Shonen Knife
Pop Punk Trio Rock With 1,000+ Shows and 20 Albums Over 30 Years
The late Nirvana singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain was one of their biggest fans, saying, “When I finally got to see them live, I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert.” Formed in 1981, the Osaka-based all-female band Shonen Knife influenced ‘90s alternative acts like Sonic Youth and Redd Kross with driving beats, catchy melodies and simplistic lyrics about food and animals like “Banana Chips,” “I Am A Cat,” “Ramen Rock” and “Cannibal Papaya.” Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie carried out a backstage interview with singer/guitarist/founder Naoko Yamano, bassist Ritsuko Taneda and drummer Emi Morimoto prior to their October 2014 gig at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles.
