HYPE and tags of “next big thing” can cause the best bands to crumble through the weight of expectation, but Sydney’s Haiku Hands revel under pressure.
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This is after all a band who played their first gig at the Falls Festival two years ago when one member, Mie Nakazawa, had never played a pub gig before, little alone one of Australia’s premier festivals.
Shortly after the art-rave three-piece sold out Sydney’s Lansdowne Hotel in their maiden headline show.
The secret was the undeniably sassy pop hooks and ‘90s rave beats of their first single Not About You.
Since then Haiku Hands’ high-energy tracks have continued to hit the airwaves, including Jupiter, Squat and Dare You Not To Dance, which debuted this week.
Haiku Hands began after Claire Nakazawa and Beatrice Lewis met at a music festival three years ago and started writing together with Sydney hip-hip producer Joelistics.
After Not About You sparked the interest of Falls Festival organisers, Claire invited her sister Mie along for the ride.
“I’m a visual artist and I wasn’t looking to be in a band, but I was interested in being involved in art direction within the music world or film clips, something outside of myself and drawing,” Mie Nakazawa says.
“I’m such a freshie to performing and singing and what not. I didn’t know what was going on.”
However, the banging singles combined with their eye-catching choreographed live show quickly earned Haiku Hands festival spots at St Jerome’s Laneway, BigSound, and the forthcoming Groovin’ The Moo. NME also recently named the band in their top 100 essential new artists of 2019.
I’m such a freshie to performing and singing and what not. I didn’t know what was going on.
- Mie Nakazawa
In October they landed the biggest opportunity of their fledgling career; a chance to support English 2000s giants Bloc Party on their Australian Silent Alarm tour. Nakazawa wasn’t a fan of Silent Alarm before the tour, but it helped open Haiku Hands to a new audience.
“It’s always fun to perform to people who aren’t used to our music and watching their faces when they look confused,” she says.
READ MORE: Groovin’ The Moo announces 2019 line-up
With a series of sold-out shows on the horizon, anticipation is rising for a debut album. Nakazawa says the songs are ready, but as always, they aren’t feeling pressured.
“Slowly we will have an album,” she says. “What we’ve experienced with our songs is that they’re all singles and have very distinct character, so that’s why we’ve been releasing them one at a time.”
Haiku Hands return to the Cambridge Hotel on Saturday.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
