Molice

A Japanese band whose music is a fusion of vintage power pop, '80s new wave, '90s indie rock, and a dash of punky attitude, MOLICE are a truly independent, self-motivated band in a scene where many groups are orchestrated by managers or record labels. MOLICE's name is a mash-up, taken from one of their favorite bands, the Police, and the fact many of their favored musicians have names that begin with M, such as Morrissey, Jim Morrison, and Mo Tucker, among others. MOLICE were founded in early 2007 by guitarist and singer Rinko, guitarist Yuzuru Takeda, bassist Ikuhiro, and drummer Takeshi Koyama; Rinko and Takeda had previously worked together in a band called China Chop, and wanted to form a group that had a stronger creative vision but with less clearly defined musical boundaries. Teaming up with Ikuhiro and Koyama, the new band began playing regular jam sessions at a club in Tokyo called Kokubunji Rubber Soul, and started working on demo recordings. By August, MOLICE were solid enough to win a spot on the bill at Summer Sonic, one of Japan's most popular music festivals, and by the time the year was out, they'd released four CDs of demos. MOLICE were soon playing regularly at Tokyo rock clubs, and in November 2008 they released their first proper album, Doctor Ray. The album earned extensive radio and video airplay in Japan, as well as radio exposure in Europe and on college radio in America, and in late 2009, the band launched their first U.K. tour. In March 2010, MOLICE dropped their second album, CatalystRock, and celebrated with an appearance on the popular Japanese television showcase Backstage Pass. Later that year, MOLICE made their first appearance in Vietnam at the C.A.M.A. 2010 Festival, as well as making their American debut at the Anime Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2011, MOLICE returned to Vietnam to play Hanoi's Go! Go! Japan Festival, where they debuted several songs that appeared on the 2012 album Neugravity, which earned radio airplay in Australia and the Philippines. By the time MOLICE released their fourth album, 2014's Resonance Love, bassist Ikuhiro had left the group, and after playing a handful of shows with fill-in bassists, the group opted to move on as a trio, with no bass and both Rinko and Yuzuru Takeda on guitars.