Don’t miss the chance to see this band live
For anyone reading this column for the first time: I write mostly about women in music, and expect I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Here, and in my column on The Riff , I have been doing a historical look back at some of the great but under-appreciated female artists of the big-band, swing, blues and rock eras. I’ve made it to the early 1970s and will continue on that path in future posts.
For this post, however, I am leapfrogging to the present day, because the information here has an expiration date. One of the best new bands I’ve heard in many years will be touring the U.S. this March. If you are one of those who pines for old-style hard rock played by jedi-level musicians; or you believe in female empowerment; or you simply love finding new, highly talented musical artists, then they belong on your bucket list — they are certainly on mine.
Nemophila were founded in 2019. They are a Japanese supergroup composed of:
ex-Mary's Blood guitarist Saki
ex-Lipstick vocalist Mayu
ex-Disqualia guitarist Hazuki (also plays with Lisa-X band)
ex-Hölderlins bassist Haraguchi-san, and
ex-Soramimi drummer Murata Tamu
Saki was the best-known of the group prior to Nemophila’s formation. Hazuki and Murata-tamu are also established musicians and have worked with a lot of other top artists — Murata-tamu may be the most in-demand session drummer in Japan. Hara-san is the youngest but is a great talent and has been exploding in front of our eyes-she has already written several songs for the group. Mayu is a unique vocalist, with multiple registers and great stage presence.
Initially, they were just a side project, coming together largely to keep busy during the early days of the pandemic. They started by posting metal covers of well-known rock and pop songs. Then they began posting originals, and blew up on social media.
The viral reaction convinced them they were onto something, so they’ve jumped into it full time. They’ve done several successful live-streams as well as in-person appearances at the Whiskey in L.A. and at the 2022 Aftershock music festival. Their core sound is melodic but technical. They go hard and heavy but also do ballads and some pop covers.
This is the trailer for their recently released concert DVD. It gives you an idea of what to expect if you get to see them in live on this tour. The first segment shows them duetting with Keiko Terada, lead singer of a legendary band called Show-Ya (founded in 1981 and still touring). The rest is all Nemophila.
Here is the link to the tour dates and ticket information: