Stereopony Announces Disbandment

It is with great sorrow and regret that we must acknowledge that Stereopony has announced their disbandment.

Through Facebook Stereopony has released the following statement:

「ステレオポニー解散のお知らせ」■
沖縄で結成された3ピースガールズロックバンド“ステレオポニー”。
デビューからもうすぐ4年を迎える彼女達が解散を発表した。

2008年に「ヒトヒラのハナビラ」でメジャーデビュー。
2nd Single「泪のムコウ」ではオリコンチャート2位を獲得、平成生まれのガールズロックバンドとしては史上初の快挙となる。その後YUIとのコラボレーションしたシングルなど現在までにシングル11枚、アルバム3枚をリリースし、常にガールズバンドをけん引し、話題の中心となっていたステレオポニー。

国内でも精力的にライブを行う傍ら、10代でアメリカ3大音楽フェスイベント「SXSW」に異例の出演、その後4年連続でアメリカでライブを敢行。
また、今年は初のU.S.ツアー実施やアジア初ライブとなるインドネシアライブを行うなど、
日本国内だけではなく海外へと活動拠点を向け、さらなる注目を浴びていただけに、この発表に驚きを隠せない。

彼女達をデビューまで支えた、沖縄・あじさい音楽村 創設者“仲宗根　陽”さんが2009年に病気のため他界。デビューから、がむしゃらに突っ走ってきた彼女達は、その頃から各メンバーの音楽に対する思いがより明確になり、方向性の違いが出はじめた。

4年の間、精力的に活動を行ってきた彼女達だが、
今年8月にボーカルAIMI喉のポリープ手術のため、ステレオポニーとしては1ケ月の充電期間が設けられた。その期間にドラムSHIHO,ベースNOHANAは共に海外での短期音楽留学を実施。
海外での刺激を全身で受けながら「自分」について改めて考える時間となり、ボーカルAIMIもこの期間で“歌う”ということに今まで以上に真剣に向き合った。そしてステレオポニーが再集結した際、各々が今、本当にやりたいこと、進んで行きたい道を話し合い、今回の結果に至った。今後も3人はそれぞれの音楽活動を続けていく。

そんなステレオポニーとしては最後となるシングルが10月24日に発売される。
今作は、ヴィリル・ラヴィーンのプロデューサー兼ギターリストの”Evan Taubenfeld”がタッグを組んだ新バンド「EVANPONY(エバンポニー)」としての楽曲「Just rock with me」とステレオポニーとしての新曲「涙なんて見してやんない」のダブルA面になっている。

ステレオポニーは解散となるが、
ドラムSHIHOとベースNOHANAは引き続き“EVANPONY”としての活動を、ボーカルAIMIも音楽は続けてゆくということで、今後の彼女達の活動にも期待したい。

STEREOPONY DISBANDED!

Three-piece girls rock band in Okinawa called “STEREOPONY” has announced their break up after their 4 years band’s career.

STEREOPONY had released their debut single from major label in 2008, it’s called “HITOHIRA NO HANABIRA”.
In 2009, they had released their 2nd single called “NAMIDA NO MUKO” and it reached number two in the Oricon Chart.
It was the historic first that all-girl rock band who were born in Heisei period hit that high number in the Oricon Chart.
Including the collaboration single release with YUI, they have released 11 singles and 3 albums until now.
They were always at the center of talks, and they were the leading band among all those girls rock bands in Japan.
During their energetic activities, they as a teenager, had played at SXSW which is a one of the biggest music festival in the United States.
They also had played in the United States 4 consecutive years after SXSW.
Not only that, they had just begun their first ever US tour and played in Indonesia earlier this year, their break up comes as a great surprise to everyone.

A death of their mentor shocked them for sure.
In 2009, Hikaru Nakasone, the founder of AJISAI ONGAKUMURA in Okinawa had passed away by his illness.
Member of STEREOPONY, as they put all of their mind into their new music career after their major debut, each one of them had started to think about music itself, not as STEREOPONY but an individual.

They have never stop as a band’s career for 4 years, but this August they took a month off because of an operation to remove a polyp on throat of AIMI, a vocalist of STEREOPONY.
During this period, the drummer SHIHO and the bassist NOHANA had gone to abroad for studying their music instruments.
By going abroad, SHIHO and NOHANA became to think more of their individual music career as a player, also AIMI thought her own career as a singer throughout her operation and rehabilitation.
In their reunion meeting, they have discussed what each of them really wants to do, and the way each one of them choose.
As a result, they concluded that each of them chose different ways, not as of the way of STEREOPONY anymore, and they keep going forward as a musician.

Their final double a-side single will be out on 24th, October, 2012.
The track list of a single is a song “Just rock with me” is by EVANPONY, a new band tagged by STEREOPONY and Evan Taubenfeld, a producer and a guitarist of Avril Lavigne, and new song by STEREOPONY called, “NAMIDANANTE MISHITEYANNAI” .

The upcoming activities by the members of STEREOPONY is still not fixed yet.
But the drummer SHIHO and the bassist NOHANA will continue to play as EVANPONY at this moment.
The vocalist AIMI also decided to continue her singing, more news shall come as they get ready for it.

Furthermore, Tokyohive has translated the Natalie press release: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/10/stereopony-announces-their-dissolution/

Pop rock band Stereopony has announced that they will disbanding.

Earlier in August, the band went through a “recharge period” after AIMI (Vo) received surgery for vocal cord polyps. While she was recovering, SHIHO (Dr) and NOHANA (B) went abroad to study music. When the girls got together again, they talked about their future plans and ultimately decided to disband.

The members plan to continue pursuing their music careers. SHIHO and NOHANA recently teamed up with Evan Taubenfeld and formed a band called “EVANPONY“. Their new single, “Just rock with me / Namida Nante Mishite Yannai“, will be released on October 24th. AIMI will also continue to be involved in music in some way.

Before going their separate ways, Stereopony will hold their one-man live, ‘Aki no Yonaga wa Live de Norikire vol.2‘, on October 6th at Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO. During the live, the members will give a detailed explanation of their dissolution. The exact date of their disbandment has not been announced at this time.

Stereopony is a 3-member band that formed in Okinawa. They made their major debut with the single, “Hitohira no Hanabira“, back in 2008. After gaining popularity with their 2nd single, “Namida no Mukou“, the band held concerts in the U.S. and other countries overseas.

Very Good Days! will keep you updated as further details are revealed.
For now, Twitter users are invited to share their thoughts using #Forever_STEREOPONY and please visit the VGD forum and chat to share your thoughts with us.