Ellegarden

Japanese pop/punk quartet Ellegarden rose to prominence as one of their country’s leading rock acts, routinely headlining sold-out arenas holding 30,000 fans and appearing on the bills of nearly every major domestic festival before exporting their high-energy style to U.S. listeners. The group coalesced at the end of 1998 after computer engineer Takeshi Hosomi was recruited by guitarist Shinichi Ubukata, a friend seeking a vocalist for his project; Hosomi, who already composed material during off-hours and had spent time living and working in California, brought a solid command of English that led him to craft most lyrics in that language. Completed by bassist Yuichi Takada and drummer Hirotaka Takahashi, the lineup forged a compact, forceful yet muscular style that echoed North American outfits such as blink-182, Sum 41, and Good Charlotte while also reflecting Hosomi’s admiration for Weezer. In autumn 2001 the band inked a deal with Japan’s Dynamord imprint, issuing its debut EP Bare Foot that year; the following spring saw the arrival of the full-length Don’t Trust Anyone But Us, which proved successful enough to sustain an annual album cycle. Eleven Fire Crackers, released in 2006, marked their initial North American appearance when Nettwerk issued it in summer 2007. Already veterans of large-scale Japanese bills alongside the Foo Fighters and Sum 41, Ellegarden made their U.S. concert bow in 2006 via a seven-city trek that stopped at the South by Southwest Music Conference, where an appreciative crowd insisted on an encore that expanded their showcase from five songs to eight.