Shonen Knife To Stab SoCal With Joyful Pop Punk

SHONEN KNIFE play The Bootleg Oct. 5; photo Tomoko Ota

SHONEN KNIFE play The Bootleg Oct. 5; photo Tomoko Ota

The influential Japanese band Shonen Knife shall soon be coming to entertain SoCal with their upbeat pop punk style. The bardic three-woman band is scheduled to play at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles Oct. 5 and The Casbah in San Diego Oct. 6 which will end their current ALIVE! In The USA 2018 tour which celebrates the release of the group’s latest live CD/DVD ALIVE! In Osaka.

Naoko Yamano, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band, looks forward to these appearances.

“We have a plan to play some songs from our 1990’s and 1980’s which we have never played in the U.S.,” Naoko said. “Also, we are preparing various fun songs from recent albums. We have new costumes, too.”

Shonen Knife is also noteworthy for influencing bands such as Sonic Youth, Red Kross and Nirvana. The latter’s lead singer, Kurt Cobain, was well-noted for being an outspoken fan of theirs and credited for providing inspiration.

Shonen Knife’s place of origin can be traced back to 1981 in Osaka, Japan. The group’s formation was spearheaded by Yamano who has remained with the group and has helped produce 20 studio albums and help musically at numerous live performances.

However, Yamano remains the only consistent member of the band. Shonen has undergone quite a number of lineup changes over the years.

Shonen Knife; press photo

Shonen Knife; press photo

“I asked our original bassist Michie to be a member,” Yamano remembers. “She was my college friend. And I asked my sister Atsuko to be our drummer. When Michie left the band, Atsuko switched to bass from the drums. Then we had three drummers including a support member. Risa is our present drummer. She joined the band from 2015.”

If you’re curious as to what exactly a Shonen Knife is and why it’s the band’s name, Yamano credits that to a moment of inspiration during a school class she once attended.

“At an English examination, a girl in front of me had an old pencil knife in her pencil case,” Yamano recalled. “The brand name on it was Shonen Knife in Japanese. Shonen means boy in Japanese so it means Boy Knife. The image of it was cute and dangerous. I thought that described our music, so I used that name.”

That name has stuck and so has their music which is best described as a mixture of both traditional pop and punk rock music featuring upbeat tempos and lyrics. Such songs have been an invaluable part of Shonen Knife’s appeal and why they continue to maintain a loyal following.

Yamano, who is largely in charge of composing, says the songs are largely based on simple observations and happenings in her life.

“I write down topics which I find during my daily life,” Yamano explained. “Then expand them to be lyrics and put melody lines on them. Writing lyrics is very difficult for me.”

Their music has not only been played in Japan but also here in the States and around the world. This has given Yamano and her bandmates exposure for concertgoers around the globe.

“I don’t see many differences between the U.S. and Japan when we play,” Yamano states. “But our U.S. fans are always very cheerful and friendly, and they are music lovers. I like that.”

For Yamano, playing live remains just as terrific as when the group started playing 37 years ago.

“Playing live is exciting. When the audience loves our music, I am very happy.”

Following the end of the tour Oct 6 in San Diego, Yamano says she and her fellow musical compatriots have much more to do.

“After the U.S. tour, we will have some shows in Japan,” Yamano said. “Then I will start to make new songs and record a new album. Then we’ll tour all over the world.”