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Shonen Knife Celebrates 40 years: ‘Nirvana Looked Crazy – I Was Afraid!’

Few rock bands survive to be 40 years old. Shonen Knife’s achievement is all the more remarkable since there haven’t been many all-female rock bands from Japan that have converted their fascination with junk food, beautiful animals, and the Ramones into a global career.

Let’s Knife, released in the UK by Creation Records immediately after a career-changing tour with Nirvana, was their breakthrough album in 1992. It was a punk album unlike any other, with lyrics about frontwoman Naoko Yamano’s envy for exotic American girls with blond hair and blue eyes, as well as pontification on life’s more frivolous pleasures like eating jellybeans, riding a bicycle, fishing for black bass, and – less relatably – becoming a cat and growing whiskers.

As we gather in the Tokyo headquarters of Shonen Knife’s Japanese record company to reminisce on the last 40 years, Naoko, 60, says, “I was too embarrassed to write songs about love.” “Instead, I wanted to write about the things that mattered to me, such as sweets and delectable food, or cute animals.” I’m not much of a thinker, so all I want to do is compose music that makes people happy.”

Shonen Knife began in 1981, when Naoko and her classmate Michie Nakatani decided to turn their enthusiasm for the Beatles, the Jam, and the Ramones into their own band. They hired Naoko’s younger sister, Atsuko, on drums, in addition to Naoko on guitar and Nakatani on bass.

On December 29, 1981, the three entered a small room at the Rock Inn rehearsal facility in Osaka for the first time. “It felt good to hear the guitar and bass coming through the amplifiers, as well as the loud drum sound,” Naoko says of their first practice, during which they performed renditions of songs by British punk and pop bands such as Delta 5, Buzzcocks, and Mo-dettes. Then, in March 1982, they performed their debut show in a modest Osaka venue, when young Atsuko’s nervousness caused her to break out in a rash.

Parallel Woman, Naoko’s debut song, was one of the seven or eight songs they performed that night. Parallel Woman, which was later released on Shonen Knife’s 1983 album Burning Farm, laid the groundwork for Shonen Knife’s songwriting style, with detailed observational lyrics about Naoko’s experience working in a factory while dreaming of revealing her true identity as a rock’n’roll superheroine – the mundane writ fantastic. Naoko and Nakatani composed songs that were primarily uplifting, innocent, and pleasant in a punk milieu where bands growled lyrics about class struggle, drugs, sex, and violence, making their music all the more disarming.

“Shonen Knife’s embrace of everyday kitsch demonstrated that alternative music didn’t have to be doomy and impenetrable – and that well-constructed pop wasn’t just the preserve of crack backroom writers,” says Gus Lobban of Kero Kero Bonito, a London-based pop band. I Wanna Eat Chocobars, he writes, are “colorful, ragged, and hummable all at once – they still feel cheekily subversive today,” and their attitude “altered my perception of what DIY expression could be.”

Shonen Knife managed to create a big audience in the United States and Europe despite the fact that music streaming and social networking were still decades away. Calvin Johnson – founder of K Records, a label at the heart of Washington state’s indie, punk, and grunge scenes – discovered an early Shonen Knife record in a Tokyo record shop in the mid 1980s and, after seeing Naoko’s home address printed on the inner sleeve, wrote her a letter offering to release an expanded version of Burning Farm in the US during a visit to Japan in the mid 1980s. Alternative rock legends Sonic Youth, L7, Babes in Toyland, and Redd Kross all endorsed the 1985 cassette release, and all covered Shonen Knife songs for the 1989 collection Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them.

Shonen Knife then toured with Nirvana in late 1991, at Kurt Cobain’s request, just as they were becoming the world’s largest band. “I had never heard of Nirvana before that, but they looked wild, and I was terrified, so I didn’t want to tour with them at first,” Naoko chuckles. “By the end of the tour, however, we had become friends.”

Kurt Cobain gave it all he had every night, shouting and playing guitar so loudly, so I admired Nirvana’s approach to music.” At a show in Kilburn, London, the other support band, Captain America, was attacked with cups by the crowd. “However, because we were all female and had traveled from a faraway country, the audience was more courteous to us.”

Shonen Knife’s performances on that tour, for their part, were lauded by Kurt Cobain. He told Melody Maker, “I’ve never been so thrilled in my entire life.” “They play pop music – pop, pop, pop music,” says the narrator.

