THE NOVEMBERS is a four-piece alternative rock band formed in 2005. Their sound ranges from aggressive rock, filled with pulsing bass and intense guitar solos, to shoegaze-y introspective tracks and dreamy pop-rock.
Although frontman Yusuke Kobayashi and bassist Hirofumi Takamatsu were classmates in high school and had previously played in a band together since 2002, THE NOVEMBERS was not officially formed until 2005.
The band released their first demo CD that year, but unfortunately their drummer left the band soon after. They recruited support drummer Ryosuke Yoshiki to fill the spot that summer, and he was quickly welcomed as an official member. Guitarist Kengo Matsumoto joined that fall, and the band was complete.
With their line-up solidified, THE NOVEMBERS started to gain momentum. They released two more demos in 2006 and managed to draw the attention of indie label DAIZAWA RECORDS, a branch of UK.PROJECT. Their first mini-album on DAIZAWA RECORDS, THE NOVEMBERS, was released on November 7, 2007 and a supporting tour took them to Tokyo, Tochigi, Nagoya and Osaka.
Their first full album, picnic, was released in 2008, and the band continued to tour and release new music steadily for the next few years, drawing many new listeners through performances at major festivals like the ROCK IN JAPAN FES and UK.PROJECT events.
The year 2012 was especially exciting for the band as it saw them take the stage at both Taiwan’s MEGAPORT FESTIVAL and an event for the fashion brand LAD MUSICIAN, bringing their music to new audiences. Encouraged by the positive responses they drew at these events, the band made their discography available in 61 countries through iTunes in an attempt to reach out to overseas fans. They also released the mini-album GIFT that November, which featured a distinctly poppier sound than much of their previous work. Their cover of Stay Away on the Nirvana tribute album NEVERMIND TRIBUTE, which featured a number of popular Japanese rock bands such as ONE OK ROCK, 10-FEET and 9mm Parabellum Bullet, earned them valuable exposure as well.
So far, 2013 has seen their fourth EP, Fourth wall—which was recorded as a darker counterpart to the light and optimistic GIFT—made available in 117 countries, continuing their effort to make their music more accessible to fans outside of Japan. The band later embarked on a tour called GIFT and Fourth wall Release Tour “I’ll Be Your Mirror” to support it.
A band with clear global ambitions and an intriguing, well-developed sound that continues to evolve with each new release, be sure to keep your eye on THE NOVEMBERS in the future.
