The Watanabes

It might be said that The Watanabes are Tokyo's answer to The Smiths (it's a name thing), or possibly The Kinks (it's a brotherly thing). Either way, they've developed a style that finds comfort in nostalgia; a style that seems to suit the fleeting loneliness of life in a vast, occasionally numbing metropolis. With a new album about to hit the stores, we played word games with vocalist and chief self-deprecator, Duncan Walsh, in the hope of finding out a little more about the city's least assuming band.

The Watanabes got their name from...

...a character in Haruki Murakami's novel, Norwegian Wood. 'Toru Watanabe is a slightly troubled, over nostalgic kinda guy and he can’t decide which girl he’s in love with most. Our bassist, Ash, felt a connection! We were also living in Ehime at the time and Watanabe is a popular name in the region, so we thought it would provide the perfect opportunity to ingratiate ourselves with the locals. Being big fans of The Smiths too, it all just seemed to make sense.'

Their latest album was recorded in an atmosphere of...

'Er...coastal Kanagawa air, smokey studios, empty beer cans, significant numbers of chocolate bar wrappers, dirty nappies, sandy socks, bruised feet, beach football, crashing waves and humming insects. We did most of the rhythm section at Hamon studio in grungy Otsuka, while vocals and all the other bits and pieces were recorded at our producer, Dave Naughton's home. Dave and his young family lived near Fujisawa, not far from the beach – which is where we ended up most of the time.'

The story connecting The Watanabes with Flipper the dolphin goes like this...

'Anyone who's seen The Cove will know Ric O'Barry, Flipper's trainer. Ric came to Tokyo for a dolphin convention at which one of our musical friends was asked to perform, and we had just the song for him – our very own dolphin number, inspired by The Cove, called 'Whales Can Sing'. We wangled our way on to the guest list to watch our friend perform it, and of course, we bumped into Ric. The next day he invited us to a party to perform the song live and a few days after that he forwarded us a mysterious mail. It was a message from '60s Byrds legend Dave Crosby saying how much he liked the song. We’ve been friends with Flipper ever since.'

Other than 'Whales can Sing', the three songs by The Watanabes that you simply have to hear are...

''Hot Water Hills', because the wonderful Kate Sikora helped us sing it; 'Guilt', on account of my brother Selwyn’s stunning, Shania Twain-esque, falsetto backing vocals (imagine early Beatles, but higher); and 'Love Princess' – an anthem for gaijin in Japan that we like to think can be appreciated by all. It’s about being in a strange environment and getting to grips with it. We were recently sent an email from a fan saying that her 80-year-old mother loved it. Now that’s what The Watanabes are all about [laughs].'

The Watanabes follow in a long rock'n'roll tradition of sibling bands. As children, the Walsh brothers mostly fought about...

'The contentious results of brutal one-on-one kitchen football sessions, many of which resulted in injury. Mainly to our little brother. And sometimes our mother.'
As adults, the Walsh brothers fight mostly about...
'Selwyn’s inability to tune quickly. My inability to tune quickly. Song titles. The contentious results of kitchen football matches... In general though, The Watanabes don’t fight much. We are a true international band of brothers. Excuse the pun.'

In Tokyo, The Watanabes spend most of their time hanging around in...

'A tiny little curry shop outside Harajuku run by a solitary, jolly old Japanese man that we have, rather originally, christened Old Man Curry. It’s got about four seats, it’s open every day of the year except New Year, and he serves up a little feast for us after every band practice. We’re pretty sure that it must be one of his busiest times of the week. We don’t understand much of what we say to each other, but we have a very jolly time indeed. You’ll know whether it’s our one, because you’ll find a faded old Watanabes flyer stuck on the chopstick box. We didn’t put it there. Old Man Curry did.' - Time Out Tokyo

The Watanabes: Tales of Indie Success in Tokyo
By Jonti Davies


You've heard of The Watanabes, surely? Everyone has. You've got Selwyn Walsh on guitars, likkle brother Duncan Walsh on vocals, Ashley Davies (great surname!) on bass, and Stefan Samuelsson on keyboards. Over the past couple of years, these friendly chaps have been in and out of Japanzine like they're perpetually stuck in the revolving doors at the entrance to JZ HQ.

More importantly for them, in that time they've also managed to become a successful indie band on the Tokyo live circuit, have appeared on national television, and - get this - their Independent Social Power album is sitting snugly on the shelves of Tower Records. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you'll be able to find The Watanabes playing at Gaijin Sounds LIVE! in Tokyo on October 24th. Time for a chat!


Jonti Davies: Can you briefly explain how you got from Norfolk to Tokyo via Shikoku?

