Amber Mary Bain's The Japanese House: A Rising Star with Timeless Resonance
Langan, P. A. (2024, September 4). Author, Chief Editor. CoolMediaLLC.
Amber Mary Bain, better known as The Japanese House, hails from Buckinghamshire, England, and has steadily built a name for herself in the music world. As a multi-instrumentalist, she brings her talents to vocals, guitar, synthesizer, and keyboard, crafting a unique sound that blends introspective lyrics with lush, layered instrumentation. Bain began her journey under the moniker The Japanese House in 2012 after meeting Matty Healy, the charismatic frontman of The 1975. Healy’s influence and support undoubtedly played a role in Bain’s musical evolution, shaping her into the artist she is today.
Our introduction to The Japanese House is via Stephen Thompson, a writer for NPR Music, who highlighted Bain’s latest album, In the End, It Always Does, as one of the best new albums of 2023. Another notable NPR music critic, Ann Powers, amplified this endorsement by sharing Thompson’s review on her X (formerly Twitter) page in early 2024. Intrigued by the buzz, we drew to Bain’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert, where she performed “Sunshine Baby,” a track that immediately captivated us.
“Sunshine Baby” opens with the line, “Everything is cyclical; hold on to this feeling ’cause it won’t be here for long,” encapsulating the ephemeral nature of life and emotions. The track’s chorus resonates with a heartfelt simplicity: “I don’t know what’s right anymore, I don’t want to fight anymore.” It’s a quintessential indie anthem, balancing emotive lyrics with a rich musical arrangement. The song’s blend of piano, tenor sax, Moog synthesizer, and violin, courtesy of co-producer Chloe Kraemer, creates an intimate and expansive sonic tapestry.
The Japanese House offers a refreshing escape from the familiar nostalgia of the Laurel Canyon or Tin Pan Alley soundscapes. Bain’s music feels modern and timeless; her songs are rich with emotional depth and musical sophistication. While she may not need additional publicity, given her rising prominence in the music journalism sphere, we need to spotlight artists who resonate deeply with our sensibilities.
“Sunshine Baby” has become the track this writer can’t stop playing, caught in a continuous loop throughout the day and night. Its craftsmanship is evident, with each listen revealing new layers and subtleties. We learned that Bain composed the strings on MIDI and performed them using a Moog synthesizer, blending them seamlessly with acoustic instruments like guitars, violin, sax, and drums. This fusion of electronic and organic sounds creates a lush, textured backdrop for her introspective lyrics, setting The Japanese House apart in the indie music landscape.
Amber Mary Bain’s work as The Japanese House marks her as an artist to watch and invites us into her world, with every note and word thoughtfully crafted. For those seeking profoundly personal and universally relatable music, The Japanese House provides a space to explore and connect, a reminder of the song’s enduring power.
When the chorus breaks on the bright and sunny new single from The Japanese House, singer-songwriter Amber Bain plants both feet in her own good feelings. She’s on a plane from London to Detroit for a first meeting with an internet love connection, and there’s no room for metaphor when it comes to the exquisite vibes of their blooming romance: “I feel happier,” she sings. “I could be losing my mind / but something’s happening.”
The Japanese House, Tiny Desk Concert
The Japanese House Feat. Matty Healy — Sunshine Baby [Live @ SiriusXM]
The Japanese House Reveals Early Versions Of ‘Sunshine Baby’ With George (The 1975) & Chloe Kraemer
In the End It Always Does, Amber Bain’s second album as the Japanese House, strikes a beautiful equilibrium, wedding perceptive writing with bright, buoyant production. Reveling in the raw sting of a breakup, it continues Bain’s collaboration with the 1975 drummer and producer George Daniel, who, along with London-based producer and engineer Chloe Kraemer (Lava La Rue, Glass Animals) co-produces every song. While Bain’s early music tended toward hazy tones that occasionally overwhelmed her contemplative vocals, the music here is emotional and danceable, elevating her forlorn melodies and nuanced thematic through-lines.
