Kaneko Ayano

Kaneko Ayano

Kaneko Ayano is a Japanese instrumental rock and post-rock group from Japan, active since 2006. The act is associated with instrumental rock and post-rock, while its wider output also sits within Japanese rock, psychedelic, and folk contexts.

Formation and early work

The project begins as カネコアヤノと印税生活, a name used for the first line-up and for the self-released mini-album 印税生活. The music is recorded before the act plays any live shows. The early line-up forms around Kaneko Ayano, Natsuya Hamano, and Yasumasa Hamano, with the latter involved as drummer and music engineer. Natsuya Hamano later becomes the guitarist.

Kaneko Ayano is raised in Yokohama City in Kanagawa Prefecture. She starts guitar in third grade of junior high school after not finding success with piano, and she first takes up the instrument as a fan of Chatmonchy. She also spends time at live houses in Shinjuku and Shimokitazawa from her second year of high school and starts writing songs around her third year of high school. Earlier musical influences include Happy End, Tama, Ko Machida and INU, Masamune Kusano of Spitz, POLYSICS, Tokyo Karankoron, Kegawa No Maries, SEBASTIAN X, Siamese Cats and Jun Togawa.

Releases and line-up changes

After the song はっぴいえんどを聴かせておくれよ(仮) reaches a manager at Kitty Entertainment, the act opens for Scandal on their Zepp Tokyo tour. Takuma Motomura joins on bass in 2013. In 2014 Kaneko Ayano releases 来世はアイドル. In 2015, with the same backing band, the group releases 恋する惑星.

In 2016 the contract with Kitty Entertainment ends and the mini-album hug is self-released. The group then moves to the label we are, with a new manager. Hirotoshi Hayashi becomes the new guitarist, and later that year the EP さよーならあなた appears. In April 2017 the EP ひかれあい is released, followed later that year by the album 群れたち. Bob joins as drummer in 2018, and the album 祝祭 ひとりでに follows. Yasumasa Hamano remains involved as recording engineer.

Later albums

At the end of 2018 the act changes labels to 1994. The album 燦々 is released in 2019, よすが in 2021, and タオルケットは穏やかな in 2023.

Background and musical influences

Kaneko Ayano is born on 30 January 1993 and is also described as a musician, actress and model. Her teenage listening includes Hello! Project, as well as the 1970s idol groups Candies and Pink Lady and the singer Megumi Asaoka. She says Pink Lady’s S・O・S stays with her from childhood through an animation she watches, and she later searches for the original song and becomes drawn into that music.