Stewart Lee, a comedian, was one of the newly converted fans in the crowd at London’s Kilburn National Ballroom on December 5, 1991. “It’s easy to forget how Kurt Cobain’s patronage acted as a kind of bush telegraph before the internet,” Lee remembers.

“A female Japanese Ramones-inflected powerpop trio would be a hard sell in any capacity other than as a novelty under normal circumstances, but Cobain used his celebrity to push loads of massively worthwhile music over the line.” Since then, I’ve been a huge fan of Shonen Knife.”

Lee arranged for them to perform at the 2016 All Tomorrow’s Parties event, which he organised. “They appeared, Naoko still at the wheel at 55, dressed in futuristic spacesuits, and greeted the throng with enormous waves of 1-2-3-4 delight. In the age of music from which Shonen Knife arose, women were and still are marginalized characters, and they were and still are real pioneers.”

Following the Nirvana tour, Let’s Knife was released in 1992, and it was the first of many albums to be produced exclusively in English. Shonen Knife’s attractiveness is enhanced by minor grammatical mistakes or unusual pronunciations, which add to the purity of their sound.

“I don’t want to be able to sing perfectly in English,” Naoko explains. “I prefer to come across as unique.”

Shonen Knife had a dark spell in the mid-1990s, if a band this persistently cheerful can have one. From 1994 until 1999, the band was without a label in Europe, and Nakatani — the band’s bassist, co-founder, and equal composer – departed after their fantastic album Happy Hour, citing the hardship of traveling.

Despite the difficulties, Naoko said she never contemplated giving up. “Leaving Michie was difficult for me, but I felt I needed to move forward,” she adds. “It makes me happy when people are happy because of our music.” It is for this reason that I compose music. That is what fuels my will to keep going. I’ve never contemplated quitting up.”

Naoko’s sister Atsuko stepped up from drums to bass when Nakatani departed, resulting in a rotating door of backup drummers, then later in 2006 she left the band for a prolonged time to settle down in Los Angeles. Although Atsuko has rejoined the band, Naoko has remained the sole permanent member.

Despite these challenges, Shonen Knife have constantly published music since their inception, and in 2009, they signed with UK label Damnably, putting an end to their years of wandering in the UK. Following their signing to Good Charmel, the US label founded by Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac, Shonen Knife embarked on an exciting new chapter in their career, releasing eight studio albums and touring the globe for a new generation of fans.

“I’d been involved with Shonen Knife over the years, first as a fan, then as a label owner, producer, roadie, van driver, and finally, after many releases and tours, as friends,” Takac explains. “I’ve always been impressed by Naoko’s commitment, dedication, and meticulous attention to detail.”

On drums, Naoko and Atsuko are now accompanied by the ever-bearing Risa Kawano. The band is already working on their next album, which Naoko suggests will have a psychedelic flavor similar to that of the late Beatles.

“It’ll be enough for me if people look back and say, ‘There used to be this really fun band from Osaka,'” she adds of their legacy. I inquire as to what advise she would offer to her 40-year-old self now. She chuckles and says, “I have no advice.” “I’m not sincere and I’m very free.” So even if I offered 40-year-old Naoko some advise, she would disregard it, and I would disregard hers!”

I inquire as to whether she has a favorite Shonen Knife album or song, but she dismisses the question as well: “The next album will be the best.” And so on. “I never look back and I never regret anything,” she adds, adding that she has no plans to retire. “If I live for another 40 years, I’ll be the world’s oldest rock musician,” she jokes. “The happiest memory is yet to be made.”

Thanks to Daniel Robson at The Guardian whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.

The Jam Addict team is a revolving door of writers who care about music, its effects on culture, and giving aspiring artists tools and knowledge to be inspired and keep on creating.

If you have any questions or concerns or just want to drop us a line, don’t hesitate to contact us! We always appreciate the feedback.

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Live Review: Shonen Knife celebrate 40 years of Punk Pop eccentricity

Japanese Punk Pop pioneers Shonen Knife rocked the Boileroom in Guildford on the first of their UK tour dates, with excellent support from The Kut

Guildford’s bijou venue certainly lived up to its name on a rainy Wednesday in April – a wonderfully diverse range of fans squeezed into the compact space which got hotter and hotter – and both main and support bands were also very much on fire!

Shonen Knife , fronted by founding members and sisters Naoko and Atsuko Yamano , celebrated their 40th Anniversary in 2021 with plans for an extensive world tour. Events conspired against them, yet undeterred, they embarked upon their delayed series of European shows in spring 2023.

Naoko wrote in 2021 “ We started Shonen Knife on 29th December 1981 when we did the first rehearsal in Osaka. This year is the 40th anniversary of the band. Thanks to our fans, all members of the band and staff, I could continue the band. But actually I can’t believe that so many year have passed. My motto of the band is “Let’s have fun” and I’ve never look back and never having long time future plan. I just move forward. I would like to continue to make people and ourselves happy through our music. See you at our 40th Anniversary UK tour! “

Guests for the evening were The Kut , formed by Maha (lead vocals, guitar) and featuring a variety of touring members – tonight we had Daisy on bass and  Violet on drums. These ladies certainly know how to get the room jumping – their music is Grunge Rock / Punk, think L7 meets Lunachicks !

Dedicated to all of the women present (including the sound engineer), ANIMO is a song about courage – and this is something that female bands, musicians, technicians and audience members all must have in a secene which isn’t as accepting as it should be. Recent discussions with several of my male friends highlighted that they often aren’t aware of the difficulties we have, as they don’t apply to men!

Shonen Knife ( Naoko なおこ ; vocals, guitar, Atsuko あつこ ; bass, vocals, and Risa りさ ; drums, vocals) received a warm welcome as they took to the stage. Atsuko designed their colourful costumes, and the T-shirts available on merch, which perfectly suit their bright and bold sound.

40 years of playing and recording has not dulled these ladies shine in the least – they play and sing with sheer joy and energy. The crowd loved every song in their set, covering their entire career, and were soon jumping along with the band!

All three musicians sing as well as play, taking turns on lead vocals and harmonising consummantely. A lot of their songs seem to be about food – and yes, I like green tea ice-cream too! – yet their musicianship is so good that each was wonderful to hear. Their influences ( Ramones , 70s Rock) were apparent, and I was very much reminded of The Who with their diversity of sounds and song titles.

Shonen Knife are credited for being a big influence on later band Nirvana , with fan Kurt Cobain inviting them to open for their 1991 European tour. Their influence and popularity amongst a huge range of fans and bands testifies to Shonen Knife’s abilities and appeal.

Releasing their 23rd studio album Our Best Place in February this year, the band have no intention to slow down, and judging by the queue at merch after the show, their popularity remains strong. Album information HERE

Catch this Ultra Eccentric Super Cult Punk Pop Band (as it says on the T-shirt!) at one of their remaining dates – they truly are punktastic! fun!

Main Photo Credit / All Photos: RUTH RAE

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‘Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.’

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Sense of Place: For Shonen Knife, there's no end to the sugar rush in sight

Listening to Shonen Knife is kind of like eating a very sweet jawbreaker.

Their lyrics are about things like candy, snacks and the fun of being a girl, but they're delivered with big, shredding guitar riffs and drums so loud they might hurt your teeth.

That contrast may have been what got Kurt Cobain so into Shonen Knife that he personally requested they join Nirvana on tour in the early '90s. The band from Osaka, Japan, released their debut album, Burning Farm , in 1983, and they never really stopped putting out music.

Last year, they went on their 40th anniversary world tour and released a new album called Our Best Place . As part of our Sense of Place: Japan series, we talked to Naoko Yamano, the leader of Shonen Knife, and the band performed for a live audience at UrBANGUILD in Kyoto.

• "Banana Chips"
• "Twist Barbie"
• "Riding on the Rocket"
• "Buttercup (I'm a Super Girl)"

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Kimberly Junod. The web story was created by Miguel Perez. Our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.

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Who doesn't love bizarre punk pop? No one, that's who. So go see Japanese pop trio Shonen Knife as soon as you possibly can for a night of laughs, power pop and some talented musicians. Inspired by the 60's pop acts such as The Beach Boys, and taking inspiration from a favourite act of theirs The Ramones, the girls sculpted a unique alt rock/pop sound which earned them a cult following worldwide in the 80's.

