Achievements of Chatmonchy

2024年2月14日 12:13

There are many female three-piece bands in Japan today.

It can certainly be attributed to the influence of the band Chatmonchy!
First, a brief biography of Chatmonchy and some of their best-known songs.
Chatmonchy was what you might call an ordinary girl. They were not particularly cute, and although they wrote good songs, they were not outstanding.
The girls went to a so-called "preparatory high school," but the story begins when Eriko Hashimoto, the guitarist and vocalist, invites Akiko Fukuoka, the bassist, to join the band.
She invites Kumiko Takahashi, one of his seniors who attended the College of Education. Takahashi, who wanted to become a teacher, resisted at first, but decided to join because of their enthusiasm.
At first, he reached a good point in the contest but did not make his debut as "too ordinary".
However, the band's debut caught the attention of Ishiwatari, former guitarist for the legendary Japanese band Supercar (to be featured next time).

The start of Chatmonchy's rapid progress

Here are a few of their songs.

Tears are seen by others
Tears only take shape when others see them
Tears are seen by others
It is only when they are seen by others that they begin to shine.

lyric：Akiko Fukuoka

You will be loved by others
You become you for the first time when you are loved by someone
You will love someone and become you again and again
You become you again and again
To the one I can't reach
I love you every day
And a glorious ending
I beg you
For you

lyric：Akiko Fukuoka

Here are the lyrics to Last Love Letter
It's a structuralist lyric.

Chatmonchy's appeal is many things, but Kumiko Takahashi's lyrics are one of the most important.
It is probably too Japanese to make sense in English, so I will describe it in Japanese.

親知らずが生えてきたよ　怖いから歯医者には行かない
親知らずが生えてきたよ　誰も知らない間に

大きく口を開いて　仕上げのブラシを
膝枕に頭乗せて　見上げるのが好きだった

家族写真はいつだって　和やかに　色あせず
ひとりで暮らす部屋の中　微笑んでいるのです
妹を抱いた母親と真面目過ぎる父親と
まるで昨日のことのよう　まるで昨日のことのよう

あっという間に時が過ぎ　いつの日か優しくなって
明日明日と気長なふりで「ありがとう」とか何を今更

たまに帰ればご馳走　もう子どもじゃないのにね
ああ　だけどやっぱり　あなたの子でよかった

家族写真は今もまだ　和やかに　色あせず
広くなった家(うち)の中　微笑んでいたのです

写真の中の2人の目がとても強いから
私がここにいる意味　わかった気がしたのだよ
この幸せがあなたの幸せであること
この悲しみがあなたの悲しみであること

大丈夫!写真はこれからも　和やかに　色あせず
ひとりで暮らす部屋の中　光を放っていくのです
私もいつかこんなふうに人を愛せるだろうか
幸せの意味を誰かとわかりあえるだろうか

親知らずが生えてきたよ　怖いから歯医者には行かない
親知らずが生えてきたよ　誰も知らない間に

lyric：Takahashi kmiko

I'll try to make it partially English somehow.

Because their eyes are so strong in the picture.
I thought I knew why I was here.
That this happiness is your happiness
This sadness is your sadness

lyric:Takahashi kumiko

It's okay! The photograph will continue to glow in the room where I live alone.
They will continue to shine in the room where I live alone.
I wonder if I will be able to love someone like this someday.
Will I be able to understand the meaning of happiness with someone else?

My wisdom teeth are coming in, I'm too scared to go to the dentist
My wisdom teeth are growing in, without anyone knowing

lyric：Takahashi kumiko

Withdrawal of Kumiko Takahashi

After five albums, Takahashi left the group to pursue his writing career.
Chatmonchy then continues in Hashimoto and Fukuoka.
However, it changed into a band of another brilliance.
That is natural because a band is a chemical reaction between people.
It would be nice to introduce their career, but I would like to write about something else.

Rise of three-woman bands after Chatmonchy

Many bands influenced by Chatmonchy are active in the Japanese rock scene today!
All of the bands are good, so I will dig deeper and introduce only those artists that I would like to introduce independently in the future.
I will only introduce a few of them.