Formed by vocalist Kumi and guitarist Naoki Sato in 1997, Love Psychedelico remains a unique voice in the world of J-Pop. Drawing heavily on music from the 60s and 70s, Kumi's nuanced mix of Japanese and English vocals help to set the band apart stylistically from other bestsellers. Citing The Beatles, Janis Joplin, and Sheryl Crow as influences, Kumi's distinctive vocals also recall more recent stars Alanis Morissette and Avril Lavigne. Guitarist Sato wears his influences on his sleeve, his...

Formed by vocalist Kumi and guitarist Naoki Sato in 1997, Love Psychedelico remains a unique voice in the world of J-Pop. Drawing heavily on music from the 60s and 70s, Kumi's nuanced mix of Japanese and English vocals help to set the band apart stylistically from other bestsellers. Citing The Beatles, Janis Joplin, and Sheryl Crow as influences, Kumi's distinctive vocals also recall more recent stars Alanis Morissette and Avril Lavigne. Guitarist Sato wears his influences on his sleeve, his chops recalling The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and vintage Aerosmith. After local gigging and the independent release of several singles and collections, the band signed with Victor in 1999. Their first single, "Lady Madonna Yuutsu Naru Spider", was released in 2000 to minimal fanfare. Their second single "Your Song", which again mined the 60s - 70s musical vein, struck a chord with listeners, charting strongly and pushing the band into the spotlight. Amid a packed tour schedule, the band released their third single "Your Song" late in the year, and watched as their popularity began to skyrocket. January, 2001 saw the release of their first album, cheekily titled The Greatest Hits. The album was indeed a hit, eventually topping two million units, and the band continued an aggressive touring and promotion schedule, including a slot at Japan Night at Austin's South By Southwest music festival. The band stretched out their stay in the States, appearing in the traveling version of Japan Night, and playing some shows independently. After returning to Japan to more touring the the festival circuit, the band went back to the studio, coming out with their second album Love Psychedelic Orchestra in January, 2001. Supported by a torrent of media and banners up and down Meiji Dori in Shibuya, and the record went on to sell 90,000 copies. The band spent much of the year touring, releasing several singles and participating in selected festivals the following year. Their third album, Love Psychedelico III, dropped in early 2004, and has seen moderate success, making Love Psychedelico on of the longer running successes in the often fickle world of J-Pop.