La La Larks

Last updated
La La Larks
OriginJapan
Genres
Years active2012–present
Labels
Members
  • Yumi Uchimura
  • Ryo Eguchi
  • Ritsuo Mitsui
  • Keisuke Kubota
  • Takayuki "Turkey" Hosokawa

La La Larks (stylized in lower case) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2012. The five-member group consists of Yumi Uchimura (vocals), Ryo Eguchi (keyboards), Ritsuo Mitsui (guitar), Keisuke Kubota (bass), and Takayuki "Turkey" Hosokawa (drums). Known for their dynamic live performances and contributions to anime soundtracks, the band emerged after the disbandment of School Food Punishment, bringing together musicians from various notable Japanese acts. [1]

Contents

Biography

La La Larks was formed in 2012 following the hiatus of School Food Punishment, a band in which both Yumi Uchimura and Ryo Eguchi were key members, Uchimura as their frontwoman, and Uchimura as their producer and support member, mainly handling keyboards, piano, and arrangement/programming during live shows and recordings. [2] [1] The initial idea of a band began informally during a drinking session at Eguchi’s studio, where discussions about Uchimura’s solo performances led to the idea of assembling a group of musicians. [3] Initially, the band was intended to support Uchimura’s solo project, but it evolved into a full-fledged project. Eguchi recruited Mitsui of The Youth and Lost In Time, a guitarist he considered essential, due to their prior collaboration in School Food Punishment. Turkey, a former drummer for Go!Go!7188, joined after his band disbanded, and he invited Kubota of Sads to complete the lineup. The band’s formation was driven by a shared desire to create music with close-knit collaborators, with Eguchi likening the band’s dynamic to a marriage built on mutual respect and creative synergy. [3] The band’s name was chosen before a clear concept was defined, and the initial lineup was described as a "fluid" project, with the possibility of rotating vocalists. However, after their first live show, Uchimura found the experience invigorating and committed to the band, leading to its formal establishment. [1]

In the two years following their formation, La La Larks focused on grassroots efforts, prioritizing live performances and building a fanbase. They performed on a regular basis, appeared on local radio programs, and engaged in crowdfunding to produce records. [1] Rather than rushing to release music, the band took a deliberate approach, creating demo tracks for pre-production and distributing them as bonuses with live show tickets. These demos gained traction when a radio director, familiar with Uchimura from her previous work, played them on J-Wave, boosting the band’s visibility. [1] During this period, La La Larks also collaborated with other artists, providing a remix for Hitomi Azuma’s album and a song for Chiaki Kuriyama. These opportunities, secured through personal connections, allowed the band to expand their reach while maintaining a focus on authentic, process-driven activities. [1]

The band gained attention in 2014 through a crowdfunding campaign in collaboration with J-Wave’s radio program Tokyo Real-Eyes, for a crowdfunding project, surpassing their funding goal in merely forty days. [4] In June of that year, they released their major debut single “Ego-izm,” which served as the ending theme for the anime M3: The Dark Metal . [1] The collaboration came about through a connection with a director who had previously worked with Eguchi on Maaya Sakamoto's single "Be Mine!," which he co-arranged with The Band Apart. [1] A year later, they released their second single, "Hallelujah," for the anime Sky Wizards Academy . Both releases were produced in partnership with FlyingDog, which provided the high-quality production environment the band sought. [5] In 2015, they also collaborated with Maaya Sakamoto for her song "Shikisai," which was commissioned as theme song for the smartphone game Fate/Grand Order . Uchimura and Eguchi had previously worked with Sakamoto on her single "Buddy," but this became their first time doing so as La La Larks. [6] The band also recorded their own version of "Shikisai," which was included as a B-side on their single "Hallelujah." [7] Additionally, they released the track "Tokyo Light," a collaboration with musician Akihisa Kondo, on digital platforms on August 5, 2015. [8]

In 2017, marking their fifth anniversary, the band released their debut full-length album, Culture Vulture. [9] The album was proposed by their FlyingDog director as a celebratory milestone, aligning with the band's growing live audience and fan requests for a comprehensive release. [9]

