Kacey Musgraves Reveals How Studio Ghibli Influences Her Music

Studio Ghibli has created some of the most legendary works that have ever appeared in the world of anime, making such classic movies such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle to name a few. While the animation house’s influence has spread far and wide, fans may be surprised to find that the studio’s influence has inspired one of the biggest singers around in Kacey Musgraves! Musgraves recently gave an interview with V Magazine to talk specifically about how these legendary anime films have influenced her work throughout the years.

Kacey Musgraves shared her interview with V Magazine via her Official Twitter Account, documenting just how the atmosphere and characters of Ghibli managed to have a presence on her music throughout her career:

Musgraves clearly has a deep affinity for the anime company, created originally thanks to the anime writer/artist Hayao Miyazaki, and had the following to say about how her music writing process was assisted by the magic of Ghibli: “I definitely have some musical ideas that are inspired by the characters or feelings I get from the imagery of the movies. One song I just wrote started with me thinking back on my rural Texas childhood and the enchantment I felt with my sister, My Mei.”

Kacey is of course referring to My Neighbor Totoro with this quote, as the movie revolves around a family consisting of two sisters that move into a new country house to be closer to the hospital that houses their ailing mother. As they attempt to acclimate to this new environment, they encounter a number of magical creatures, including both a half cat, half bus monstrosity and a giant cat-like being that they dub “Totoro”.

Within the interview, Musgraves also chats about how she would love the opportunity to lend her voice and talents to the studio in order to bring one of their features to life, specifically saying, “It would be a great honor to lend my voice or creative personality to a piece for Studio Ghibli someday. I would approach the process like I would my own music or any other project I take on.”

It’s clear that Studio Ghibli has had a genuine reach across the world, influencing entirely new mediums outside of anime. It would definitely be interesting to see what other Ghibli properties have managed to have a hand in other creative outlets such as the world of music.

What do you think of Studio Ghibli influencing Kacey Musgraves’ music? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Studio Ghibli!