The Watanabes

The Watanabes are a Tokyo based indie pop rock band with members from the UK and Japan.^[1]

Musical style

Their jangly alt pop sound^[2] has drawn comparisons to melody driven indie acts such as Belle and Sebastian,^[3] Teenage Fan Club,^[3] Crowded House^[4] and 1980's Liverpool band The Pale Fountains,^[5] while their lyrics often touch upon their experiences in Japan.^[1] Time Out have described them as "Tokyo's answer to The Smiths"^[6] although their soft acoustic melodies make an easier comparison to other British bands such as The Beatles or The Kooks.^[7]

Members

The band are fronted by British brothers Duncan and Selwyn Walsh on vocals and guitar.^[8] New Zealander Ashley Davies and Belgian Flavio Jerome were also founding members and co-songwriters but have since left the band.^[9]

History

The band have featured in several of Japan's English speaking publications including The Japan Times,^[10] Metropolis,^[11] Japanzine^[12] and Time Out. In November 2009 they began working with Glaswegian music producer David Naughton^[1] and released their second album, You're Dancing I'm Absorbed, in February 2011. It includes guest appearances from American singer songwriter Kate Sikora and British multi-instrumentalist Nick Duffy of The Lilac Time. In December 2011 two tracks from the album, True Romantics and Concerned With You, were used in a TV advertising campaign for Triumph Motorcycles.^[13]

The Watanabes have featured on the BBC Introducing Series,^[14] and in September 2010, their acoustic green lullaby “Whales Can Sing” was championed by Ric O'Barry,^[15] star of the Academy Award winning documentary The Cove, as well as race car driver and environmental activist Leilani Munter.^[16] On August 29, 2013, The Watanabes performed live in Tokyo with former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum at an event organized by Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project.^[17]

The band have received praise for their fundraising efforts, particularly in aid of Tohoku following the Tohoku earthquake.^[18] In 2014 they released a collaborative music video with NPO Playground of Hope.^[19]

In the autumn of 2014 they released a 5 track EP entitled Draw What You Like.^[20] Three tracks from the record were adopted by CNN International for a documentary on food in Japan.^[21] Their fourth record, a four track EP entitled Spoiled and Nostalgic, was released on November 25, 2016.^[22] The second track on the EP, 'Tonight' was included in Tom Robinson's BBC Mixtape, aired on BBC Radio 6.^[23] In September 2016, BBC Radio Norfolk made 'Hummingbird' Track of the Week.

Formation

The band formed in the rural prefecture of Ehime in Japan, during the summer of 2005.^[24] Watanabe is a common surname in this region of Japan,^[25] and the group used the name in order to ingratiate themselves with the locals, whilst also alluding to British band The Smiths.^[26] It was initially inspired however by Toru Watanabe, the slightly troubled and over nostalgic protagonist in Haruki Murakami's novel, Norwegian Wood.^[27]

In April 2007 they sent off their first demo to the Fuji Rock Festival, and were selected alongside bands such as The Bawdies and Avengers in Sci-Fi in the top 50 nominees for the Rookie a go stage.^[28] In August of the same year they moved to Tokyo where they began work on their debut album, Independent Social Power.^[29] Recorded at KRH Studios^[30] in Harajuku, the album was independently released in association with Manchester based record label BabyBoom Records.^[31]

Releases

Independent Social Power (2009)
There Are Ghosts Around Here EP (2009)
You're Dancing I'm Absorbed (2011)
Draw What You Like (2014)
Spoiled and Nostalgic (2016)

References

External links

• Official Website
• Official Facebook Page
• BabyBoom Records Japan