Hanabie. (Japanese: 花冷え。Stylized: HANABIE.) is a Japanese metalcore[1] band from Tokyo, formed in 2015.[2][3] The band consists of vocalist Yukina, guitarist Matsuri, bassist Hettsu and drummer Chika. They are known for combining loud and heavy music with contrasting Harajuku aesthetics[4] in a style self-described as "Harajuku-core".[5] Their songs incorporate elements of metalcore, hardcore punk, and nu metal, with a blend of hip hop and electronica.[6]
The band was formed by four high school friends due to their shared admiration of Maximum the Hormone, as a part of their light music club activities.[7] Initially a cover band, they soon transitioned into writing original music, self-producing their first single in 2016.[8] After a period as an independent band, during which they released an album and an EP, they were signed by Epic Records Japan, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan in 2023.[9] In the same year, their second album Reborn Superstar! was released, ranking 24th on Billboard Japan's weekly album charts.[10] The success of the album led to international recognition and appearances at various music festivals outside Japan.[11]
The band name Hanabie. (花冷え。, "chilly spring weather"[12]), is a reference to the birthdays of the four founding members, all of whom were born during winter or spring. The " 。" signifies progress and was adopted from the name of another band the members were fans of during their middle school years.[13]
History
2015–2016: Formation and early years
Yukina, Matsuri and Hettsu all met while attending the same middle school. Around this time Yukina and Matsuri became fans of Maximum the Hormone.[7][14] They introduced the band to Hettsu who was initially surprised that "cute and clear" Yukina listened to such "indecent songs".[13] During their first year of high school Yukina decided to form a Maximum the Hormone cover band with her friends after watching an upperclassman perform. Together with Matsuri and Hettsu she recruited another classmate Kaede and the four of them formed Hanabie. in June 2015.[14][8] Matsuri assumed the role of guitarist as she already played guitar since childhood. Hettsu decided to play the bass as she had never played the instrument before while Kaede opted for drums. Yukina chose to be the vocalist as it was the only role left. The band name Hanabie. (花冷え。, "chilly spring weather",[12]) is a Japanese word for the spring day on which the coldness of winter returns.[12] It is a reference to the birthdays of founding members were born in either spring or winter months; Matsuri, Hettsu, and Kaede were all born in December, and Yukina was born in April.[13] The choice of a Japanese word for the band was deliberate as they felt that English band names were too common.[13] The "。" at the end is a nod to the band Cocoa Otoko of which Yukina and Hettsu were fans of during middle school.[13]
They soon moved on from covering Maximum the Hormone songs and started writing original music.[15] In October 2016, the band released their first songs, "Crash Over" and "Sweet Killer". In December 2016, Kaede left the band to focus on her studies.[8]
2017–2019: First mini album, band contests, indie career
Hanabie. performing in 2017 with former drummer Boa
After discovering that high school students could perform at live houses, they reached out to the manager of Tachikawa Babel and made arrangements to perform there.[16] Subsequently, they started performing regularly at various venues across Tokyo.[8] Due to Kaede's departure, the band continued their activities with various support drummers.[8] They released their third song, "Envy," in June 2017, which was sold exclusively at their live performances as a part of the "Crash Over" demo CD. In July 2017, Boa officially joined the band, having previously performed as a support drummer.[8] In August, they took part in the national band competition called "School Out,", where they finished as national runners-up.[17][18] During the competition they caught the attention of Crystal Lake drummer Gaku Taura. Upon learning that they were searching for a recording studio, Taura offered to record their album at his studio.[16]
In January 2018, they participated in their first three-man live event with Oshamegane and Wacality at "Shinjuku Antiknock.".[8] In August, the band entered the Japan Expo Rock contest and made it to the finals, becoming the only teenage band to do so.[8][18] During this period, they contemplated quitting music due to uncertainty about their future, but Taura convinced them otherwise, believing that "these kids could be big in the future."[16] On October 17, the band announced the release of their debut mini album, "Cherry Blossoms Are Blooming," along with an accompanying tour.[19]
Boa decided to depart from the band in September 2018, leading them to continue their live performances with the assistance of various support drummers.[8] In November, they embarked on the "Flowering Declaration" release tour, which included shows in Shinjuku, Nagano, Osaka, Nagoya, Shizuoka, Kyoto, and Tachikawa.[20] They also performed at "Ro Jack for Countdown Japan 18/19".[20] Their single "L.C.G" was released in November 2019 on digital platforms, accompanied by a music video on YouTube.[8]
2020–2022: Girls Reform Manifest and indie success
Hanabie. frequently performed at live houses in Tokyo
The band made an appearance at "Ro Jack for Rock in Japan 2020" in June 2020.[8] In August 2020, they released "Sentimental Heroine" on different music streaming platforms, accompanied by a lyric video on YouTube.[8] During the same month, they also announced a crowdfunding campaign to support their upcoming album.[21] Backers were offered various rewards, with the highest tier receiving a new customized song written by the band based on their requests.
