Shonen Knife - Formation

Formation

Shonen Knife was formed in December 1981 in Osaka, Japan with sisters guitarist-vocalist Naoko Yamano and drummer Atsuko Yamano and their friend bassist Michie Nakatani. Naoko sang lead and played guitar, Nakatani was also a lead singer and played bass and keyboards, and Atsuko sang backing vocals, played drums and designed their stage outfits. The group was something of an anomaly when they started, as they were coming in at a time where all-female bands were quite scarce. Influenced by 1970s punk rock and new wave bands such as The Ramones and Buzzcocks while ignoring the then-rising, early J-pop movement, the trio began crafting energetic rock songs rooted in rough instrumentation and do-it-yourself ethos. However, unlike traditional rebellious punk rockers, the trio emphasized positivity using catchy, upbeat melodies and frivolous, carefree lyrics that often touched on sweets and animals. The group eventually came to describe their music as, "oo-oo-ultra-eccentric-super-cult-punk-pop-band-shonen-knife!" Shonen Knife performed their very first gig on March 14, 1982 at Studio One, a club in Osaka, before a small audience of thirty-six who paid one hundred yen each. Later that August, they released their first independent album, Minna Tanoshiku on cassette.

Following their first Tokyo gig at Hosei University, Shonen Knife released their debut album Burning Farm on Zero Records on July 21, 1983. They then contributed to the Zero Record compilation album AURA MUSIC which included three of their songs,"Watchin' Girl", "Banana Fish", "Parrot Polynesia", and which was released on November 15. Their second album, Yama-no Attchan, was released by Zero on May 25, 1984. Named after drummer Atsuko, the album saw the band slightly improving their musicianship and giving way to broader musical influences, ranging from Motown to heavy metal, while maintaining their penchant for lighthearted lyrical topics like bike riding and insect collecting. At the end of the year, Shonen Knife contributed to another compilation, Huddle No Trouble, the two songs "Parrot Polynesia" and "Elephant Pao Pao" for Balcony Records.