Japandroids were a Canadian
rock duo from
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, formed in 2006. The band consisted of Brian King (guitar, vocals) and David Prowse (drums, vocals).
[Lindsay, Ca]
"No Fun City Rockers"
''Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'', May 2009 accessed November 10, 2010.
The band rose to prominence following the release of their debut album ''
Post-Nothing'' (2009). Their second album, ''
Celebration Rock'' (2012), was released to widespread critical acclaim,
[Metacriti]
"Japandroids - Celebration Rock"
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, accessed January 22, 2014. with
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
calling it one of ''The 10 Coolest Summer Albums of All Time'', and
''Spin'' naming the duo ''Band of the Year''.
[Sheffield, Ro]
"The 10 Coolest Summer Albums of All Time"
, ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', July 18, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014.[Harvilla, Ro]
"Band of the Year: Japandroids"
'' Spin'', December 3, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014. Japandroids toured heavily in support of both albums, gaining notoriety for their live performances
[Caramanica, Jo]
"Kinetic, Exuberant and Loud on the Topic of Romance"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', July 12, 2009 accessed November 10, 2010. and extensive international concert tours.
[Marotta, Michae]
"Japandroids finally wrap up their 230-show ‘Celebration Rock’ tour — which began in March 2012"
''Vanyaland'', November 17, 2013 accessed January 22, 2014. Between 2009 and 2013, the band performed approximately 500 shows in 44 countries.
The band's third studio album, ''
Near to the Wild Heart of Life'' (2017), featured a more polished aesthetic and was released to more extensive touring.
[Stolworthy, Jacob]
Japandroids interview: 'This new record is our first attempt at making a proper studio album'
''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', 31 January 2017. Retrieved on 05 February 2019. The band released its fourth and final album, ''
Fate & Alcohol'', in October 2024 after several years of inactivity.
Japandroids' music has been described as "one part
classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
, one part
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
",
[Hermes, Wil]
"Japandroids: One Part Classic Rock, One Part Punk"
'' NPR'', June 6, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014. due to their blending of classic rock influences such as
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
and
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...
, with punk rock influences such as
the Replacements and
Hüsker Dü.
[Cohen, Ia]
"Reviews - Japandroids, Celebration Rock"
''Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
'', May 29, 2012 accessed June 7, 2012.
History
Early years (2006–2008)
Japandroids was formed in 2006 by Brian King (guitar, vocals) and David Prowse (drums, vocals).
The two met in 2000 while attending the
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...
in
Victoria,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, and upon discovering a mutual interest in music, began attending live shows together regularly in Victoria and Vancouver.
In 2003, Prowse moved to Vancouver, transferring to
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a Public university, public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It maintains three campuses in Greater Vancouver, respectively located in Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey, and ...
. Eager to form their own band, King agreed to relocate to Vancouver following his graduation, doing so in 2005. Heavily influenced by the raw and energetic recordings of
The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on Punk rock, punk and Garage rock, garage music worldwide, and they have been named inspir ...
, King and Prowse began writing and recording music in 2006, hoping to emulate the same style.
While they originally intended to find a third member to act as lead vocalist, they later decided to forego having a specific lead singer and simply share vocal duties.
[Usinger, Mik]
"Vancouver's Own Japandroids Make Good"
''The Georgia Straight
''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools ...
'', May 14, 2009 accessed November 10, 2010. The name Japandroids is a
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. formed from two other band name ideas: Japanese Scream (from Prowse) and Pleasure Droids (from King).
Occasionally they would spell it without vowels, as JPNDRDS.
Frustrated by the lack of support for live music in Vancouver, as well as the difficulty of 'breaking into' the local music scene, King and Prowse regularly set up their own shows.
Inspired by the do-it-yourself methods of bands like
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
, they would often arrange for a venue or space to play, rent equipment, design and distribute flyers and posters, as well as arrange for their friends to help run the shows.
Japandroids performed their first live show on December 30, 2006. Over the next two years, they would perform regularly in Vancouver, but managed only short, sporadic tours due to conflicts with King's geology studies. During this period, Japandroids self-released two EPs, 2007's ''All Lies'', and 2008's ''Lullaby Death Jams''. Each EP was limited to 500 copies, and would later be re-released as a compilation titled ''
No Singles''.
Japandroids recorded their first full-length album, ''
Post-Nothing'' in the summer of 2008, with the intention of self-releasing it in 2009. However, by the fall of 2008, King and Prowse had become convinced that the band was going nowhere, and mutually decided to call it quits at the end of the year. It was agreed that their appearances at
Pop Montreal in Montreal and
CMJ Music Marathon in New York City would be their final live performances.