In September 2020, the band introduced Sae as their new drummer, who had previously been active in the local underground scene. In that same month, they unveiled the song "Reiwa Matching Generation". Their breakthrough came with the release of "We Love Sweets" in January 2021, which garnered over a million views on YouTube.[22] The success of the song led to more opportunities to perform at different musical events and increased attendance at their shows.[15] They also participated in two-man and three-man shows with bands like C-Gate and Oshamagane.[8]
Due to the band members still being university students, they had to balance their studies, part-time jobs, and recording sessions while continuing to perform at live houses.[15][16] They squeezed in shows during holidays or whenever they had time off.[16] In 2021, the band members graduated from university. Later that year their first full album, "Girls Reform Manifest" was released on 14th January 2021.[23] A "New album release party" concert was held in the same month.[8] In April 2022, they unveiled the single "Love♡ Ranbu", followed by "Neet Game" in August 2022, the latter of which also received a music video. They had successfully established themselves in the indie scene of Tokyo. Throughout 2022, they performed at various venues in Shimokitazawa, Shibuya, Nagoya, and Shinjuku.[20]
2023–present: Reborn Superstar!, international recognition and major record deal
Hettsu (left) and Yukina performing during Hanabie's US tour in 2023
In January 2023, they released a new single "Pardon Me, I Have to Go Now" (お先に失礼します。). The success of the song attracted the attention of international promoters, with the band receiving invitations to perform at MetalDays,[24] Leyendas del Rock,[25] Dynamo Metalfest,[26] Blue Ridge Rock Festival,[27]Louder than Life,[28] and Aftershock.[29] Their performance at MetalDays was cancelled after severe rainfall and flooding.[30]
After a period of absence from live performances, it was announced in April Sae would be leaving the band for personal reasons. The band went back to performing with support drummers. In May, they performed at the event "Spring Great Liberation Festival 2023" where, during the encore, Chika was announced as the band's new drummer.[31] In the same month the band announced their European tour, and in June an American tour was announced. Also in June, the band performed at the Japanese music festival Satanic Carnival.[32] During the show, the band announced that they have signed with Epic Records Japan, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.[32] Their first album with the new label, Reborn Superstar! was announced at the same time as their record deal and released on July 26, 2023. In July 2023 the band was featured in the 14th volume of Metal Hammer Japan magazine.[33] In the same month a promotional event "Orihime Who Ran Away" was held in Tokyo.[34] On July 14, 2023, the single "This Is the Year to Be a Gal" (early summer version) was released, along with a music video.
On November 7th 2023, it was also announced that they would be performing at Download Festival, in the UK in 2024.
Musical style and influences
Musical style
"Our style is inspired by melodic hardcore, loud rock, and metalcore. We are all huge fans of Maximum the Hormone, so we decided to form a copy band. We all have different musical roots and mixed them, which became our current music style."
Hanabie.'s music can be broadly classified as metalcore albeit with influences from various musical styles.[37][38][39] Their tongue-in-cheek lyricism and genre defying compositions share an aesthetic with Maximum the Hormone, whom they used to cover in their early days, and too the band often incorporates elements from a wide array of genres including hip-hop, hardcore punk, nu metal, and electronica.[40][41] Most of the band's songs have a backdrop of heavy power chord based riffs and feature a breakdown, but usually lack a guitar solo, with "Envy" and "Be the GAL" being the only two of their songs to feature such. Some of their songs follow non-traditional, non-linear structures with no repeating verse or chorus. Vocals alternate between screaming and cleans. They have been characterized as being Bring Me the Horizon-esque by knotfest.com.[41] Metal Hammer magazine has compared their music to Maximum the Hormone, Enter Shikari and Crossfaith.[42]
Songwriting
Hanabie. songs are mostly written by Matsuri and Yukina. Matsuri is the band's primary music composer and is also involved in arrangement.[16] The lyrical theme of each song is made by Yukina based on Matsuri's instrumental demos. Yukina and Matsuri write melodies and lyrics for their respective vocal parts.[16] Hettsu usually only writes the bass lines but has also occasionally written lyrics. Drum sections have been composed by Matsuri during the absence of a permanent drummer.[16] Being the sole guitarist, Matsuri switches between rhythm and lead parts which she loosely writes in a 2:1 ratio.[43] Screaming and clean vocals constitute roughly equal portions of their songs.[15]
The tenth song from the album Girl's Reform Manifest, demonstrates the influence of metalcore, hardcore and melodic hardcore. The dueling vocals, metalcore guitar riffs, and double bass drumming are staples of the band's music.
Yukina cites Maximum the Hormone, A Crowd of Rebellion, Hysteric Panic, and Ellegarden as her influences.[13] Matsuri has stated her musical tastes were influenced by her parents, both of whom are fans of rock and metal music.[15] She cites Maximum the Hormone, Hi-Standard, Hysteric Panic, SiM, and Coldrain as her influences. Hettsu cites anisongs as her biggest influence.[7]Vocaloid and electronic music popular on Nico Nico Douga have also been cited as influences by the band members.[15] All of the members have admitted to being fans of anime and video games, influences of which can be seen in their music, album covers and music videos.[40]
Image
Hettsu (pictured in 2023) performing in a Harajuku street fashion inspired outfit
Hanabie. has been noted for their Gen-Z image of "authenticity, relaxation and messiness" by Metal Hammer magazine.[4]Harajuku street fashion is an important part of the band's image. The term 'Harajuku-core' (Harajuku fashion + metalcore) has been used by the band to define themselves.[33] The term is often used on their merchandises. The band's stage outfits are mostly inspired by 'Harajuku aesthetics'. Hettsu, the band's bassist, stated during a concert that the band's stage clothes were designed and hand-made by her.[44] Anime imagery has also been frequently used by the band and features on all of their album covers as well as much of their merchandise. Before the release of "L.C.G", the band had a more casual dressed-down look similar to 2000s hardcore bands, which was seemingly inspired by bands like Maximum the Hormone.[citation needed]