Duncan: Well, let's get one thing straight - not all of us come from Norfolk! Ash is a vaguely proud Kiwi and Stefan comes from the dark forests of Northern Sweden. We also used to have a beautiful blond Belgian on drums, but much to the disappointment of our female followers he had to head home. Ash, Sel and I came to Japan on the JET programme and the band was born in Ehime. In 2007 we made it into Japanzine's Battle of the Bands' "Best of the Rest" and then we knew that our destiny was calling us: the Tokyo underground.

JD: How did you get your first ever gig in Japan, and what was it like?

Duncan: Our first gig was in a very sweaty little bar in Matsuyama, in front of a packed audience of socially and sexually frustrated JETs. We were awful, but they were hammered and an audience who had travelled hours from the depths of the Ehime inaka weren't gonna let a dodgy band spoil their Saturday night: The gig was an unprecedented success and The Watanabes were convinced that they were the next Beatles.

JD: Have people been surprised when they learn that the "Watanabes" are in fact not Japanese? How has that name worked out for you?

Duncan: I wouldn't say they were surprised. Perhaps more... bemused. The name. Well, it might be easy to scoff at but it's worked out brilliantly! Why? Well, because it is just impossible to forget. Go on - forget it! I bet you can't. I've got to admit, sometimes we do feel a bit lame about the Smiths connotations, particularly considering they are one of our favorite bands. Nevertheless, as one trusted friend said to us, "I like it. It's the same, but different." That's basically what people like, right?

JD: Fair point. So what are some of the biggest difficulties you've faced during your time in Japan?

Selwyn: Probably tuning our guitars.

JD: Touché! One of your biggest recent successes came with the CD distribution deal you signed with Tower Records - how did that come about?

Ash: We made a fan by the name of Kengo, who was so enthusiastic about the CD that he decided to rev up the engine on his budding record label, Babyboom Records Japan, and give us a hand. A few months later, after weaving his Iwamoto magic on the big boys upstairs, we were proudly displayed alongside our contemporaries, Wilco, the White Stripes and Westlife. What makes us happiest of all is that we've managed to do this as a completely independent band. As a wise magazine editor once said, "The Watanabes - only if you're indie in the truest sense."

JD: Do you intend to remain independent for ever, and what would be the pros and cons of doing so?

Duncan: Just the other day I was watching the Japanese Charts on TV, marveling at how synthetic and repetitive the music was. As I looked into Ayumi Hamasaki's alien eyes it struck me - this country needs something REAL! It needs indie music. Something that's not produced merely for the purpose of making money. If anything, the closer we've come in contact with the industry here, the more we have embraced our independence. In fact, we've just started our own record label with a couple of bands from the UK: Favourite Tree Records.

Ash: In adult life, I guess its been a bit of a disappointment to discover the excess of situations where you're expected, encouraged or obligated to act and do things in a particular way. One of the great
things about being in The Watanabes is that it provides a bit of shelter from that sort of environment. Even more so because we're such good friends. We not only get to sit in the bus together, we can also drive it. Not always that well, but drive it nonetheless, and that is extremely satisfying and fun. I guess the downside is that driving that bus around Tokyo and getting it to go at the speed we want it to requires a lot of time and effort, and tends to sometimes keep us away from our instruments. So if someone was willing to offer us modest salaries, some pats on the back and perhaps a backyard cricket facility in exchange for an occasional, closely supervised chance to drive the bus, we'd probably be willing to listen.

JD: Well you know what they say about buses... Now, how about Japanese indie bands? Have you been able to make any Japanese comrades in the local indie scene? Is there a mutual respect out there between gaijin and nihonjin indie folk?

Selwyn: I'd say we've received a mixture of reactions on the Tokyo indie circuit... bemusement, hostility, surprise, excitement, disappointment, admiration and friendly indifference. For the most part, however, our experiences have been positive, and Japanese indie rockers have been everything you'd expect from Japanese people, gracious and polite! Truth is, most J-indie folk are in the same boat as us, working long hours in low paid jobs in order to pursue their passion, and that makes for a certain amount of mutual respect, at least.

JD: Although it didn't quite make the Top Ten of this year's Gaijin Sounds, "Hot Water Hills" sounded to me like a minor reinvention... almost Sunflower-era Beach Boys. How would you say your sound has evolved while you've been in Japan, and where do you intend to take it from here?