Devoted fans described them as an alternative to Sonic Youth & Nirvana during the 90's. A lofty claim perhaps, but you can see where their logic lay in that the band are just so likeable and warm with their audiences and they back up this infectious personality with equally infectious pop. It's been a true adventure for the trio and they have visited places that they may not have had the opportunity to otherwise, they once stated that they felt they had made "the international pop underground more international" by "opening it up to bands from Japan". The ascetics that they've built over their long career continue to delight fans during their shows and their kooky songs such as 'Twist Barbie' and 'Badaka' keep audiences bopping along before they drop in Ramones covers that have become so original to the girls, you would pass them off as their own. A lovely trio of musicians who love what they do, go see them soon.

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When I saw Shonen Knife live I knew that I was in for a concert like never before. The all girl pop group had just released their newest album in their long career called Free Time. Many of the fans in the crowd I could tell had been listening to the band for a very long time since they played songs that were older and I did not recognize as much myself. I was able to sing along with them to the songs from Free Time and I was glad to see that even though almost every fan in the crowd was American, they still loved this Japanese group. The women in the band were very nice and they would come very close to the edge of the stage and thank us personally for coming to the show and supporting their new album. Before they started to play the concert they had a table with CD's and t shirts. I talked to the main singer and she spoke very good English. I wanted them to play an encore at the end of their set and they did that even though I did not recognize the song. The experience made me feel like even though I did not know all of the songs that they played it made me appreciate the group as a whole and made me want to go home and listen to many more of the songs other than the wonderful ones they performed. This is exactly what I ended up doing and I noticed that the band sounds as good live as they do on the albums.

This review is for the 2016 North American Shonen Knife tour in support of their album, Adventure:

It was the first time I saw Shonen Knife perform, and definitely not the last! There were eclectic mix of fans 21 and up. For example, I chatted with a senior who told me he was 74 years old! He bragged about how he has seen them many, many times. This is just one example of the power of Shonen Knife!

Glitter guitar of Naoko with cute outfits (designed by Atsuko), they are a treat on stage! But personally I was more captivated by the new drummer, Risa. Not only is Risa a good drummer, she always smiles! Her smile alone is priceless.

Another impressive thing about Shonen Knife is that all of their merchandise sold at the show is more than fair - $5 for a huge poster, $3 for signed guitar picks, and they practically had all of their albums available right there on both CD and vinyl! T-shirt price average.

At the end of the show they had a signing event. Not only did they just blow the roof off, they decided to make more time for the fans. Amazing!

Their energy is uniquely contagious to fans from all over the world. Once a Shonen Knife, always a Shonen Knife?

As usual, Shonen Knife continues to impress.Naoko continues the tradition of finding great drummers, Risa is terrific, enthusiastic, a powerhouse and spot on.

The band is extremely tight, despite their ever-changing line up and abundance of material to choose from. The songs are timeless and the set is always changing.

Atsuko is up to the challenge on bass and has a great stage presence. Michie and Ritsuko would be proud. Maybe she will sit on drums for a tune or so,one day.

With Naoko leading the trio,still writing great tunes, she keeps the band fresh and relevant.

Shonen Knife continues to leave a smile on my face every time I see or hear them.

The show at Brighton Bar was the last for the 2016 US tour, and founder Noako was re-joined by her sister and original member Atsuko on bass and new drummer Risa. They never fall short live in any show I have seen, and this was no exception as they support their new album "Adventure", including some new fun songs including some new ones about food and animals. 19 songs for the night including classics "Twist Barbie" and "Ride the Rocket" just made for a happy and exciting show. If there was a way to spread the positive energy from an SK show, world peace would have arrived.

I saw Shonan Knife at The Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco when they were touring on Live in Osaka in October 2018, and they were great! It's amazing that they are back with a new album Sweet Candy Power and playing at The Bottom of the Hill again less that a year later! Unlike many older bands who make touring look like a chore because they ran out of money, Shonan Knife make it obvious that they are in it because for them, being rock stars is just plain fun.

Great venue for a show. The ladies kicked butt.

Hi flyin'n energy and never do they disappoint.

As my friend said, never saw a show this powerful since the early shows by The Ramones.

Risa a powerhouse, always smiling and never missed a beat, Atsuko's bass playing as dynamic as usual and what can you say about Naoko, true professional. Slips from vocals to solos, flawlessly.

And the sweet vocals....

They have so much fun, it is hard not to love SK.

Once again, the ladies never disappoint.

High flying show with tons of energy and crowd support.

