Shonen Knife "Adventure"
Interviewed and written by: Tomoo Yamaguchi
Following Shonen Knife’s 35-year 'Adventure'
Every listen makes me happy
“To be honest with you, I didn’t notice it’d been 35 years,” titters Naoko, the vocalist and guitarist in Shonen Knife, when asked about the post-punk band, who celebrate their 35th anniversary this year.
“It’s all down to the supportive people and followers that come and see us. Seeing them enjoying our live shows energises us and encourages us to keep going.”
Note that she isn’t trying to be humble here and the answer simply comes from the heart. Shonen Knife might have seen a lot of members come and go, but how many female bands that have survived for 35 years are out there? You can’t help but rejoice at “Adventure,” their first album in two years, which sees the band entering a new phase as they kick off their 36th rap.
“I think the new member has breathed new life into the band” says Naoko of Risa, the group’s latest addition. “She has her own style, and she, Atsuko and I coalesce into a new sound. The recordings were exciting.”
Risa, 20, joined the band as a drummer and vocalist in July last year. And Atsuko, an original member who had stood in for the pregnant Ritsuko and toured the US as a bassist and vocalist in April, made an official return after her departure about ten years ago.
“As I’m living in America, a long way away from the other members, I didn’t expect to be back in the band. It was a happy surprise,” says the now LA-based Atsuko joining the interview over the internet.
“Thanks to the internet, it’s never been easier for people who live far apart to make music together. Besides, Risa initially played in a band with her dad and younger sister in Oita, but when I asked her to commute to Osaka to play with us, she decided to move here (to Osaka) instead,” says Naoko.
Having learnt drumming by copying Shonen Knife’s songs, Risa explains their charm: “It’s straightforward and fun. Every listen makes me happy. It’s cool to see just women playing joyously. The band maintains consistency too. They never make use of their sex appeal on a whim…,”
“No way,” laughs Atsuko nervously.
“…or sell themselves as a girl idol group. I love them always being rock. I just couldn’t help being thrilled when I was invited into the band,” continues Risa.
We are on our best form as we now all sing
In this combination, the album follows a series of focused rehearsals of the new songs, which Naoko wrote with closer attention than ever to the rhyme scheme of the lyrics. On their previous album, “Overdrive”, the band took a more rocky approach, including 70s hard rock, in opposition to being classified as a pop punk band. Their latest, on the other hand, furthers what Naoko calls “our musical evolution”, encompassing various elements of British beat, folk rock, psychedelic rock and so forth. True to type, however, the result is not an aggressive mood but rather a laid-back pop vibe. Of course, they don’t forget to demonstrate their facility for pushing back the frontiers.
“Atsuko kind of accents on the ‘offbeat’ like you hear in black music,” says Naoko. “Few Japanese have her rhythmic sense and she plays a groovy bass throughout the album. “Wasabi” is a case in point as she also sings while playing the bass, underlining her talent. In contrast, Risa’s voice is kind of pure and clean and turns “Green Tangerine (Kabosu)” into a charming and fun song.”
Inspired by the two lead vocalists in Kiss, Naoko and Atsuko combine vocal forces on “Tasmanian Devil,” where hard rock meets The Shangri-Las, an American girl group of the 60s.
“I like music like this,” Naoko explains about her broad musical taste. “I love Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched Jersey Boys. And death metal is great too. I also listen to Japanese hip-hop like Shingo Nishinari (a well-known rapper from Nishinari ward, a rough area in Osaka) and classical music. So god knows where we go next. It could be rap or punk pop again (laugh).”
Now that she mentions it, the bouncy vocal of “Cotton Candy Clouds” seems to take its cue from rap. Naoko, however, reveals the trio’s biggest inspiration: The Beatles. “The ideal is a band whose members can all be vocalists, sing in harmony and play instruments. I think we are in our best form as we now all sing.”
The group have a busy live schedule ahead of them going on tour around the UK and Ireland in April as well as Japan from June to July. At the shows where they aren’t joined by Atsuko, she is replaced with now-mother Ritsuko or Naru, a former support bassist who was promoted to an official member. It could be the characteristic feature of Shonen Knife, whose motto is a band with women going rock ‘n’ roll, seeing that the members have returned after going through marriage, child-birth and family life. As such, the group, who has been hugely influential on many all-female bands, are likely to continue a role model.
“Everyone will be on the same wavelength if you form a band with just women,” concludes Naoko. “You only need one dressing room or hotel room and there you go! We are united in wanting to make the band more entertaining and exciting.”
