Naoko Yamano of Shonen Kniffe
Hello, My Name is Naoko
I
n our cynical, desensitized new technological era— its sonic landscape morphed by smartphones, TikTok, and other social media, and taste-predicting algorithms that have reduced our attention spans to gnat-like, ephemeral dimensions, with AI looming ominously on the
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soul-crushing horizon, can good, old-fashioned rock and roll still manage to change anything? Naoko Yamano truly believes it’ s possible. That’ s why the Osaka-bred artist, at 64, brought her all-girl proto-punk trio Shonen Knife back to tour America this past fall, backing career-bookend releases: A collectible cassette reissue of its 1982 debut and a bonus-track reworking of its most recent Our Best Place effort. Both are out on Good Charmel Records, the Japan-centered imprint of Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robbie Takac, who shares his artists’ unbridled enthusiasm for the power of great music. Shonen Knife— which also features Yamano’ s 61-year-old sister Atsuko on bass— had only touched down on the East Coast a few days earlier. But the guitarist and often chipmunk-chittery vocalist was glee-club enthusiastic phoning from her second tour date in Stamford( and in her occasional pidgin English, she adorably pronounces the second‘ C’ in Connecticut; otherwise, her English is pretty fluent all these years on the road).“ We are doing good!” She bubbled.“ Yesterday’ s show in Cambridge and today’ s show are both sold out, and I’ m so happy about that. And it’ s our first time back after six years.” She pauses, then sagely notes,“ But I feel like the atmosphere is a bit different from last time …” Indeed. But that’ s as heavy as Yamano will allow herself to go. She’ s wisely avoided politics in her songwriting over 22 albums( including a disc of all-Ramones covers billed to The Osaka Ramones), and both the scratchy, clanking, fuzz-distorted“ Minna” and the sleek new“ Best Place” blast out similar themes, extolling the unchanging virtues of day-breaking sunlight, the alluring mystery of sci-fi outer space, and the always-rewarding taste of a truly great meal. Food, it appears, is always on the Shonen Knife gals’ minds, and it can easily brighten even the darkest, most depressing day. In general, Yamano is so upbeat and optimistic, it’ s catching, which, even though Atsuko left for a few mid-career years to get married, move to Los Angeles, and have a kid. before rejoining in 2016— accounts for Shonen Knife’ s remarkable longevity. Physically, Yamano is still up to the taxing touring task, too.“ I think age is just a number, only a number,” she swears.“ So I don’ t feel like I’ m 64, but I am playing tennis twice a week, so I’ m always keeping healthy. And when I’ m not touring, I take tennis lessons twice a week in my hometown of Osaka, and when my bassist, Atsuko, comes to Osaka, we play singles tennis matches. But on tour, I don’ t work out,” she adds, since Shonen Knife sets rock with near-hurricane velocity.“ So I’ m just eating my favorite things during the tour!” Yamano paused, pre- Stamford soundcheck, to let her generous spirit flow ….
IE: What made you want to go back and revisit, then rerelease on cassette, your very first Shonen Knife album from 1982? NAOKO YAMANO: Looking back at our debut? Yes, yes! It’ s called Minna Tanoshoku— Shonen
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