is an all-female

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

band from

Sakai, Japan is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and inclu ...

. As well as performing regularly within Japan, they have toured in North and South America, as well as Europe.

History

Origins (2003-2006)

Oreskaband began in 2003 when the members were still in middle school. Ikasu saw Tae playing in a local band and asked her to form a new one with her and some of their other friends. The band initially performed as , which was abbreviated to its current form by the time of their first release. They self-produced their first album, ''Penpal'', in 2005 and were signed by

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

in 2006 while they were still in high school.

Major label years and international success (2006-2014)

The band received media attention from their appearance in a commercial advertising the popular Japanese snack

Pocky is a Japanese sweet snack food produced by the Ezaki Glico food company. Pocky was first sold in 1966, and was invented by Yoshiaki Koma. It consists of coated biscuit sticks. It was named after the Japanese onomatopoeic word , which is suppos ...

. In July 2006, their major debut EP ''Ore'' was released and a month later, they appeared at the

Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan. ...

attracting 1,000 attendees, a record for a new artist. In March 2007, the band members graduated from high school and toured in the United States appearing in

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

as part of the

Japan Nite Japan Nite is an annual music event in North America which began in 1996, featuring Japanese rock, pop, and alternative music artists. Originally centered around South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, the event expanded in later years to include mu ...

tour. In April 2007, their song, , was featured as the 11th ending for the anime ''Bleach''. In May, they released their first full-length album, ''

WAO!! WAO!! is the second album by Japanese ska band, Oreskaband is an all-female ska band from Sakai, Japan. As well as performing regularly within Japan, they have toured in North and South America, as well as Europe. History Origins (2003-20 ...

''. They performed at

Anime Expo Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first we ...

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

in July 2007 and participated in the 2008

Vans Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...

. Oreskaband starred in the film ''Lock and Roll Forever'', which was set for a 2008 release in Japan. Despite the involvement of several individuals associated with the

High School Musical ''High School Musical'' is a 2006 American musical television film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The 63rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) and first installment of the ''High School Musical'' film series, th ...

franchise, including

producers Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush,

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Peter Barsocchini Peter Barsocchini is an American screenwriter, author, former journalist, and television producer best known for his scripts for the ''High School Musical'' series. Early life and education Barsocchini began his professional writing career whi ...

and actor

Lucas Grabeel Lucas Stephen Grabeel ( ; born November 23, 1984) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006–2008). His other film appearances include ''Halloweent ...

in a starring role, as well as a cameo appearance from

Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...

, the film's Japanese release never materialised, and following the US

premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

it did not resurface until 2013 as a

direct-to-DVD Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

release in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

. The band released their second full-length album, ''Color'' in 2010, and the single was featured as the 13th ending song of Naruto: Shippuden. In 2013 the band were featured on

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...

member Mayu Watanabe's fourth solo single, "

Rappa Renshūchū is the 4th single by Mayu Watanabe, released in Japan on July 10, 2013. Release The single was released in five versions: Complete Limited Edition, Time Period Limited Edition, Limited Edition A, Limited Edition B, and Regular Edition. An illu ...

". The band's final release on the Sony label would be their 2014 compilation, ''Oreskaband Best 003-2013', compiling songs from the band's first decade.

Victor signing and lineup changes (2014-present)

In 2014, Oreskaband signed to Victor Music Arts, the mini album ''Carry On!'' being the band's first release on the label. Their international activities continued, with a US performance at

Otakon Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. It stands for Otaku Convention. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to ...

in 2015, as well as an appearance on

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

in the UK and the band's first independent US performance at the Gramercy Theater in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In 2015, long-time saxophonist and keyboardist Morico began a hiatus from the band in anticipation of getting married and giving birth; she later announced her official departure in January 2016. Saxophonist ADD served as a support member following Morico's departure, and would become a full member of the band in June 2016, in time to participate in the writing and recording of the band's third full-length studio album, ''Slogan'', which was released in November 2016. This configuration of the band's horn section made a guest appearance on The Autocratics' 2017 self-titled album, including the duet "On the Rainy Night", which featured vocals from iCas. The band also made their first European tour in 2017, performing in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and at the

Rencontres Trans Musicales Les Rencontres Trans Musicales (generally referred to as ''Les Transmusicales de Rennes'') is a music festival that lasts for 3 or 4 days. It is held annually in December. The festival takes place in Rennes, Brittany, France. Since the festival's b ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. In December 2018 it was announced that trumpeter Saki would be taking time off from Oreskaband to pursue a songwriting career, subsequently joining Tokyo-based

skacore Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 tone and ska with hardc ...

band Mayson's Party in February 2021. Trumpeter Hisae Ōtomari took her place as a support member from January until October 2019. At the band's Stay Irie, Go Rudy event in October 2019, they announced the new addition of keyboardist CC to their lineup as a full member. This lineup would prove short-lived, as bassist Tomi announced in February 2020 that she would be leaving to pursue other musical endeavors, following a final pair of performances with the band in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and their hometown of

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and incl ...