Naoko and Atsuko show no signs of slowing down. Add that to the Tommy Gunn drumming of Risa, and the band is once again on fire.

Great selection of songs both older and newer. They have such a large catalogue now, it must be tough choosing a set list. Going again to see them in Brooklyn, and I am sure the set list will be tweaked for some more added gems.

1st time seeing them (I know but sometimes you have to grow up to appriciate the greater things in life)

Whole evening fantastic loved the america's adored the leggy band and even got chatting to wolfmother's support band electric citizen (who were quality)

Shonen knife were outstanding amazing musicians who know there craft inside out.

All i can say my evening ended at 3.30am and I loved every minute of it!!

God save rock n roll.

Seeing Shonen Knife for the first time was pretty awesome. They were full of energy and did play a decent number of older songs considering they were on an album tour (which was nice). They also were gracious enough to sign things and take photographs after the show.

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• Concert Chronology
• December 05, 1991 - Kilburn National Ballroom, London, UK

LIVE NIRVANA Concert Chronology December 05, 1991 - Kilburn National Ballroom, London, UK

• Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar)
• Krist Novoselic (bass)
• Dave Grohl (drums, backing vocals)
• Eugene Kelly (backing vocals)
• Andy Bollen (drums)
• Alex MacLeod (tour manager)
• Craig Montgomery (sound engineer)
• Ian Beveridge (monitor engineer)
• Nic Close (guitar technician)
• Dave Mclean
• Alex Weston

Soundcheck incomplete

• Floyd The Barber
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• L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle jam
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• Negative Creep
• Molly's Lips Kelly on backing vocals, Bollen on drums
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A recording of Shonen Knife set is circulating, so it's possible that Nirvana's set was recorded as well.

• Before "Breed," there was a quick jam on the unknown song from 11/30/91.
• Former Vaselines and Captain America lead singer Eugene Kelly sang with Kurt on "Molly's Lips," Captain America's Andy Bollen played drums.

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• Review from a UK newspaper called "Melody Maker", published on December 14th, 1991.

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Ramen rock: these japanese punk legends sing about food.

Maria Godoy

Shonen Knife performs at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C., on April 30. For over 35 years, the all-female trio has been serving up catchy punk songs with a delicious twist: Many are about a love of food. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

Shonen Knife performs at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C., on April 30. For over 35 years, the all-female trio has been serving up catchy punk songs with a delicious twist: Many are about a love of food.

By night, they play gigs. By day, they sample ramen in cities across America.

They're the three women of Shonen Knife, a legendary rock band from Japan. For over 35 years, the band has been serving up infectious punk songs with a delicious twist: Many of them are about food. Think song titles like "Wasabi," "Hot Chocolate" and "Sushi Bar." But don't dismiss them as bubblegum pop: Over the years, some of their biggest fans have included giants of alt-rock music.

This spring, Shonen Knife embarked on its latest adventure – a ramen rock tour of the U.S.

Why ramen? Well, ramen is really like Japanese soul food, says Daisuke Utagawa, a ramen restaurateur in Washington, D.C., and unofficial ambassador of Japanese food culture. "It's probably as important as your pizza here."

(Left to right) Risa, Naoko and Atsuko of the band Shonen Knife eat ramen at Haikan in Washington, D.C., before playing a show. D.C. was one of their stops on a self-titled "Ramen Adventure Tour" of the U.S. By night, they play gigs. By day, they sample ramen in cities across the country. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

And the noodles are becoming all the rage in America. So, to promote its latest album, called Adventure , Shonen Knife is on what it calls the " Ramen Adventure Tour " of the U.S. I met up with the band at Haikan , one of Utagawa's hip ramen restaurants.

The band's line up has changed over the years, but these days, it consists of drummer Risa Kawano and its two founding members — guitarist Naoko Yamano and her sister, Atsuko Yamano, who plays bass guitar. Like Cher or Beyonce, all three ladies prefer to go by first names only.

For our interview, Risa, Naoko and Atsuko changed into their signature outfits: geometric-patterned dresses, designed by Atsuko, reminiscent of a Mondrian painting. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

For our interview, Risa, Naoko and Atsuko changed into their signature outfits: geometric-patterned dresses, designed by Atsuko, reminiscent of a Mondrian painting.

Naoko is the most fluent in English and does most of the talking. I kick off by asking the obvious: Why go on a ramen tour?

