10-FEET started in 1997 in Kyoto. For the first few years of their career, they mainly focused on performing in and around their hometown. In order to get some recognition, they performed at local events and released their first, self-produced, independent demo tape.
Ready to make it big, they decided to move to Tokyo in December 2000. As a brand-new band without any big hits to their name, this period was tough for the trio as they had a hard time making money and nearly lived in poverty.
Their first releases came in April and May 2001. The singles april fool and May I help you? were released on the independent label BUDDY. In the summer, they started on a nationwide tour. Again, the band was struggling financially, and in order to decrease the costs of the tour, they simply lived in their van.
The next year, in April, they released their first album called Springman. They started touring again, and the final concert of the tour was held at the Shibuya O-west; it was sold out. In October, they released their third single River. In November, they left Tokyo and went back to their home base, Kyoto.
In 2003 they started their own label called BADASS, on which they released their fourth single Nil? In the same year, they had their first one-man concert at Shibuya AX. This concert was sold out as well. Their success only continued to grow, resulting in more performances and releases. April 2006 brought the release of a special compilation album of their work with other artists such as MINMI and Kj from Dragon Ash.
In the following year, their 2004 album REALIFE was released in Korea, expressing their interest in reaching an international market. April 2007 brought some misfortune for the band. After the release of their ninth single and third live DVD, vocalist TAKUMA suffered from a throat illness, and their planned tour had to be canceled. He recovered, and their comeback was planned for July at an outdoor event in Kyoto. Regrettably, this event also had to be canceled due to a typhoon. However, in November, they made their comeback with the single Goes on and a tour to make up for the canceled performances.
In 2008, the band continued with their overseas activities. In July, the band performed along with various other Japanese acts at the famous FORMOZ festival in Taiwan. A few months later, they headed to the States for a six-stop West Coast tour.
For 2009, the band has already produced two singles, their eleventh and twelfth singles, respectively. Their impressive discography continues to grow steadily. Currently, the band is performing frequently around Japan and who knows, we might get a new album this year too!
