Band-Maid

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Band-Maid
300x200px
Band-Maid performing in Mexico City, 2016
Background information
Origin Japan
Genres
Years active 2013–present
Labels
Website bandmaid.tokyo
Members
  • Miku Kobato
  • Kanami Tōno
  • Akane Hirose
  • Misa
  • Saiki Atsumi
File:BANDMAIDlogo.png
The band's logo from 2014 to 2017

Band-Maid, stylized as BAND-MAID and formerly as BAND-MAID®, is a Japanese rock band formed in 2013. The band combines a rock sound with a maid image modeled on Japanese maid cafés.[5] Originally signed to Gump Records, an imprint of the Platinum Passport artist management and talent agency, itself a division of Avex Group, they switched to major label Crown Stones in 2016.

History

The band, first known as BAND-MAID®, formed in July 2013. Singer/guitarist Miku Kobato, formerly an employee of a Japanese maid café, envisioned forming a band that juxtaposed the maid image with rock music. Kobato recruited lead guitarist Kanami Tōno after an Internet search. Tōno had performed as a singer-songwriter and suggested her occasional backing drummer Akane Hirose for the new band. Hirose in turn suggested bassist Misa, with whom she had attended music school.[6] On July 24, 2013 they had their first live performance at the PP Audition held at Osaka Deep, as a quartet with Kobato on vocals.[7] The band then decided to add an additional lead singer and selected Saiki Atsumi during auditions.[8] Their first performance as a five-piece was at the P Festival at Shibuya-AX on August 22, 2013.[7]

Since their formation, Band-Maid has regularly performed live at various venues around the Tokyo area.[9] The group released their debut mini-album Maid in Japan in January 2014, written in collaboration with musicians Masahiko Fukui[10] and Kentaro Akutsu[11] (the latter formerly of the musical group Zero). In August 2014, they released the maxi-single "Ai to Jōnetsu no Matador" (titled "Love, Passion, Matador" internationally). In November 2015 they released their sophomore mini-album New Beginning.[12] The album was their first chart placement, reaching #64 on the Japanese Oricon weekly albums chart.[13] The band undertook a tour of Tokyo venues to promote the album through February 2016, culminating in a sold-out concert on February 14.[14] In March 2016 they had their first overseas performance at Sakura-Con in Seattle, Washington.[5][15] The group released their third mini-album and major label debut, Brand New Maid, in May 2016 on the Nippon Crown sub-label Crown Stones.[16] That album reached #19 on the Japanese Oricon weekly albums chart.[17] In October and November 2016, they went on their first world tour that took them to Mexico, Hong Kong, and six countries in Europe.[18][19][20][21]

In January 2017, Band-Maid released their first full-length album titled Just Bring It. It was preceded by the single "YOLO," released in November 2016. Just Bring It reached #16 on the Japanese Oricon weekly albums chart.[22] Band-Maid appeared at the 2017 Golden Melody Awards and festival in Taiwan on June 23-24.[23][24] The maxi-single "Daydreaming/Choose Me" was released in July 2017.[25] They covered "Honey" for the November 2017 Mucc tribute album Tribute of Mucc -En-.[26] They released their second full-length album titled World Domination on February 14, 2018 (2018-02-14).[27][28] World Domination reached #9 on the Japanese Oricon weekly albums chart.[29] Also on February 14, 2018, they reissued their 2014 debut album Maid in Japan with two bonus tracks.[30][31] While the original version of that album did not chart, the reissued version reached #26 on the Japanese Oricon weekly albums chart.[32] On April 1, 2018, they performed at Warped Tour at Makuhari Messe,[33] as the first date on a world tour.

Image and music

File:Miku Kobato Misono Universe 2017.jpg
Miku Kobato in 2017

Band-Maid's image is modeled on maid café hostesses. In interviews, they explained the concept came from founding member Miku Kobato who had previously worked at a maid cafe in Akihabara.[8] This theme is reinforced by the band, who refer to their male fans as "masters," their female fans as "princesses," and their concerts as "servings."[34] The band's "submissive" maid appearance is meant to contrast with their aggressive rock style.[35] They decided to have two vocalists in order to allow a larger variety of music with two different voice types.[8]

Kobato draws inspiration from Japanese enka music; she attended a vocal school around 2012, but started playing guitar with the formation of Band-Maid the following year. Atsumi started singing when she was 14 and Band-Maid is her first band. Tōno is a big fan of Carlos Santana, has played classical piano since she was a child, and began playing guitar when she joined her high school band club. Hirose is a fan of Deep Purple and Maximum the Hormone, particularly the latter's female drummer Nao Kawakita, and also plays trombone and piano. Misa likes The Smashing Pumpkins and Jimi Hendrix; she started playing piano at around 3 or 4 years of age, and also plays trumpet, alto horn, and guitar.[34][6][8]

Related acts

Akane Hirose and Kanami Tōno also perform as guest members of the acoustic group Mochi to Cheeze (もちとちーず?) (roughly translated as "Rice Cake and Cheese"), a sub-unit of the Platinum Passport group Predia.

Band members

  • Miku Kobato (小鳩 ミク?) – guitar, vocals (2013–present)
  • Kanami Tōno (遠乃 歌波?) – guitar (2013–present)
  • Akane Hirose (廣瀬 茜?) – drums (2013–present)
  • Misa (stylized as MISA) – bass (2013–present)
  • Saiki Atsumi (厚見 彩姫?) – vocals (2013–present)

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
JPN
Oricon[36]
Maid in Japan
  • Released: January 8, 2014 (2014-01-08), February 14, 2018 (2018-02-14) (re-issue)
  • Label: Gump Records, Crown Stones (re-issue)
  • Formats: CD
 26 (re-issue)
New Beginning
  • Released: November 18, 2015 (2015-11-18)
  • Label: Gump Records
  • Formats: CD+DVD
 64
Brand New Maid
  • Released: May 18, 2016 (2016-05-18)
  • Label: Crown Stones
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD
 19
Just Bring It
  • Released: January 23, 2017 (2017-01-23)
  • Label: Crown Stones
  • Formats: CD
 16
World Domination
  • Released: February 14, 2018 (2018-02-14)
  • Label: Crown Stones
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD, CD+BD
 9

Singles

Title Album details Peak chart positions
JPN
Oricon[36]
"Ai to Jōnetsu no Matador" (愛と情熱のマタドール)
  • Released: August 13, 2014 (2014-08-13)
  • Label: Gump Records
  • Formats: CD
 —
"YOLO"
  • Released: November 16, 2016 (2016-11-16)
  • Label: Crown Stones
  • Formats: CD
 36
"Daydreaming/Choose Me"
  • Released: July 19, 2017 (2017-07-19)
  • Label: Crown Stones
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD
 20
"Start Over"
  • Released: July 25, 2018 (2018-07-25)
  • Label: Crown Stones
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD, CD+BD
 16

Digital Singles

Title Album details Peak chart positions
JPN
Oricon[36]
"Secret Maiko Lips"
  • Released: April 1, 2018 (2018-04-01)
  • Label: Nippon Crown
  • Formats: Digital download
 —
"Glory"
  • Released: October 4, 2018 (2018-10-04)
  • Label: Nippon Crown
  • Formats: Digital download
 —

Awards and nominations

Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards
Year Recipient/Nominated work Award Result
2016 Band-Maid Japan Next Generation[37] Won

References

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External links

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