"Sushi is already very popular, but ramen is now happening in America," Naoko says.

And — oh yeah — they happen to have a hard-rock anthem called " Ramen Rock ," written for a former band mate who had a habit of dining out on the noodles after playing shows. (Ramen is also a traditional hangover food in Japan.)

Atsuko tucks into a bowl of ramen at Haikan. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

Naoko and Atsuko formed Shonen Knife in 1981 in Osaka, Japan. They were inspired by pop punk bands like the Ramones. (In 2011, the band released a tribute album called Osaka Ramones .) These days, Naoko says, she's more into "'70s hard rock music, like Judas Priest or Black Sabbath or sometimes KISS."

Naoko has always been the front-woman. And from the very beginning, many of their songs have been about food. "When I started Shonen Knife, I was ashamed to write about love," she explains.

Naoko says romantic love, the standard stuff of music lyrics, was just too embarrassing to sing about. But love of food was another story.

"I found that eating delicious food is the most important thing for people," she says. "It's a kind of universal topic."

So is dieting. Naoko — who is quite petite — says the need to curb her love of cookies inspired the song, " I Wanna Eat Cookies ," which features a memorable refrain that many listeners can identify with: "I wanna eat delicious cookies .... as much as I want to eat!"

By 1989, Shonen Knife's catchy, playful songs had attracted some pretty big-name fans – including influential alternative-rock bands like Sonic Youth, Red Kross and L7, all of whom sang on a tribute album to the group called Every Band Has A Shonen Knife Who Loves Them.

In 1991, Nirvana asked Shonen Knife to join them on tour. At the time, Naoko says, she'd never heard of Kurt Cobain and company, but their grunge look gave her pause. "I was so scared because their looking was very wild," Naoko recalls.

That was just as Nirvana's seminal album Nevermind was blowing up. But as Cobain told MTV News a couple of years later, he was the one in awe of Shonen Knife, watching them perform night after night from the side of the stage. "I was an emotional sap the whole time. I cried every night," said Cobain, who frequently shared his love of the band with interviewers.

Naoko leads the crowd in a clapping beat at D.C.'s Black Cat, where the band played to a packed room. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

Unlike Nirvana, Shonen Knife never made it huge. But over the decades, the band has remained a cult favorite. A couple of hours after our ramen dinner, they took the stage at D.C.'s Black Cat. And they kicked things off with a song called "Banana Chips" ... of course.

Shonen Knife's latest U.S. tour wraps up this weekend.

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Shonen Knife

• Written by  Anthony Al-Jamie
• Tuesday, 26 May 2015 03:35

Pop Punk Trio Rock With 1,000+ Shows and 20 Albums Over 30 Years

The late Nirvana singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain was one of their biggest fans, saying, “When I finally got to see them live, I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert.” Formed in 1981, the Osaka-based all-female band Shonen Knife influenced ‘90s alternative acts like Sonic Youth and Redd Kross with driving beats, catchy melodies and simplistic lyrics about food and animals like “Banana Chips,” “I Am A Cat,” “Ramen Rock” and “Cannibal Papaya.” Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie carried out a backstage interview with singer/guitarist/founder Naoko Yamano, bassist Ritsuko Taneda and drummer Emi Morimoto prior to their October 2014 gig at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles

TJ: Why do you think Shonen Knife has been so successful over the past three decades? YAMANO: I think it’s because I write western- style rock music. Also, my lyrics are very unique. I sing about animals and sweets. My melody line is very simple pop and easy to memorize, so I think that’s why we’re popular.

TJ:Who influenced you musically? YAMANO: I listen to all kinds of music from rock to hip-hop and soul, even Japanese folk music and classical music. I was inspired by the Beatles, the Ramones, the Buzzcocks and late seventies punk pop. The new album Overdrive is a mix of seventies British and American hard rock like Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy. TANEDA: I like The Primitives and Shonen Knife. MORIMOTO: I’m a drummer, so I like Keith Moon.

TJ: You just performed your 1,000th show last month. Do you still get nervous before you go on stage? What’s the hardest part of being on tour? YAMANO: For this tour, we are playing every night so I got used to it, but if there is more than a three-month interval between gigs, we get nervous about going back out there. We have 34 shows in six weeks all around Canada and the U.S. We drive more than six hours every day. Then we’ll go back to Japan on October 24 for some shows, India for a music festival in November and then tour Australia and New Zealand next January and February. Traveling is the hardest part. The long drive is very hard. TANEDA: Food! I miss Japanese food a lot. I miss ramen noodles every day! MORIMOTO: I want to exercise more, but I’m in a van driving all the time.