It was also agreed that they would self-release the album early in 2009, but would not promote it. By December 2008, King was already attempting to assemble a new band.
''Post-Nothing'' (2009–2010)
In January 2009, Japandroids signed to independent Canadian label Unfamiliar Records, who were eager to release the album, despite the band's reservations about continuing.
Frustrated by label interest only after they had decided to break-up, King and Prowse reluctantly agreed to continue Japandroids temporarily, and began performing live again.
In March 2009, taste-making website
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
awarded the song "Young Hearts Spark Fire" a 'Best New Track' designation, instantly exposing the band to a large audience outside of Canada.
Their debut album, ''
Post-Nothing'' was released in Canada in April 2009, originally on vinyl only. Pitchfork championed the album, awarding it a 'Best New Music' designation, and praising its rawness, energy and reckless abandon. Japandroids were subsequently signed to
Polyvinyl Record Co. in June 2009.
''
Post-Nothing'' was released worldwide in August 2009 to widespread critical acclaim, especially in Canada where ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'' named it the second best album of 2009. It was long-listed for the
Polaris Music Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize. The prize was inc ...
as well as nominated for the
Juno Award
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
for
Alternative Album of the Year. The album was also well-received internationally, appearing on many year-end lists including
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
(#15),
Spin (#16),
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
(#39),
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
(#25),
Pop Matters (#35),
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
(#21), and reached No. 22 on the
Billboard Heatseekers chart.
Japandroids toured extensively to promote the album, earning praise for their energetic live performances.
The ''Post-Nothing Tour'' consisted of 9 individual legs, and included over 200 shows in more than 20 countries.
While primarily headlining their own shows, Japandroids also toured supporting acts such as
A Place To Bury Strangers and
Health
Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...
in Europe, and
The Walkmen in North America.
The ''Post-Nothing Tour'' was originally scheduled to begin on April 23, 2009, in
Calgary
Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
,
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
. After performing one show, Japandroids were forced to postpone and reschedule the remainder of their first full-scale North American tour due to a health emergency. On the morning of April 24, 2009, King was checked into Calgary's Foothills Medical Center to undergo emergency surgery for a life-threatening
perforated ulcer.
Touring resumed June 13, 2009 after King's recovery with a performance at Vancouver's
Music Waste
Music Waste is an annual music, art, and comedy festival held in Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous ...
festival, and continued uninterrupted through to the final show October 27, 2010 at
Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey. Among the dates of the tour were numerous festival appearances in North America and Europe, including
Pitchfork Music Festival
Pitchfork Music Festival was an annual music festival in Union Park (Chicago), Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, organized by the online magazine ''Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork.'' Starting in 2011, the festival announced a branch staged in Paris ...
,
Sasquatch!,
Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment.
Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...
,
Osheaga Festival
The Osheaga Music and Arts Festival () is a multi-day music festival in Montreal, Quebec, that is held every summer at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène. The festival takes place on six stages with various audience capacities. Translated ...
,
Roskilde Festival
The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...
, and
Primavera Sound
Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as Primavera) is an annual music festival held at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, during late May and early June. It was founded in 2001 by Pablo Soler as "a showcase for Spanish Noise rock, noise ban ...
.
Initially, the duo desired to include several more tracks on the album, but were unable due to insufficient funds.
[Tedder, Michae]
"Q&A: Japandroids' Brian King"
, ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'', October 26, 2010 accessed November 10, 2010. Many of the un-included tracks that the duo had written for the album were later recorded and released in 2010 as series of limited edition 7" singles. These tracks include "Art Czars", "Younger Us", and "Heavenward Grand Prix". The same year, Japandroids re-released their first two EPs as a compilation titled ''
No Singles''. The band has stated that both the 7" singles series, as well as the ''No Singles'' compilation, were designed to appease fans desire for more music, as they would not be able to record a second album until 2011 due to an extensive touring schedule.
''Celebration Rock'' (2011–2013)
After taking the bulk of 2011 off to work on new material, Japandroids revealed that they would tour North America throughout August and September playing primarily smaller, intimate venues in order to test out their new material prior to the recording of their second album. During these shows, the band debuted several new songs including "Fire's Highway", "Adrenaline Nightshift", and "Evil's Sway". Following the tour, the band temporarily relocated from
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
to
Nashville
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
to continue writing.
