INDEX
A Lasting Love for Bands
There was the Osaka show of “DELAY” in June 2024, and about two months later, your band activities formally shifted under the kanekoayano name. Looking back, why did you decide to become a band?
Kaneko: It already felt like we were a band even before that, we just had not really named it that way. We were arranging everything together anyway, so making it official felt like the most natural and straightforward decision.
I have also always been drawn to bands, so in a way it just made things clearer for me. And if calling it a band meant everyone could commit more fully and push things further together, then that felt like the right direction to take.
Vocal and guitar Ayano Kaneko
Guitar Hirotoshi Hayashi
Bass takuyaiizuka
Drums SEI NAGAHATA
Led by Ayano Kaneko, kanekoayano is a band that formally took shape in 2024 with the addition of Hirotoshi Hayashi on guitar and takuyaiizuka on bass. In April 2025, they released their first album as a band, Ishi no Ito. In January 2026, SEI NAGAHATA officially joined on drums.
In recent years, the group has expanded their presence overseas, including their third UK tour in 2025, as well as their first tours in Australia and across Asia. They also performed as a sub headliner on the RED MARQUEE stage at Fuji Rock Festival 2025.
On January 15, 2026, kanekoayano held their first ever solo show at Nippon Budokan. Starting in May, they are set to embark on the kanekoayano World Tour 2026, with dates across Australia, Europe, and Japan.
You have always had a sense of admiration for bands, including OGRE YOU ASSHOLE, right?
Kaneko: Yeah, definitely. In the end, I have always just loved bands.
And Deto, you have always been in a band as well. Have you ever thought about doing solo work?
Deto: Not really, at least not at this point. I feel like I am able to do everything I want to do within the band, so the urge to do something else does not really come up.
If I were to do solo work alongside the band, even if I took it seriously, it might still be seen as something secondary or just a side project. I would not want that. So I am putting everything into the band.
In recent years, your songs seem to lean more toward a krautrock influence, with a stronger emphasis on repetition. For example, I imagine some listeners may have been reminded of OGRE YOU ASSHOLE when hearing “Taiyo wo Mezashiteru.” How do you feel about that shift?
Kaneko: I think a big part of that is the current rhythm section. The two of them are really good at that kind of approach. Also, I realized that making songs with just two chords can actually be really fun.
In a more singer songwriter style, you might feel the need for more chord changes, but with a band approach, you can still create something compelling with just two chords.
Kaneko: That said, I do think it can be risky if you lean too much into that. Lately I have been going back to writing in a more traditional way too, like the kind of songs I used to make on my own. Ideally, I would like to be able to do both. There is something unique about the current members, but there is also meaning in the fact that I am the one writing the songs, so finding a balance between the two would be ideal.
What draws you to repetition?
Kaneko: I have always liked repetition in words. When you repeat the same phrase over and over, the meaning starts to shift. It can become heavier, or sometimes lighter. The same goes for sound as well. That is something I really love.
