiura
J-WAVE SONARTRAX YouTube Interview
BARKS - Interview by Takayuki Okamoto
Sources in English are marked with *
miri actually thought she was just joining as a support musician…and many practices later, came to the realization that she was an actual member.
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