[Talbott, Chri]
"Canadian noise rockers Japandroids lived and worked among us"
, ''Nashville Scene
''Nashville Scene'' is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with ...
'', 15 November 2013. Retrieved on 22 January 2014. The duo cited disillusion with Vancouver, as well as the difficulty of returning to a sedentary lifestyle following two years of continuous touring, as the primary motivations for the move.
On March 26, 2012, Japandroids announced that their second album ''
Celebration Rock'' would be released by
Polyvinyl on June 5, 2012, preceded by a limited edition 7" of the album's first single "
The House That Heaven Built" on May 15, 2012. A video for "The House That Heaven Built", Japandroids' first music video, was released that summer to promote the single. The black-and-white video, directed by Jim Larson and produced by
Pitchfork.tv, documented one week in the life of Japandroids on tour using footage from the east coast portion of their spring 2012 US tour, including live footage from shows in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
,
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, and
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
''
Celebration Rock'' garnered widespread acclaim from critics,
who praised the album's blending of classic rock and punk rock influences,
as well as King's newfound lyrical ambition. As Ian Cohen of
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
noted, "Japandroids have gone from having almost none at all
yricsto packing their songs with an astonishing command of legend and literalism that all but dares you to feel ''something''."
The album was especially well received in their native Canada, with
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
naming it the best Canadian album of 2012, while
CBC CBC may refer to:
Media
* Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico
* Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster
** CBC Television
** CBC Radio One
** CBC Music
** ...
declared it the best rock album of the year.
[Shuymka, Dav]
“Top 5 Rock Albums of 2012”
''CBC Music
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
'', 17 December 2012. Retrieved on 22 January 2014. The same year, ''Celebration Rock'' was short-listed for the
Polaris Music Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize. The prize was inc ...
as well as nominated for the
Juno Award
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
for
Alternative Album of the Year.
The album was also well received internationally earning a ''Best New Music'' designation from
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
,
a 9 out of 10 from
Spin, and a 4 out of 5 from
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
. The album also appeared on many year-end lists including
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
(#1),
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
(#2),
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
(#2),
Spin (#3),
Village Voice (#4),
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
(#5),
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
(#8), and reached No. 37 on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart.
Japandroids toured heavily in support of ''Celebration Rock'', performing over 200 shows in more than 40 countries between March 2012 and November 2013. The ''Celebration Rock Tour'' consisted of 13 individual legs across
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
,
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
,
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, and
Oceania
Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...
, including numerous festival appearances:
Coachella
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
,
Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment.
Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...
,
Sasquatch!,
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
,
Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
,
Governors Ball,
Fun Fun Fun Fest,
Free Press Summer Fest, and
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
's festival
Orion in the United States,
Primavera Sound
Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as Primavera) is an annual music festival held at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, during late May and early June. It was founded in 2001 by Pablo Soler as "a showcase for Spanish Noise rock, noise ban ...
,
Optimus Alive!,
Paredes de Coura,
Pitchfork (Paris),
OFF,
Latitude
In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
and
Longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...
festivals in Europe,
Vive Latino
Vive Latino - Festival Iberoamericano de Cultura Musical, known for sponsorship reasons as Amazon Vive Latino, is an annual music festival held in Mexico City. It is one of the most important music festivals in Mexico, featuring a great varie ...
in Mexico,
Fuji Rock Festival
is an annual music festival, rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash (Music promoters), Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it th ...
in Japan, and
Laneway Festival
The St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, commonly referred to as Laneway, began in Caledonian Lane, Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, February 27, 2005. Beginning as predominantly an indie music event, the festival grew in popularity and expanded to f ...
in Australia.
On November 17, 2013, the band posted a thank you and farewell message to fans online. Following this message, Japandroids’ online presence was inactive for nearly three years. The band did not perform or give any public appearances in this time, leading fans to speculate on the band's status.
''Near to the Wild Heart of Life'' (2014–2020)
Following the end of the ''Celebration Rock Tour'', the duo decided to take an extended break from the band. In an interview with ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', King cited exhaustion as the primary motivation: “When we got home, we were just totally destroyed, really burnt out both physically and mentally; at that point, we hadn't taken a serious break from the band in five years. So we took about six months off – the first half of 2014 – and decided to dedicate that time to ourselves and our personal lives.”
