FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Swinging Popsicle releases Mobile Phone lyric video
December 16, 2015 – J-Pop band Swinging Popsicle has released a lyric video for the song “mobile phone”, included on the band’s latest EP flow.
As their 20th anniversary celebration continues, Swinging Popsicle is featured on this month’s cover of Japan’s “Popsicle Clip” magazine, which includes an interview with band members Hironobu Hirata, Mineko Fujishima, and Osamu Shimada. flow was released on CD December 10th in Japan, and will hit iTunes and other digital stores in early 2016.
Swinging Popsicle “flow” special site (with videos and sound samples):
http://www.swinging-popsicle-20th.com/#!album-flow-special-site/y764w
VIDEO
Swinging Popsicle website: http://www.swinging-popsicle-20th.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Swinging-Popsicle-302720713086316
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5lttvWwruX8u5Vb5z8H1MO
Swinging Popsicle
flow
Release 2015.12.10
CD
01 seseragi (lyrics: Mineko Fujishima / music: Hironobu Hirata)
02 Small Blue Sailboat (lyrics: Mineko Fujishima / music: Osamu Shimada)
03 mobile phone (lyrics: Mineko Fujishima / music: Hironobu Hirata)
04 at Christmastime (lyrics: Mineko Fujishima / music: Hironobu Hirata)
05 I’ll Be There (Jackson 5 cover)
06 RIBBON (lyrics: Mineko Fujishima / music: Osamu Shimada)
DVD
01 I just wanna kiss you
02 Chocolate Soul Music
03 Stay by my side
04 Nothing’s gonna change my world
05 rainbounds
06 SP-ZERO
ABOUT SWINGING POPSICLE
Swinging Popsicle was formed in 1995 when singer Mineko Fujishima and guitarist Osamu Shimada joined bassist Hironobu Hirata through a newspaper ad. The band’s first effort was the Sunny Silent Park EP.
In 1998, their first self-titled full-length album Swinging Popsicle debuted from Sony Music Entertainment at Number 1 in the New Artists category, producing the hit singles “Joy of Living,” “I Love Your Smile,” and “Parade.” After extensive touring, the band returned to the studio for their second album Fennec! (2000).
After starting strong with multiple Sony-label releases, Swinging Popsicle continued to build their international fan base with their independent releases of Change and Orange. Four solid years of writing and performing live throughout Japan produced their most mature and powerful CD titled Transit (2004), featuring signature song “I Just Wanna Kiss You.” In 2005, the band embarked on their first tour to Korea.
2006 marked their United States debut at Fanime MusicFest in San Jose, CA. The same year their song “Clash” was included in a compilation CD with the Korean manga “Cracker.” Performing to regular sold-out one-man live shows in Japan, (some running as long as 3 hours!) the band continued to develop new material for their full-length album Go on (2007), which featured “rainbounds,” “Clash,” and “Chocolate Soul Music.” In June 2007, they returned to America to perform at Anime Mid Atlantic in Richmond, VA, and New York Anime Festival at NYC’s Knitting Factory.
Swinging Popsicle has also contributed music to the NITROPLUS PC games STAR MINE GIRL (SUMAGA), AXANAEL, Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo to Koi, and various songs for the Nitroplus mascot Super Sonico’s band, Daiichi Uchuu Sokudo. In 2009, the band released the CD Loud Cut, collecting their soundtrack work and remastered versions of some of the member’s favorite early tracks including “Afterglow” and “Let Me Fly”.
Swinging Popsicle members have kept busy in recent years with various solo projects. Guitarist Osamu Shimada formed his own shoegazer band The Caraway and lends support to Seikama II’s Ace Shimizu Project, Face to Ace, Korean pop vocalist Taru, and popular J-Pop artist Fujii Fumiya. Vocalist Mineko Fujishima has performed backing vocals with top-selling J-Pop R&B artist Kusuo, and performs regularly with the experimental 9-drummer band DQS.
Bassist/band leader Hironobu Hirata has acted as music producer for the NITROPLUS games SUMAGA, SUMAGA Special, AXANAEL, and Sonicomi, and provided musical arrangements for artists such as 7!!, Kanako Ito, Kazuhiro Watanabe, Taru (Korea), Yozoh (Korea), and Daiichi Uchuu Sokudo. Hirata also plays support bass for Kusuo and DQS, and was the band leader for Kusuo’s 2012 Budokan live concert. His producer and composition work for Super Sonico’s Love & II+ Peace Plus brought him into Oricon’s Top 50 in June 2012.
Celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2015, Swinging Popsicle will release their new album flow on December 10, 2015.
Swinging Popsicle was nominated as Best Japanese Rock Band by Shojo Beat magazine.
USA appearances include: Fanime (San Jose, CA), Anime Mid-Atlantic (Richmond, VA), New York Anime Festival (New York City)
