Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2010

Sharp cheekbones and the latest fashions can sometimes seem more important than musical ability. But looks can be deceiving. With cutting-edge bands like Nhhmbase, Mothercoat, Yucca and the magnificently named Ogre You Asshole, the Japanese indie scene is alive and kicking.

Add to that list the Nagoya-based Jonny. The three-and-a-half-piece—they have bass-player issues the way Spinal Tap has drummer issues—have been around since 2005, making the kind of bouncy pop-punk that sets indie clubs alight.

Jonny consist of Mio, a punk girl with Patti Smith lungs and a liberating attitude to hairstyles; Shinoda, guitarist extraordinaire and the creator of the scratchy riffs that Jonny is built around; and drummer Nono, who looks like a nice boy but harbors a true drummer’s soul and is the engine of the band. Together they sound like Domestiques-era Delgados with the melodies of Weezer. Here’s Jonny.

I first encountered the group at a club through a friend of Nono’s. The lights dimmed and Mio walked to the center of the stage and screamed at ear-splitting levels, “We’re motherfucking Jonny!” By the end of the first song, I was at the heart of the mosh pit, and had become a true convert. Jonny love music so much it’s impossible not to get caught up in it. Each song is packed with ideas, dwelling on a theme long enough to embed it in your head before moving on to something new.

I recently hooked up with Mio and Nono and asked them how the group got their start.

“About five years ago, Nono and I met on a website for people looking for bands,” Mio said. “A friend of mine introduced Shinoda to us. Funahashi, the bassist of Hukanzen Misshitsu Satuzin, has been helping us for a year. He’s almost a regular member.”

One thing that sets Jonny apart from their peers is that Mio sings entirely in English. “It’s because I always listen to English songs,” she says. “I can’t write lyrics in Japanese. I think rock is not a part of Japanese culture.”

Huh? Rock isn’t a part of Japanese culture?

“Some musical events in Japan are kind of like piano concerts—they’re very stiff and boring,” she answers. “I just want to have a party with good music and good drinks with funny people, like a foreign house party.”

It’s in the live houses that Jonny really stand out—they clearly love what they’re doing and are having the time of their lives. But their main concern is that the crowd enjoy it. Rather than performing to us, they want to rock with us. It’s infectious and energizing; whole-room mosh pits aren’t uncommon.

“Because Nagoya has fewer places to play than Tokyo and Osaka, there’s a really unique scene,” she adds. “Many bands from different genres can play together. Genre isn’t important here. Nagoya is a genre itself.”

Jonny are making waves outside Nagoya as well, regularly playing across the country and receiving wide radio coverage, including on the BBC. They’ve got a pair of LPs to their credit, Jonny and Cake Album, and in late December released an EP, Get Some Lack to Be Punky, produced in conjunction with Tower Records.

So what does the future hold?

“We have no plans—we only want to have fun for a long time,” Mio says. “We’re recording a new album, which should be out next year. We want many people to listen to our music and to see our gigs.”
“And play Glastonbury Festival,” adds Nono. “I’d love to play Glastonbury or open for Weezer.”

Weezer remain a touchstone for the band, but their sound has matured over the years and they’ve outgrown their influences. The 2007 EP Cranberry / Pop Star marked a turning point, moving away from pop-punk and into new territory. “Cranberry” remains one of their standout songs, a seven-and-a-half minute slow, sexy groove that builds to an explosive climax.

The punk attitude is never far from the surface, though. As Mio screams in “Pop Star,” “I need, I need your electric guitar.” This is rock ’n’ roll as it was meant to be: fun, loud, strutting music with a worrying grin and nuts like cannonballs. If that’s your bag, then go see them for yourself.

For more info, see www.jonny-web.com and www.myspace.com/jonnyjapan.

Jonny
Indie rock group from Nagoya. Feb 27, 8pm, ¥1,000. Ruby Room, Shibuya. Tel: 03-3780-3022. Mar 15, time & price TBA. Jam, Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3232-8168.