Japanese Punk Band Otoboke Beaver on Fun, Feminism, and Famous Fans

The Rise of Otoboke Beaver

They say brevity is the soul of wit and few bands have as much of both as Otoboke Beaver. Playing short, sharp songs packed with equal parts ferocity and black humour, next week the Japanese quartet will play easily their biggest UK gig yet, at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium supporting Foo Fighters.

Influences and Interactions with Famous Fans

“We met Foo Fighters at an overseas festival, and again in Japan,” says vocalist Accorinrin as we chat in a music bar in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, a couple of hours before Otoboke Beaver go on stage and eviscerate an audience at the nearby O-Nest. “Dave Grohl told so many people about us, which helped us a lot. He didn’t have to introduce a nobody band like us, but Dave is always looking for newcomers and he wanted to hook us up within the music industry.”

The Band's Sound and Style

Otoboke Beaver’s music is most easily described as punk, but that’s not really the half of it. Their songs are short but incredibly dense, packed with changes in tempo and tone, aggressive but hilariously funny. Each song is an ornate puzzle box: pretty on the surface but with intricate hidden depths to unravel.

Feminism and Songwriting

Accorinrin sings about love and food, but also about being harassed by old perverts (Dirty Old Fart is Waiting for My Reaction), the pains of dealing with Japan’s music royalties agency Jasrac (I Put My Love to You in a Song, Jasrac), and her lack of desire to have children (I Am Not Maternal). Despite these song titles, “I never thought our songs were feminist until people said they were,” she says. “Japan has always been a male-oriented society, so it never occurred to me to be bothered by it.” Any latent frustration, she says, “naturally comes through in my lyrics”.

The Future of Otoboke Beaver

“We’re working on it bit by bit,” says Accorinrin soothingly. “Our songs take a long time to write, and we like to play live a lot, plus we’ve had a lineup change.” She laughs as she rebukes the fans once more: “We need everyone to shut up and wait.”