In 2018, the band contributed to the anime Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King by providing the ending theme song "Kureku, Zetsubō no Hana," performed by Junna, with La La Larks handling the lyrics, composition, and arrangement. [10] The song was released as Junna's second single on July 18 of that year. [10] Additionally, they collaborated with Maaya Sakamoto on her single "Gyakkō," released on July 25. [11] While Ryo Eguchi co-arranged the title track, which was used as theme song for the second phase of the smartphone game Fate/Grand Order, the single also included the song "Kūhaku," composed and arranged by La La Larks, which was used as theme song for the Fate/Grand Order arcade game. [11] In September, the band released their own digital single "After," composed by guitarist Mitsui with lyrics written by Uchimura, serving as the theme song for their December Lark It Up! 2018 Tour across Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. [12] This track highlighted a new facet of the band’s evolving sound, reflecting their collaborative spirit and dedication to live performances. [12]

In 2019, Uchimura announced La La Larks would enter a temporary hiatus from live activities, citing health concerns upon undergoing tonsil surgery. [13] [14] The band held their last concert at the Tsutaya O-West on September 6, 2019. [13]

Discography

Albums

TitleDetails
Culture Vulture
  • Released: August 30, 2017 (2017-08-30)
  • Label: FlyingDog
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
JPN
[15]
2014 "Ego-izm" 53 Culture Vulture
2015 "Hallelujah" 57
"Tokyo Light" (with Akihisa Kondo) — Non-album single
2018 "After" —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Songwriting credits

YearTitleArtistAlbum / EPCreditsLabel
2013"0" Chiaki Kuriyama Non-album single
  • Lyrics
  • Music
  • Arrangement
 Defstar Records
2015"Shikisai" Maaya Sakamoto Follow Me Up
  • Music
  • Arrangement
FlyingDog
2018"Kūhaku" Single Collection+ Achikochi
  • Music
  • Arrangement
"Akaku, Zetsubō no Hana" Junna Jūnana-sai ga Utsukushii Nante, Dare ga Itta
  • Lyrics
  • Music
  • Arrangement
2019"Hana wa Maboroshi"YuNiClear/Color
  • Music
  • Arrangement
 Yunion.Wave
"Dilemma"
  • Music
  • Arrangement
"Calling"TeresaHybrid
  • Lyrics
  • Music
 Nippon Columbia

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kurashima, Takahiko (June 3, 2014). "la la larks「ego-izm」インタビュー". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  2. ↑ Oki, Sayako (June 2014). "la la larksインタビュー　「いろんなところとコラボレーションできることが、わたしたちの自分らしさ」". Skream Magazine (in Japanese). Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Fujita, Takumi (January 29, 2014). "【la la larks応援企画】江口亮編". Barks (in Japanese). Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  4. ↑ Nishida, Shinji (June 1, 2014). "la la larks トップクリエイターとのコラボから生まれた『ego-izm』。その意思の全て。". Jungle Life (in Japanese). Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  5. ↑ Tanaka, Hiroshi (July 28, 2015). "la la larksが知る、バンドにとって本当に意味のある利益とは". Cinra (in Japanese). Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  6. ↑ Usuki, Nariaki (May 25, 2018). "坂本真綾「幸せについて私が知っている5つの方法 / 色彩」インタビュー (2/3)". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  7. ↑ "la la larks新作発表、坂本真綾への提供曲セルフカバー収録". Natalie (in Japanese). May 22, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  8. ↑ "近藤晃央×la la larks、コラボ曲「トーキョーライト」配信". Natalie (in Japanese). August 4, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Kurashima, Takahiko (August 28, 2017). "la la larks「Culture Vulture」インタビュー". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  10. 1 2 "JUNNA、la la larks提供曲がアニメ「ロード オブ ヴァーミリオン」ED主題歌に". Natalie (in Japanese). May 1, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  11. 1 2 "坂本真綾、7月に「逆光」含むFGO一色シングル". Natalie (in Japanese). May 25, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  12. 1 2 "la la larks、東名阪ツアーのテーマ曲「after」配信". Natalie (in Japanese). September 14, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  13. 1 2 "la la larks、ライブ活動休止を発表「また会える日のために頑張りたい」". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). June 6, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  14. ↑ "la la larksがライブ活動休止、内村友美「結婚を機に自分の体と向き合う時間を」". Natalie (in Japanese). June 6, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  15. ↑ "La La Larks profile". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved September 30, 2025.
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