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Shonen Knife are one of the most internationally successful Japanese bands in history, rivaled only by artists such as Cornelius, Puffy and The Boredoms. From their humble beginnings as a trio of High School girls, playing to 36 people for a buck a piece, they grew into a Japanese rock institution, maintaining a core group of obsessive fans and achieving iconic status in the indie/pop punk world.

Their particular brand of sweet but noisy rock has earned them fans ranging from Sonic Youth to Kurt Cobain (who said "when I finally got to see them live, I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert.") This energy even resulted in the US tribute album "Every Band Has A Shonen Knife Who Loves Them," a double disc with bands like Redd Kross, L7, and others...before the band even had a US contract.

They've persevered for over 25 years, weathering tragedy, lineup changes, and major label woes without ever growing cynical or going negative. "Super Group," their most recent album, is another collection of upbeat, catchy pop songs, one of their best in years.

Recently, the trio (original member Naoko, drummer Etsuko, and newly permanent bassist Ritsuko, along with manager Atsushi Shibata) sat down with Jrawk in their home base of Osaka, to discuss arena rock, garden pests...and Hell.

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JR: The new album feels like a big rock album in spots, almost like glam rock.

Naoko: I wasn't conscious of making glam rock, but with this album, we became a full three member group (NOTE: touring bassist Ritsuko joined officially with "Super Group," making Shonen Knife a full fledged three piece again.) So I wanted to make an album with a big rock sound: no synthesizers, just guitar bass and drums.

JR: So the title track is about Shonen Knife?

Naoko: Actually, it's about Damn Yankees!

JR: Really?!?

Naoko: (laughs) I heard the song "High Enough," and I was thinking it was a kind of perfect song. It starts calm, then gets louder and higher, along with the lyrics. The playing was perfect, too...it felt like a super group song. It would be nice if were could be a super group! (laughs) So I put that song first on the album.

JR: I'm surprised about Damn Yankees! In the past, you've also mentioned bands like Judas Priest, Arch Enemy...

Naoko: When Shonen Knife started, I like The Ramones, the Buzzcocks, and bands like that. But when I was a teenager, hard rock was very popular, so maybe it was always inside!

Etsuko: I like Rage Against The Machine. I'm a drummer, so I like hard drum sounds...X Japan, things like that.

Ritsuko: I like The Beatles, The Zombies, stuff from the 70s, the Liverpool sound. Oasis and oldies!

JR: Lots of arena rock. The show in Shibuya had a kid of arena rock feeling to it...

Naoko: I hope we can start playing arenas! (laughs)

Super Group (2008)

JR: Shonen Knife songs always seem to be inspired from real life, day to day happenings Like "Slug..."

Naoko: That's a true story! My friend has a tiny farm, a small garden. She gave me some lettuce, and when I opened the bag, and there was a slug. I was surprised, it was still alive!

I'd feel a little ashamed if I wrote love songs, so I write about topics like slugs instead!

JR: Well, "Slug" is a great punk rock title! But why avoid love songs?

Naoko: I'm just shy! (laughs)

JR: I see. What about "Muddy Bubbles Hell?" Surely that's not a true story...

Naoko: No, that's a true story. We went to Kyushu, Oita Prefecture. In that area, there are a lot of natural spots. One of them is a red pond, called "Blood Pond"...there's a lot of iron the water, which makes it red. There's another called "Priest Hell.” It’s a hot spring pond full of muddy bubbles. Japanese priests are bald, and the bubbles in the pond look like the top of their bald heads. The water's pretty muddy, and it smells like sulfur! (Everybody laughs) Anyway, this muddy pond, with the bubbles and sulfur...it was inspiring, like something from a Judas Priest song.

JR: It IS pretty doomy...

Naoko: Yes. Judas Priest, or Ronnie James Dio!

JR: Speaking of how the songs are created, do you write differently now that the band has a stable lineup?

Naoko: Lyrically, no, but so far as arrangements, Etstuko's drumming is very powerful, so the songs became more powerful. I really want good harmonies for our music as well, and Ritsuko's harmonies are great. She's the right person for the band.

Naoko

JR: One of the distinctive things about Shonen Knife is that the songs are always positive.

Naoko: (thinks) Hmm...I think Judas Priest is positive! "Living After Midnight..." It's very crazy, positive stuff! And (Shonen Knife song) "Muddy Bubbles Hell" is pretty dark. But I think people should be positive in life, and we want to make people happy.  That's our main purpose.  So if we made negative songs, it might be depressing. I also don't like to sing about politics either. If they want to sing about politics, they should become politicians!

