A couple weeks ago while bemoaning the hiatus-ing/disbanding of Shirotsume after a final gig in July, I mentioned a second body blow for fans of the poppier end of J-gaze and that’s because on that same day, AprilBlue announced they too would be splitting up following a final show in August. AprilBlue, of course, was the main project for Azusa Suga and was the place of musical solace for fans of his former band For Tracy Hyde when they split up in 2023.

Suga did take to Note to explain the split, citing creative differences around songwriting and process and not any personal issues. While they were able to put together the wonderful yura, which was one of my favourites last year, they found that

When we thought about what we should do next, nothing came to mind. We completed several songs and even went as far as recording, but we weren’t confident in the final product. The other members felt the same way. After discussing it, we came to the conclusion that this was a good place to (end).

Azusa Suga, AprilBlue
Regarding the disbandment of April Blue @ Note

Suga adds that he will be embarking on a proper solo project later this year, and continues to write for a variety of other projects, so fans of his writing will not be left wanting. But for fans of the songs he’s already written and the projects that recorded them, it’s a sad day.

『言の葉の国』translates to “Land Of Words”, and is one of the standout songs from yura. It was originally released as a single way back in November 2022 – so it came out even before FTH called it quits – and it came with a fun video whose graphic treatment is being used to promote the band’s final show. Sigh.

They also released a live video recorded in March 2024, itself lifted from a complete show live recording at time Tokyo, a livehouse in Hachioji outside of Tokyo. Watch the song, watch the whole show. Think about the good times.