Amber Bain speaks to Alexandra Pollard about debut album Good at Falling, her break-up with musician Marika Hackman and why she feels like she needs to be ‘chained to a wall’ to stop herself from drinking
Of all the ways to get over a breakup, adopting a German Shepherd puppy is a fairly unusual one. But that’s what Amber Bain, AKA The Japanese House, did last year when her four-year relationship with fellow musician Marika Hackman ended.
“It was so stupid,” says the 23-year-old, as we walk Calvin – the big, boisterous result of that decision – around London Fields. “I went away for a couple of weeks after we broke up because we were living together, and then I came back with a dog, and we had to live together for another month. I was like, ‘Yeah, sorry, I’ve got a German shepherd’. But it delayed my depression by quite a lot.”
Calvin is certainly an effective distraction – even from our interview. “He’s going through some weird teenage boy phase,” says Bain, as he careers over to a toddler, then a man attempting to do yoga, and then a prim, alarmed woman with three tiny dogs on leads. But as with all attempts to fast-forward the pain of heartbreak, the Calvin diversion only worked for so long.
“When it did hit,” says Bain, “it was quite intense. I had to give Calvin to my dad for a couple of weeks because I was like, ‘I actually physically can’t do this. I can’t.’ I broke down. I think I had a full breakdown.”
Bain is surprisingly candid for someone who spent the early part of her career shrouded in mystery – with enigmatic artwork, no press shots, and a vague, gender-neutral moniker. She was so mysterious, in fact, that many believed her to be a secret side-project of The 1975’s Matt Healy. The music, after all, with its layered vocals, reverb-filled guitars, and snatches of kaleidoscopic samples, was not dissimilar to The 1975’s. And the voice was androgynous enough that it could have belonged to anyone.
In The End It Always Does Japanese House CD
Critically acclaimed artist The Japanese House has announced details of her long-awaited sophomore album, In the End It Always Does. Featuring the recent single “Boyhood,” much of the album lives in the contradictory: beginnings and endings, obsession and mundanity, falling in love and falling apart. Four years after her widely celebrated debut, Good at Falling, this album sees Amber Bain lean even further into the pop realm whilst elevating her signature sound.
The Japanese House – In the End it Always Does
In the End It Always Does, Amber Bain’s second album as the Japanese House, strikes an equilibrium, merging introspective writing, and emotionally nuanced threads, with textured production. A grand departure from her debut album, Good at Falling, which embraced hazy tones, uplifting enough to prevent the lyrics from sounding too melancholic. This time around, Bain does not stray far away from her signature pessimistic lyricism, heavily revelling in the raw cut of a heartbreak. In the End sees the continuation of the long-standing musical collaboration between Bain and the 1975 drummer and producer, George Daniel, whose influences are undeniable throughout the record, elevating the record from acoustics and string to fizzy pop songs.
The Japanese House – In the End it Always Does (Official Live Film)
he Japanese House – In the End it Always Does (Official Live Film) The new album – out now – https://japanesehouse.ffm.to/iteiad Dirty Hit 2023 A live performance with Amber Bain Cicely Cotton Kam Khan Chloe Kraemer Dom Potts George Cook Director – Sheila Johansson Executive Producer – Daniella Manca Producer – Frankie Willcock Production Company – New-Land 1st AD – Jack Meredith Director’s Assistant – Jamila Al-Adwani Production Assistant – Sam Luker Brown Runner – Tom O’Brien Runner – Eliana Parkinson Director of Photography – Olan Collardy Focus Puller – Oliver Bingham Steadicam – Beaumont Pritchard-James Clapper Loader – Louise Tse DIT / Playback – Davo McConville Gaffer – Vini Curtis Desk Op – Elliott Linehan-Cross Electrician – Mark Haley Electrician – Felix Sherno Stylist – Patricia Villirillo Stylist Assistant – Nelima Odhiambo Stylist Assistant – Hannah Lewis Stylist Assistant – Oyindamola Okubajo Hair & Makeup – Roxy Attard & Athena Aginton Production Design – Syd Harmony Sound Technician – Matt Joyce Editor – Chris Zimmerman Colourist – Nicke Cantarelli Sound Design – Martin Mighetto Stills photographer – Jay Seba Catering – Sophie Grey Commissioner – Jon Moore Artist Management – Mark Hayton & Amber Chen – All On Red Label – Dirty Hit