[ During this period, King began splitting his time between ]Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, while Prowse remained in their hometown of Vancouver.[Berman, Stuart]
"Synths! Ballads! Acoustic Guitars! Welcome to Japandroids 2.0"
''Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
'', 3 February 2017. Retrieved on 5 March 2020. In late 2014, the band reconvened in New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
to begin writing new material: "We rented a house and spent about five weeks there, with all the gear in the living room, just playing every day. We hadn't written anything in a long time, so it took a minute just to get the ball rolling again."[Tedder, Michael]
"Q&A: Japandroids Remain On Brand With Near To The Wild Heart Of Life"
''Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
'', 2 November 2017. Retrieved on 5 March 2020. The duo would spend the next year writing together via similar sessions, alternating between cities.
The album was recorded in the fall of 2015 with longtime engineer Jesse Gander, but wasn't mixed until the following spring.[ The band attributed wanting to work with ]Peter Katis
Peter Katis is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer, audio engineer, mixer, and musician.
Katis is best known for working with alternative and indie rock bands. He works primarily out of his own residential studio, Tarquin Studios, ...
as one of the primary reasons for the album's delayed release: "We really wanted Peter Katis, who’s well known for working with bands like The National and Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
, to mix our record, but we had to wait around a little while in order to work with him."[
On August 10, 2016, Japandroids announced their first shows in nearly three years: a 4-night stand (October 5–8) at The Cobalt in ]Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, followed by shows in Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, New York, London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, and Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
. On August 18, 2016, additional shows were announced in Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
and Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. Both tour posters featured images seemingly taken from within a studio, suggesting that new material was forthcoming.
On October 31, 2016, Japandroids announced their third album '' Near to the Wild Heart of Life'' via a teaser video featuring live footage from their comeback shows in Vancouver. On November 2, 2016, it was confirmed that the album would be released by Anti-
Anti- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label to Epitaph Records.
Founded by Andy Kaulkin, Anti- first gained attention by releasing Tom Waits's Grammy Award–winning '' Mule Variations'' in 1999. Other veteran recordin ...
on January 27, 2017, and preceded by a limited edition 7" of the album's title track. When asked about the motivation behind switching labels, King stated: “It just felt like a very natural thing to do, and at a very natural time. ''Celebration Rock'' and the ''Celebration Rock Tour'' felt like a triumphant ending to the first era of the band, an era that I will forever associate with Polyvinyl. But starting in 2014, I think both Dave and I felt that we were no longer ‘continuing’ something but starting something new, and wanted a new label to represent whatever that was." According to Prowse, Anti-
Anti- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label to Epitaph Records.
Founded by Andy Kaulkin, Anti- first gained attention by releasing Tom Waits's Grammy Award–winning '' Mule Variations'' in 1999. Other veteran recordin ...
came to their attention following a chance encounter with one of their staff members at a bar in New Orleans.
On January 10, 2017, "No Known Drink or Drug" was released digitally to promote the album ahead of its release. On January 19, 2017, ''Near to the Wild Heart of Life'' was streamed in its entirety on NPR Music
NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...
in the United States and on CBC Music
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
in Canada.[Thompson, Stephen]
"First Listen: Japandroids, Near To The Wild Heart Of Life"
''NPR Music
NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...
'', 19 January 2017. Retrieved on 5 March 2020. On January 31, 2017, the band performed "Near to the Wild Heart of Life" on ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...
'' and on May 9, 2017, performed "Near to the Wild Heart of Life", "True Love and a Free Life of Free Will", and "Midnight To Morning" on '' Later... with Jools Holland''. On May 16, 2017, a limited edition 7" of the album's second single "North East South West" was released. On October 11, 2017, the band performed "No Known Drink Or Drug" on '' Late Night with Seth Meyers''. On October 24, 2017, Japandroids’ show at Massey Hall
Massey Hall is a performing arts auditorium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Although original ...
in Toronto was filmed and recorded for the concert film series ''Live At Massey Hall''. The film was released on June 14, 2018.
Japandroids toured heavily in support of ''Near to the Wild Heart of Life'', performing over 150 shows in 23 countries between October 2016 and October 2018. The ''Near to the Wild Heart of Life Tour'' consisted of 12 individual legs across North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and Oceania
Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...
, including numerous festival appearances: South by Southwest
South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
, Shaky Knees Music Festival, Sasquatch!, Governors Ball, Pitchfork Music Festival
Pitchfork Music Festival was an annual music festival in Union Park (Chicago), Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, organized by the online magazine ''Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork.'' Starting in 2011, the festival announced a branch staged in Paris ...
, and Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
’ Cal Jam in the United States, Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
, Latitude
In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
, End of the Road, Electric Picnic, Primavera Sound
Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as Primavera) is an annual music festival held at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, during late May and early June. It was founded in 2001 by Pablo Soler as "a showcase for Spanish Noise rock, noise ban ...
