CHATMONCHY

Chatmonchy is comprised of Eriko Hashimoto on guitar and vocals, Akiko Fukuoka on bass and Kumiko Takahashi on drums. The three women have been playing together since high school, but it wasn't until four years later, when they won a competition, that they began to garner recognition. In 2004, as an indies band, they released a mini-album in June.

The band quickly caught the attention of Sony Music Japan, and the next year, Sony's Ki/oon Records released their debut EP, chatmonchy has come. The band then set off on their first nation-wide tour of Japan in 2006. In July of the same year, Chatmonchy also released their first full-length album, Miminari. The album made it into the top ten of the Oricon chart, and the band was invited to play at some of Japan's most important summer festivals, including Summer Sonic, Rock in Japan Festival and Nano-Mugen Festival.

In fall of 2006, Chatmonchy headed back to the studio to finish their second album, Seimeiryoku, which they had begun writing the year before. The album was released in late 2007 and reached number two on the Oricon. The ladies then went back to holding lives, playing sold-out shows all across Japan. They achieved a benchmark in 2008 with their two-night solo concert at Budokan.

In 2009, Chatmonchy released their third album Kokuhaku early in spring and spent the rest of the year doing shows and holding in-store events. In addition to their albums, the trio has also released a number of singles, four of which have made it into the top ten on the Oricon. Their most well-known single to date is Daidai, which was featured as a theme song for the anime series "Bleach" and helped them reach a worldwide audience.

In 2010, Chatmonchy will make their North American debut at the SXSW Music Conference.