TJ: Is there a difference in the music business between Japan and the U.S.? YAMANO: Yeah, it’s a little different. In Japan, everything is together. The promoter is also booking gigs and managing the band. But here the booking agent, promoter and publicity person are separate.

TJ: How did you get to open for Nirvana? YAMANO: I think Kurt Cobain was a big fan of Shonen Knife. When we came to Los Angeles in the early nineties, Kurt Cobain came to see our show and then Kurt’s manager contacted our manager. It was a wonderful experience. Before the tour started I didn’t know Nirvana. I saw their photograph and they looked very wild, so I was a little scared and I didn’t want to go on tour with them, but once I met them, they were very kind and gentle. In November 1991, we had a three-week tour all over Britain and then in 1993 we had seven shows in the U.S.

TJ: I understand you did one of the first live music broadcasts over the Internet. Can you tell us about your performance you did for Microsoft? YAMANO: I think it was in the late nineties. Microsoft used our Carpenters cover song of “Top of the World” for a TV commercial and we played at Microsoft’s headquarters in Seattle. It was broadcast live on the Internet like Ustream. It was one of the first such broadcasts.

TJ: Do you have a goal? YAMANO: I want to make many people happy through our music. That’s my goal! tj

The original article can be found in Issue #276 of the Tokyo Journal. Click here to order from Amazon.

Written By: Anthony Al-Jamie

Anthony Al-Jamie lived and worked in Japan for over 20 years. His in-depth understanding of Japanese language and culture has allowed him to carry out interviews with many of the most renowned individuals in Japan. He first began writing for the Tokyo Journal in the 1990s as Education Editor, later he was promoted to Senior Editor, and eventually International Editor and Executive Editor. He currently serves the Tokyo Journal as Editor-in-Chief.

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Shonen Knife | photo by Tomoko Ota

Sense of Place: For Shonen Knife, there’s no end to the sugar rush in sight

Hear from band leader Naoko Yamano, and see the band perform for a live audience at UrBANGUILD in Kyoto.

• Banana Chips
• Twist Barbie
• Riding on the Rocket
• Buttercup (I'm a Super Girl)

Listening to Shonen Knife is kind of like eating a very sweet jawbreaker.

Their lyrics are about things like candy, snacks and the fun of being a girl, but they’re delivered with big, shredding guitar riffs and drums so loud they might hurt your teeth.

That contrast may have been what got Kurt Cobain so into Shonen Knife that he personally requested they join Nirvana on tour in the early ’90s. The band from Osaka, Japan, released their debut album, Burning Farm , in 1983, and they never really stopped putting out music.

Last year, they went on their 40th anniversary world tour and released a new album called Our Best Place . As part of our Sense of Place: Japan series, we talked to Naoko Yamano, the leader of Shonen Knife, and the band performed for a live audience at UrBANGUILD in Kyoto.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Kimberly Junod. The web story was created by Miguel Perez. Our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.

SHONEN KNIFE

Live at the garage, london.

• Sat 15th April 2023
• Date: Sat 15th April 2023
• Doors Open: 7:00 pm
• On Sale: Tickets Open
• Price: £16.00

Tickets are now available for Shonen Knife at The Garage.

During the early-’90s alternative wave, quirky Japanese indie rock trio Shonen Knife made major fans out of alt-rock’s elite ( Sonic Youth ,  Nirvana , and  Redd Kross , among others) and built a solid worldwide cult following with their  Ramones -meets- Beatles  brand of sticky-sweet punk-pop. Following their early-’80s rise as indie upstarts, they signed to the majors for the release of 1992’s breakthrough Let’s Knife. With vocalist Naoko Yamano at the core, four albums were issued with the founding trio before the first of many lineup shuffles. The group’s early-2000s output included 2003’s Candy Rock and 2005’s Genki Shock! Cementing their veteran status in the 2010s, Yamano kept the band going, their endearing charm and no-nonsense punk bursts packing efforts such as 2011’s Osaka Ramones and their 20th album, 2016’s Adventure.