, Paredes de Coura, NOS Alive in Europe, Corona Capital in Mexico, and Meredith Music Festival in Australia.
The final date of the ''Near to the Wild Heart of Life Tour'' took place on October 17, 2018, at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
. A celebration of Legalization Day in Canada, Japandroids' set included five new songs, written on the setlist as “International”, “D+T”, “Baby’s”, “Infinity”, and “Alice”. The show would end up being the band's final performance, with Brian King reflecting in 2024: "I’m very proud of that one. We’d been touring for two years and I was in rough shape, drinking heavily to get through each day. But it was the very last show and I gave it everything I had. Obviously I didn’t know it would be our final show ever, but the fact that we finished the tour on a high note definitely made it easier to walk away. Had it been a bad show, or even mediocre one, there almost certainly would have been more. So many bands end in a fight or an overdose, but we went out guns blazing in Toronto."
On May 27, 2020, Japandroids announced their first live album ''Massey Fucking Hall''. The album was recorded on October 24, 2017, at Massey Hall
Massey Hall is a performing arts auditorium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Although original ...
in Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, and would be released by Anti-
Anti- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label to Epitaph Records.
Founded by Andy Kaulkin, Anti- first gained attention by releasing Tom Waits's Grammy Award–winning '' Mule Variations'' in 1999. Other veteran recordin ...
on June 26, 2020 (digital) and October 2, 2020 (vinyl). The announcement came during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, when virtually all live concerts and music festivals across North America were either canceled or postponed. On the timing of the release, Prowse stated:
''Fate & Alcohol'' and break-up (2021–2024)
In November 2021, it was announced that Japandroids would be performing '' Celebration Rock'' in full at Shaky Knees Festival 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
to celebrate its ten-year anniversary. The performance was ultimately cancelled, with no further shows announced. Regarding the cancelation, Prowse noted: "At first, rianwas like, ‘I don’t know about this tour, we’re still in the middle of making this record. And then that conversation kind of quickly evolved into, ‘I don’t know if I ever want to tour again.'"
On July 17, 2024, Japandroids announced their fourth and final record, '' Fate & Alcohol'', which was released on Oct 18, 2024 on Anti-
Anti- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label to Epitaph Records.
Founded by Andy Kaulkin, Anti- first gained attention by releasing Tom Waits's Grammy Award–winning '' Mule Variations'' in 1999. Other veteran recordin ...
,[Strauss, Matthew]
"Japandroids Announce Final Album, Share New Song “Chicago”: Listen"
''Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'', 17 July 2024. Retrieved on 17 July 2024. with King opting to end the band to focus on his sobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any effects from alcohol (drug), alcohol and other psychoactive drug, drugs. Sobriety is also considered to be the natural state of a human being at Childbirth, birth. A person in a state of sobriety is ...
and family life. The album was preceded by the singles, "Chicago", "D&T" and "All Bets Are Off". On the day of the album's release, Prowse posted a thank you letter to the band's fans, confirming the end of the band: "Brian and I have decided to bring the band to a close with the release of our final album, ''Fate & Alcohol'', which is officially out today. There won't be any farewell shows or a final tour. We are very proud of this album and we knew we needed to finish it before we could say goodbye to the band and go our separate ways. We hope you like it."
Regarding the band's dissolution and decision not to tour behind the album, King noted that the split was amicable: "It’s not like we got into a huge fight, screamed ‘fuck you’ at one another, stormed off, and now we’re broken up." Prowse elaborated: "There was a brief moment where I think Brian had some second thoughts, and whether it was unfair to the album that we’re not going to tour and properly promote it. We’ve had every conversation you could have, looked at every possibility, run every scenario. ..I’d rather be playing drums and going all over the world playing shows, to be completely honest."
Discography
Studio albums
* '' Post-Nothing'' (2009)
* '' Celebration Rock'' (2012)
* '' Near to the Wild Heart of Life'' (2017)
* '' Fate & Alcohol'' (2024)
Live albums
* '' Massey Fucking Hall'' (2020)
Compilation albums
* '' No Singles'' (2010)
References
External links
Japandroids.com
Japandroids
at Polyvinyl Record Co.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Japandroids
Musical groups established in 2006
Musical groups disestablished in 2024
Canadian indie rock groups
Musical groups from Vancouver
Rock music duos
Canadian noise rock groups
Polyvinyl Record Co. artists
Canadian musical duos
2006 establishments in British Columbia
Anti- (record label) artists