Ash: I wouldn't say we were that familiar with the Beach Boys, but we have definitely been trying to make harmonies and colorful shirts a more important part of our lives. Adding Stefan on keyboards has also altered our direction, making us sound slightly more like the latest Swedish Eurovision entry. He has also encouraged us to think more carefully about our arrangements and tempos. Our greatest yet unfulfilled ambition is to write a song that people really want to dance to. - Japanzine

With their second full-length album, The Watanabes have gone from talented but tame, to a band to keep an eye on in Tokyo. Unlike the pleasant but rambling Independent Social Power, the tracks on You’re Dancing reflect the band’s newfound maturity and balance. While The Watanabes have definitely found their voice, producer Dave Naughton’s experiences working with Belle and Sebastian and Teenage Fanclub are apparent. You’re Dancing’s slower songs, at first deceptively simple, are layered and nuanced. The most powerful ballad on the album “Whales Can Sing,” (inspired by The Cove) hauntingly juxtaposes images of dolphin hunts with courtship and family, resulting in an eerily pastoral three minutes. The more straightforward lyrics of You’re Dancing’s punchier songs keep the focus on the band’s ability to blend melodies and come up with remarkably catchy tunes. While it doesn’t tread new ground, the latest from The Watanabes is a reminder of the joy of music based on good melodies and clever, insightful storytelling. - Metropolis Magazine

Big in Japan with The Watanabes
By Gary Standley

Two Norfolk brothers Selwyn and Duncan Walsh from The Watanabes have swapped their life in rural Norfolk for fame and fortune in the land of the rising sun.

Selwyn and Duncan Walsh grew up in the village of Swanton Novers, near Melton Constable in Norfolk, but now they're making names for themselves on the other side of the globe in Japan with their band The Watanabes.
Selwyn was the first to venture from one East to the other in 2003, followed a year later by Duncan.
"My brother loved it. It was a chance to learn a new language, experience a new culture and become a little more International," said Duncan.
"All the old clichés are there I'm afraid – and not forgetting karaoke!" he added.
The boys settled in Ehime on the rural island of Shikoku, where together with Watanabe bass player Ashley Davies, they worked as English teachers before setting up the band in their spare time.

A cultural identity:

The name of the group was taken from a book called Norwegian Wood by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, where the protagonist is called Watanabe. The name is also a very popular name in Ehime.
"We thought calling ourselves The Watanabes would ingratiate ourselves with the locals," said Duncan.

If you thought that the Japanese only went for our hard rock and heavy metal exports, think again. The Watanabes are pure Indie, with floating verses and catchy choruses.

Norfolk Roots:

They may be thousands of miles away, but their Norfolk roots feature heavily in the band's music.
"The song JJ's Dream was partly inspired by the beautiful Norfolk countryside," said Duncan.
"The song even contains the line 'You and me around my favourite tree, on an Autumn day at Wells-Next-The-Sea'," he added.
Astley Days is another one of their tracks and it talks about the brother's time at Astley County Primary School, near their home village. It gives a nod to their old school teacher Mrs Pegg and reminisces about the 'legendary' Copeman Centre Disco in Briston, where the boys used to spend their Friday nights during the 1990s.

Although it's the bright lights of Tokyo now, they haven't forgotten the solitude of their home village.
"Stick It In A Novel pays homage to our time as frustrated teenagers living in the sticks," said Duncan.
Although their grandmother receives an affectionate mention as his best friend in the song, Stick It In A Novel also bemoans 'Is this the way it's supposed to be? My Friday nights with a lonely OAP!'

The band's new life also features heavily in their songs too. Tracks such as Love Princess talk about that age old problem of moving abroad: learning the language, getting a girlfriend and mastering the toilets!

Not just a flash in the pan:

"The band was going really well in Ehime," said Duncan.
"We gained airplay on local radio, appeared in the local press and our gigs were becoming more popular, so we decided to take our music more seriously. We relocated to Tokyo last summer, which is where Belgian drummer Flavio Jerome joined us. We've been recording and playing in Tokyo ever since," he added.
The Watanabes have just finished recording their debut album Independent Social Power, which was recorded at KRH studios in Harajuku. It will be launched at Tokyo Livehouse on the Thursday, 13 November, 2008.
"Life in Japan has been a bit of a rollercoaster at times, but overall we have had an absolutely magical time," said Duncan.
"Needless to say we had to go through some serious culture shocks at first and that never completely goes away. Nevertheless, Japan is a wonderful place to live: friendly, considerate people, safe streets and a very healthy lifestyle. I would recommend it to anyone," he added.

The Norfolk renaissance:

It may have been a big adventure for the band, but the call of home is proving too great for Selwyn and Duncan and they are now planning to move back to the UK in 2009.
"Our first stop will be Norwich," says Duncan.
"Playing in Japan is wonderful, but we are longing to reach an English speaking audience who will be able to fully appreciate our lyrics," he added. - BBC