To discuss their musical journey and place in Japan’s rock scene, I speak with Brandy Senki, a three-piece rock band that emerged in Osaka in 2022, with Hazuki on vocals and guitar, Bori on drums, and Minori on bass guitar. They have since won over the hearts of Japanese melomans with sold-out headline shows and thousands of views on their music videos, as well as plans to perform at Summer Sonic Japan 2025. The band displays not only musical talent, but also a grungy take on Y2K aesthetics and fashion. Taking inspirations from bands such as Nirvana, the Strokes, and Hi-Standard, they have been establishing their place within the rock genre with their distinct sound and look.

Though their style has now become strongly associated with indie and rock, their musical origins are tied to completely different instruments. Hazuki grew up around classical music, playing the violin, while Minori played the piano. Later, in middle school years, in listening to the radio they discovered their interest for pop and rock bands. Although the band has only been performing for three years, most of them handle the stage with impressive confidence. Hazuki attributes her lack of fear to violin recitals, which exposed her to big crowds from a very early age. Meanwhile, Minori admits that she gets extremely nervous before shows: “There’s no particular ritual I do to get over that. It’s just like, ‘Well, now I’m on stage, I’ve got no choice’ [laughs].”

Embracing Boundlessness

Brandy Senki don’t limit themselves in terms of where they draw influence, but in terms of the Japanese music scene, they easily highlight their personal favourites. For Minori, that’s Andymori, and for Hazuki, it is the very famous band Arashi. Meanwhile, Bori looks up to the heavy drumming of the rock band Dragon Ash. When starting the band, the three of them did not have a specific vision for the sort of genre they would pursue, instead focusing on their individual strengths and talents, which they have maintained throughout. As Hazuki says, “The most important thing is to follow the melody of the song, and see how we can all add to that individually.”

With Hazuki’s softer vocals, Minori’s expressive fingerstyle technique and Bori’s complex, heavy drumming, they focus on how those individual styles complement the overall melody of each song. This is what Bori believes makes their band special: "We don’t really think about what exactly we’re bringing, and that’s a good thing. As long as we’re having fun and believe in what we’re making, that’s what matters.”

That being said though, they acknowledge that within Japan, not many bands are exploring grungy soundscapes, which they like to embrace.

Merging Styles and Decades

Music aside, one thing that immediately stands out from Brandy Senki is their take on Y2K (early 2000s) aesthetics. While the three of them explain that there has not been a conscious choice to market themselves in that particular way, it is perhaps the general resurgence of 90s and 2000s trends in Japan that is subconsciously weaving its way into the music scene as well. The fashion style of the band is memorable – a combined brain child of the band’s individual tastes and the creative vision of their stylist Shimada Tatsuya, who specialises in experimental DIY punk styling. Out of the looks that they have rocked in their music videos, the three have their favorites. Minori especially loved her looks in ‘Fix’ and ‘Last Live’: “I love formal wear in general, so getting to wear neckties and dress shirts was really fun.”

Hazuki shares this choice, being a big fan of the long-boot and skirt combo. Bori, on the other hand, finds it exciting when he can wear something that he wouldn’t normally choose in everyday life, and so the poncho-esque outfit he had in the video for ‘The End of the F***ing World’ stands out.

The Visual Complement to their Tracks: Music Videos

In discussing their approach to filming music videos, the band explains that there are two strategies: their director pitches them an idea, and they discuss as a group whether that would be appropriate, or they pitch their own concept, which usually emerges during the planning and recording of a track. For ‘The End of the F***ing World’, inspired by the British TV series, they had a vision of implementing a car, similar to the famous scene in The Perks of Being a Wallflower where Sam stands up in the back of the car, stretching out her arms as the car drives through the tunnel to the soundtrack of Bowie’s ‘Heroes’. The result of that is the visually striking scene at the end of their music videos, as Minori and Hazuki watch the car burn down.

Their music videos have gained a lot of love on YouTube, which Bori recognises as one of the moments he began to realise that their band was gaining fame. The public appraisal, along with the excitement of the audience at their live shows has consolidated their place in the Japanese music scene. Hazuki, who loves the band Nakigoto, felt particularly overjoyed upon meeting and having their music recognised by them. What Bori remembers to be particularly special is the recognition from other artists: “There was a time at a festival where we went around to greet the other artists, and some of them already knew who we were. And then there’s people being like, ‘I listen to you guys all the time’, and that’s just the best feeling.”

Latest Album and a Word to the Listener

This desire for people to dive head into their music is something they are hoping will happen with the release of their latest self-titled album. Bori uses the phrase ‘surikireru’ , ‘to wear and tear’, to describe the feeling he wishes for the audience to have: “These days people don’t really listen to CDs from start to finish, especially with the emergence of online subscriptions and tracks being individually released. For me personally, listening to an album so much that you can name the song from the first note is an awesome feeling, and I’d love for our listeners to experience that with this album.”

On that note, their individual favourite tracks are ‘Musica’ for Minori, who loves the poppy yet emotional element to the song brought about with Hazuki’s lyricism, ‘春’ (haru) for Hazuki with its fun composition, and ‘メメント・ワルツ’ (Memento Waltz) for Bori.

To hear them live, the audience can get excited for Summer Sonic Japan 2025, where Brandy Senki will be performing amongst many other bands coming from all over the world, who the three are looking forward to playing alongside.