STANCE PUNKS formed in 1998 around TSURU (vocals) and Kinya (guitar), who were later joined (after some bass and drum player changes) by Tetsushi (bass) and Kenichi (drums). They started gaining popularity from their performances at a venue in Shimokitazawa.
They had multiple live tours and also released a live CD before their mini album STANCE PUNKS went on sale in October 2001, which gave their career a significant boost. STANCE PUNKS reached the #5 spot in the Oricon Indies Charts.
In august 2002 it was time for them to release their first full length album, also called STANCE PUNKS. It maintained the #1 spot for six straight weeks in the Oricon Indies Album Chart and reached #6 in the overall sales. The album is considered to be one of the key releases in the history of the Japanese punk rock scene as we know it. With this album came the song that gave them more recognition overseas, which was Mayonaka Shounen Totsugeki Dan. It was used as ending theme for the movie "Battle Royale 2".
They released one more album, LET IT ROLL, before signing with Kowalski Records, one of the record labels under Sony Music Japan. In 2005 they released their third album, HOWLING IDOL - Shine Nakatta Dengeki Yarou -, which included the song No Boy No Cry. That song was used as an ending theme for the globally popular anime "Naruto".
In 2006 after releasing their fourth album BUBBLEGUM VIKING, the band continued touring around Japan. That same year they were also part of the Japan Nite US Tour 2006, which took them to eleven different cities in the USA.
In March 2008 they returned with a new mini album called BOMP!BOMP!BOMP!. This will be followed by the release their ninth single in June. The single, I Wanna Be, will be used as an ending theme song for the new anime series "Soul Eater". As 2008 is their 10th anniversary, the band has multiple lives planned, including a show at this year's RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL.
Even if you can compare their sound to some of the most well-known punk bands, STANCE PUNKS have managed to create their own sound. After ten years, there is no doubt they are one of the most popular punk rock bands in Japan!