JR: Another thing I've noticed is that some of the bands you're friends with...Sonic Youth, the Boredoms...are very experimental. Shonen Knife has always stuck with straight pop songs. Do you ever consider trying things that are more experimental?

Naoko: We like pop songs! For me, experimental music is not pop, but art. I think I'm a musician, not an artist! (laughs) I just want to be happy with music and through music. Art is more...I don't know...experimental and academic. I like simple, easy things.

JR: Going back in history a bit...there's the Shonen Knife tribute that came out in 1989 ("Every Band Has A Shonen Knife Who Loves Them.") It seemed pretty strange to see a tribute album for a band that was essentially unknown, especially one with such big bands on it (Sonic Youth, Redd Kross, Babes In Toyland, etc.)

Naoko: At first, (Beat Happening frontman and K records owner) Calvin Johnson bought our record in Tokyo, and we started exchanging mail...he wanted to release our stuff. Then another guy, Bill Bartel, heard it, and started the tribute project.

JR: There weren't any Shonen Knife albums during that period (NOTE: the tribute was released in 1989, three years after "Pretty Little Baka Guy" and two years before "712.") Had the band stopped, and did the tribute get it going again?

Naoko: (looks at a copy of the Shonen Knife discography) No releases! I don't know why. But no, we didn't break up or anything. We were just busy with our lives.

Ritsuko

JR: Speaking of being busy with your lives, when did the band become your main focus? When did it stop being a hobby?

Naoko: In 1992, we signed to a major, and I was still working a part time job at the time. But in 1994, we went on a long American tour, about six weeks, and I had to quit my day job. The other members did as well, and the label gave us support. In 2000, we went back to an independent label, so we need to work again! (laughs)

Atsushi: Since they're three women, it's a little easier.

Naoko: Women can get support from their husbands, or parents. It's a little easier!

JR: It's a little easier, but it can still be pretty difficult. Do you ever have moments where you think "forget it, I'm done?"

Naoko: No, never. You get used to it! Also, people are waiting for us, our albums and shows. I want to continue for them.

JR: In Japan, the vast majority of attention for music is focused on Tokyo, but you've stayed in Osaka.

Naoko: If we moved to Tokyo, we could get more exposure. But I like Osaka, I'm used to it. I just don't want to leave. I also get lost easily! (laughs) Tokyo is a special place, but just a visit is fine. I don't want to live there.

Etsuko: I love Nara, and I can work from there. That's good enough. (NOTE: Etsuko lives in Nara, which is roughly 45 minutes from Osaka proper.)

Ritsuko: I'm the same. When I was young, I thought about it. If we had the support of a major maybe...but now, with the internet and everything, we can do the same thing in Osaka.

JR: Do you ever wish the Osaka scene was more focused, more together as a specific scene?

Naoko: Of course, it would be nice for Osaka to be a center for rock music, like Seattle in the 90s. It's not so strong, but places like Okinawa, Hokkaido, some bands can break out and become big. But Osaka scene isn't so strong.

JR: You've said in past interviews that you didn't really listen to Japanese rock music.

Etsuko

Naoko: I'm unusual!  (Laughs)  Most of Japanese musicians, Japanese people, only listen to Japanese music.

I think the melody lines in foreign music are different. Japanese music can't have melodies like Western music. The Japanese language is very staccato: English flows more like a wave. In Japanese, for example, "gakko" ("school") is "ga-k-ko-ou," four syllables. But "school" is just "school." It's very difficult to put Japanese lyrics into Western style music, so Japanese music becomes more staccato. I like the Western flow.

Also, I like bands like Judas Priest or Kiss. They wear fun costumes. They're entertainers, not just musicians. I like Earth, Wind and Fire too, they're entertainers. Japanese musicians are not so much. They're simple.

JR: That's where the costumes come from!

Naoko: Yeah. I like gorgeous stuff! (laughs)

JR: So that's why you mostly sing in English.

Naoko: Yes. But Japanese Shonen Knife fans want Japanese lyrics, so the next album with have both.

JR: Now that you're the only original member, do you feel more pressure, like you have to do everything?

Naoko: Hmmm... No. (Everybody laughs) It's really fun with them, no pressure. Just having fun!