Formed by Michie Nakatani (vocals, bass), Naoko Yamano (vocals, guitar), and Atsuko Yamano (drums), Shonen Knife started in December 1981 in their hometown of Osaka, where all three members were working as office clerks. The group played their first real show in March of the following year. Soon after, they began issuing albums in Japan, including 1982’s cassette-only release Minna Tanoshiku (English translation: Everybody Happy?), 1983’s Burning Farm, 1984’s Yama No Attchan, and 1986’s Pretty Little Baka Guy (the latter of which was reissued with extra tracks four years later, under the title Pretty Little Baka Guy/Live in Japan). Although their records were only available in the U.S. via import, Shonen Knife struck a chord with the underground with a track that appeared on the Sub Pop 100 compilation in 1986. In 1989, a collection of alternative bands even recorded renditions of their favorite Shonen Knife songs for the tribute album Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them.

The first Shonen Knife release to be issued outside of Japan was a 1990 self-titled compilation that featured the entire Burning Farm and Yama No Attchan albums, as well as three tracks that were only previously available on the obscure Japanese comp Aura Music. Shortly thereafter, the group began touring America on a somewhat regular basis, supporting their 1991 release 712 with some dates opening for  Nirvana  just prior to the runaway success of  Cobain  and company’s now-classic Nevermind album. Now the hip band to name-drop, Shonen Knife signed their first major U.S. recording contract with  Capitol , resulting in the release of one of their finest (and best-known) albums, 1992’s Let’s Knife. A year later, the group switched to the  Virgin  label, issuing Rock Animals, which would spawn a semi-popular MTV video with “Tomato Head” (even landing a spot on the network’s popular animated series Beavis and Butthead).

In 1994, the trio performed as part of the traveling alternative rock festival Lollapalooza and contributed a cover of “Top of the World” to the  Carpenters  tribute album If I Were a Carpenter, while  Virgin  issued an 18-track collection of rare tracks, Birds & the B-Sides, in 1996. Although they were able to greatly expand their U.S. fan base, Shonen Knife never obtained the breakthrough success that was expected by many, resulting in the group returning to the independents and issuing such further releases as 1997’s Brand New Knife, 1998’s Happy Hour, and the 2000 Japan-only release Strawberry Sound (which featured the band’s revamped lineup of Atsuko Yamano on bass and Mana Nishiura, who joined Shonen Knife after Nakatani left in 1999, on drums).

Vocalist Naoko Yamano was the only original member during the mid- to late 2000s, but even after 20-plus years and difficulties maintaining a consistent lineup, the band showed no signs of slowing. In 2005,  Oglio  reissued the group’s first four albums, and the band released Genki Shock in Japan. Late that year, Nishiura was killed in a New Jersey traffic accident while touring with  DMBQ . Both Shonen Knife and  DMBQ  performed at a tribute concert for Nishiura that was held in Kyoto in spring 2006, shortly before the U.S. release of Genki Shock. The group continued on with drummer Etsuko Nakanishi and bassist Ritsuko Taneda, releasing a live album and another full-length, Super Group, in 2009. A few months after completing 2010’s Free Time, drummer Nakanishi parted ways with the band, to be replaced by Emi Morimoto. After celebrating their 30th anniversary with a concert in New York, the Yamano/Taneda/Morimoto lineup released Pop Tune in 2012 and Overdrive in 2014.

The year 2015 saw more lineup changes for Shonen Knife. In March, founding drummer Atsuko rejoined the group on bass, a reunion that was supposed to be a temporary gig while Ritsuko was away on maternity leave. However, Ritsuko did not return and Atsuko continued with the band. Months later, Morimoto announced her departure and was replaced by Risa Kawano (Brinky). In April 2016, the year of their 35th anniversary, Kawano and the Yamano sisters returned with Shonen Knife’s 20th studio album, the ’70s rock-inspired Adventure, which featured the single “Jump Into the New World.” The following year they delivered the compilation Ready! Set!! Go!!!, a special collection released in conjunction with their tour of Australia. In 2018, the band celebrated their comeback success with ALIVE! in Osaka, a live collection culled from their lengthy list of punk confections. Speaking of confections, their 21st set, Sweet Candy Power, arrived in 2019 and featured ten upbeat punk ditties such as “Party” and “Dizzy.”

See the full live listings for The Garage here .

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22nd June 2023

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21st June 2023

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