Emi Morimoto

Emi Morimoto
Emi Morimoto after a concert with Shonen Knife in November 2011
Background information
Native name	森本 絵美
Birth name	Emi Morimoto
Also known as	Reo Green, Reo
Born	(1981-09-13) September 13, 1981 Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Genres	Pop-punk, alternative rock, indie pop, experimental punk, noise rock
Instruments	Drums, vocals
Years active	2000–present
Associated acts	Shonen Knife, Ni Hao!
Website	shonenknife.net

Emi Morimoto (森本 絵美, Morimoto Emi) (September 13, 1981) is a musician from Kyoto, Japan, and the drummer and backing vocalist of pop-punk group Shonen Knife. She joined Shonen Knife in 2010, after their previous drummer, Etsuko Nakanishi, left the band.^[1] Morimoto had just left the Kyoto-based experimental trio Ni Hao! when she unexpectedly received a call from Shonen Knife’s manager asking her to join.^[2] Ni Hao! had played a show with Shonen Knife, and guitarist Naoko Yamano was so impressed, when she heard Morimoto had left Ni Hao! she and bassist Ritsuko Taneda agreed to offer her the position.^[3]

Morimoto has played drums since age 19, telling Tom Tom Magazine “I’ve played in four to five different kinds of bands. When I joined the band circle in college, there were no drummers to form a band, so I said, “then I shall.” It’s not like I always wanted to play drums or anything, it just happened, but I love it now!” ^[4]

As a member of Ni Hao! she performed as Reo Green (the other members of the group, bassists Yukari Blue and Ariko Red, also adopted color-coded stage names).^[5]

Prior to Shonen Knife and Ni Hao!, Morimoto played the drums and sang in Ultra Jr., mamastudio and Nasca Car.^[6]

Morimoto plays kits by Canopus and Tama

Selected discography

With Ni Hao!:

• Red Blue Green (2005)
• Gorgeous (2005)

With Shonen Knife:

• Osaka Ramones (2011)
• Pop Tune (2012)
• Overdrive (2014)

References