Shonen Knife on 45 Years of Punk, KISS, and Why Tennis Is the Secret to Rock and Roll

We sat down with Shonen Knife in Australia on their current tour, and it was a profoundly rad chat. We talked about sneaking guitars past conservative parents in 80s Osaka, leaving a salary job after “two years and 15 days,” and how a single postal letter from Calvin Johnson at K Records changed everything. We got into the KISS show Naoko saw in 1977 (third row, Gene Simmons right there) the tribute album that introduced them to America before they’d even toured there, and what it means when an audience isn’t just people who like the band, but people for whom Shonen Knife is their favorite band. Naoko’s secret to 45 years in a rock band: “I never look back. I just look a bit future.” Also: tennis. Their new album Let’s Knife Re-Cut, a re-recording of their 1992 classic with the current lineup, is out now, and it sounds more energetic than ever. Dive deeper into our world at https://weirdertogether.substack.com #shonenknife #osaka #benlee #ioneskye #weirdertogether