, Osaka Prefecture scheduled for that April. The

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

led to the postponement of both concerts until August. Owing to the continued impact of the pandemic, the performances were ultimately

livestream Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but no ...

ed without an audience present, with Luck Life appearing as the support band for the Tokyo concert, while Gelugugu were scheduled to support Oreskaband at the Sakai concert, but cancelled their appearance due to the pandemic. Tomi played her final show as a member of Oreskaband on 16 August 2020, and her role was filled in subsequent performances by support member Aki Kawano, with additional support member Natsuka Emi on trumpet from December 2020, bringing the band's onstage lineup to seven members for the first time and ending the trumpet's brief absence from their instrumentation. At a Shinjuku performance on 1 July 2021, the band announced their new full-time bassist, Yume. This lineup, however, would only last for two months, as the band announced on 31 August that CC's two-year tenure with the band had come to an end, with CC and the band citing the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their ability to coordinate and work as a band throughout much of this period as a key reason, as well as CC's ambitions as a solo artist. In the same announcement, the band also mentioned that they were preparing to release an album, featuring songs written with CC. Between November 2021 and January 2022, the band released the singles "I'll Be There", "She" and "Stormy", the last of these three releases on 12 January 2022 accompanied by the official announcement of the band's fourth full-length album, titled ''Bohemia'', which was released on 2 March 2022. In August 2022, bassist Yume announced that she would be taking time away from the band after being diagnosed with an

adjustment disorder Adjustment disorder is a maladaptive response to a psychosocial stressor. It is classified as a mental disorder. The maladaptive response usually involves otherwise normal emotional and behavioral reactions that manifest more intensely than usual ...

. This ultimately culminated in her departure from the band in January 2023. She explained that it would still be some time before she could resume her role in the band, and she did not wish to make fans await her return indefinitely.

Members

*iCas -

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

and

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

(2003-, credited as "Ikasu" on releases prior to ''Hot Number'') *Hayami -

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

and MC (2003-, credited as "Leader" on releases prior to "Jitensha") *Tae -

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(2003-, credited as "Tae-san" on releases prior to ''Color'') *ADD -

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

(2016-) Former Members *Morico - tenor saxophone and keyboard (2003-2016) *Saki -

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

(2003-2018) *Tomi - bass and vocals (2003-2020) *CC -

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

(2019-2021) *Yume - bass (2021-2023) Support Members *Hisae Ōtomari - trumpet (2019) *Aki Kawano - bass (2020-2021) *Natsuka Emi - trumpet (2020-) *Miru Yamamoto - trumpet (2021)

Timeline

Discography

Singles

*''Almond'' (November 1, 2006) *''Wasuremono" / "Chuck'' (March 7, 2007) *''Tsumasaki'' (May 9, 2007) *''Jitensha'' (April 27, 2010) *"NEXSPOT" / "¡Fiebre!" (March 9, 2016) *"Groovin' Work Stylee" (November 3, 2017) *''Itokashi'' (October 10, 2018) *''Egao no Manma'' (April 17, 2019) ( Begin cover) *''I'll Be There'' (November 10, 2021) *''She'' (December 1, 2021) *''Stormy'' (January 12, 2022) *''Wonder Neighbor'' (February 2, 2022)

Albums and EPs

* (independent) (2005) * (July 19, 2006) *''

'' (May 23, 2007) *''What a Wonderful World Vol.1'' (October 22, 2008) *''What a Wonderful World Vol.2'' (April 15, 2009) *''Color'' (November 24, 2010) *''Hot Number'' (February 27, 2013) *''Oreskaband Best 003-2013' (February 26, 2014) *''Carry On!'' (Independent) (September 10, 2014) *''Slogan'' (November 23, 2016) *''Bohemia'' (March 2, 2022)

Collaborations

* (July 10, 2013) (

Mayu Watanabe is a Japanese former idol, singer, actress, and former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 under Team B. In the annual AKB48 General Elections event, she had consistently been voted by fans to rank among the group's top members. She has ...

featuring Oreskaband) *"SURVIVOR" / "up&down my heart" (July 6, 2022) ( Rioka Kanda x Oreskaband)

References

External links

Official SiteOfficial Site dedicated to release of Band's 2nd Album "Color"J-Pop World interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oreskaband Japanese musical groups Japanese ska groups Sony Music Entertainment Japan artists All-female bands Japanese rock music groups Musical groups from Osaka