Formed as teenagers during Japan’s strict COVID lockdown, WENDY came together in secret with the aim of making rock ‘n’ roll for a new generation. Early, raw demos quickly earned the band a publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing and caught the attention of Grammy Award-winning producer Marc Whitmore.
Whitmore was impressed enough to take on their debut album himself. Recorded live in just nine days, with no edits, the record captures WENDY as they are, immediate, energetic and unfiltered.
Having already turned heads at home, with attention from Billboard US, NHK World-Japan’s J-MELO and appearances on Japan’s rock festival circuit, WENDY are now looking beyond Japan and towards the international rock scene, with the band from Setagaya, Tokyo, playing dates in the UK last November.
I last met the band three years ago, and since then there has been a lineup change. “We were a four-piece band,” frontman Skye told MetalTalk. “Now we’re a three-piece. We lost two bassists in the last year or two years, and that was pretty hard for us, but we’re managing.
“We decided on having a new chapter in our career. We never thought we’d lose a member because we’re all from the same neighbourhood, childhood friends and all that, so it was pretty hard. But we got through it. Our fans and our staff were really supportive of us.”
WENDY have played the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles and The Water Acts in London. Two venues with big reputations. “We were all a bit nervous,: Skye said. “But we knew what we could do. We tried not to think about it and do what we do best. It doesn’t matter if there are five people, or a hundred people. We try to make it as big a show as we can.”
The band are influenced by ’70s and ’80s music. Drummer Sena cites Led Zeppelin, while guitarist Paul leans towards Mötley Crüe and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. “I think as a band, we were really inspired by Mötley and all that,” Skye, who loves Prince, said. “I don’t know if that reflects in our music. We’re not that hard of a band, but that’s our roots, definitely.”
Skye says that Wendy “haven’t thought of an album yet. Our first album, Don’t waste my YOUTH, was released in 2023, and that album is really special to us. Marc Whitmore, a dear friend of ours, produced that, and we recorded it in a very old-fashioned way. One take, everybody in one room.
“That was really a very special experience for us. But nowadays, we’re being more cautious about what we’re trying to put out in the world. So, no album yet, but there’s going to be lots of digital singles.”
For the future, the plan is to do more of a layered recording. “We want to make it sound more…not cleaner, but more modern,” Skye says, “so people can try to connect with us, and maybe go back to our first album to see our roots.”
