COPES releases their first album “FORTH” and announces a release tour!

Thumbnail: COPES

Tokyo-based band COPES announced that they would be releasing their first full album, “FORTH”, on July 31st, 2024.

This will be their first CD release since Chota, who previously was a support drummer, became an official member. This album will mark a new start for COPES.

We’ll take a deep look at COPES’ history, details on “FORTH” and also their upcoming performance schedule!

What kind of band is COPES?

COPES became active in February 2021. They started out as a three-piece band, but after releasing their first demo tape “WIN” in September 2021, they became a duo composed of guitarist and vocalist Nanako Kanai and bassist and vocalist Yūki Shiina.

COPES is known for its energetic melodies. Their music gives off positive vibes and is sure to put listeners in a good mood. Nanako Kamei’s kind and crystal-clear voice combined with Yūki Shiina’s powerful vocals match their music’s feel perfectly and we feel their sound is addictive in the best way possible.

They’ve gained wide popularity among the younger audience and tickets for their first solo concert held in January 2023, sold out within one hour of the announcement. Their momentum has only grown stronger and even fans who came to their concerts to see other acts have said “COPES’ performances are really enjoyable”.

Beginning their journey as a three-piece band

After COPES became a duo, Chota joined them as a supporting drummer. On May 19th, 2024, Chota officially joined COPES and they announced that they would be a three-piece band. There had been much talk of people hoping that Chota would join the band officially when he was a supporting member.

Regarding joining COPES, Chota stated on his blog that it was “a hard decision to make”. However, he decided to take another stab at music and drumming. Chota is definitely a huge asset for the band and we feel he’s helped the band further expand their musical horizons.

Positive and happy live performances

COPES’ music is known for its positive and encouraging lyrics and stories about finding the strength to forge your own path despite the fears and phobias of everyday life. Sometimes, things don’t go the way the protagonist in the lyrics wants and they end up making a fool of themselves. Many fans find this character to be very relatable.

Mosh pits and crowd dives sometimes occur at COPES’ live performances and we’ve seen more experienced fans teach newcomers how to enjoy these situations.

COPES’ performances involve the fans to create positive vibes and make participants think “I’d love to go see them again!” We’re sure they’ll continue to grow as a band.

Band Members

Nanako Kamei

instagram

Born April 14th

Handles guitars and vocals

Nanako Kamei is COPES’ unstoppable ball of energy. While she may look cute and cuddly, she steals the crowd’s attention with her powerful vocals. Little bits of info like her love of “Chibumaruko-chan” creator Momoko Sakura’s manga, “Koji Koji” and her tendency to forget to zip up her backpack makes her feel very relatable. You can listen to Nanako Kamei cover many different artists on her Instagram.

Yūki Shiina

instagram

Born on November 1st

Handles bass and vocals

The story goes that he started playing in a band after seeing friends perform live. Their sparkling aura made him want to play together with them on the stage. From low to high, his wide vocal range and powerful performances have gained a lot of attention.

He’s also known for sharing his gratitude towards all of COPES’ fans on social media. It’s likely this side of him is helping to generate even more support for the band.

Chota

instagram

Born on October 4th Handles Drums

Chota joined a band for the first time in high school and had participated in many others before joining COPES. He also teaches drums and helps out with school clubs giving him diverse experience.

He’d originally joined in August 2022 as a supporting member, but became an official part of the band on May 19th, 2024.

Release of their first full album “FORTH”

COPES’ first full album, “FORTH”, will be released on July 31st, 2024. This CD is their first nationally distributed album and includes not only brand new songs, but tracks that have yet to be released on CD and concert favorites. It’s definitely an album that’ll let you experience their journey as a band. The title track “forth” has been released digitally ahead of time on July 3rd and will be followed by other tracks.

The song “forth”, which shares its name with the album title, is an encouraging song that cheers on all those who are chasing their dreams. It feels like it conveys a message to people who are afraid of failure offering them messages like “It’s okay to fail” and “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down”.

The Love song “Wō Ai Nī” (ウォーアイニー / ‘I Love You’ in Mandarin) is an energetic track that’ll make you want to jump around and includes references to the fairy tale “The Tortoise and the Hare” in its lyrics. This song has already been performed at concerts and looks like it’ll be a new favorite.

The album is filled with ever-changing emotions going from the bittersweet lyrics of “proof” to the CD-only “NEET”. Not only is it an album that allows you to experience their history as a band, COPES’ will surprise you with their incredible range of creativity.

youtube

| Album details Title: “FORTH” Release date: 7/31/2024 Catalog number: CSRD-10001 Price: 1,980 yen (Tax Incl.) Publisher: COPES RECORD

Tracks 1.song 2.forth 3.E•I•E•I•O 4.remember 5.crazy 6.Wō Ai Nī (ウォーアイニー) 7.will 8.place 9.proof 10.winner

From the artist

We released COPES’ first nationally distributed full album, “FORTH”. This is our first piece of work since becoming a trio after drummer Chota joined in May. With re-recordings of concert favorites “song” “winner” and “will” and title track “forth”, I feel it’s a quintessentially COPES album overflowing with happiness. We wanted everyone listening to COPES’ music to feel happy, have some fun, and sometimes get a little silly but feel touched at times and we ended up making an album that really exceeded our expectations. I really hope you come see us at a club to listen to all the songs! Let’s all sing, dance, jump, and scream together to create a joyful atmosphere! Let’s Share Happy! I hope that our music reaches as many people as possible!

2024 Live Performances

With many solo concerts and performances with other bands under their belt, COPES has been honing its craft. 2024 is already halfway over, but they show no signs of stopping. The number one appeal of COPES is, without doubt, their live performances! We’ve gathered info on their upcoming performances. Be sure to experience their music and on-stage performances live! (instagram)

COPES Concert Info

| Performance name: Muro Fes 2024 Koyasai Date: 8/1 (Thur)

| Performance name: MAYSON's PARTY 2nd EP 『3-SUN-』Release Tour 『Hello! Mr.MAYSUN TOUR 2024』 Date: 8/4 (Sun)

| Performance name: the cast Days Date: 8/9 (Fri)

| Performance name: Ganso⭐︎Bukurock! Festival 2024 Summer Date: 8/12 (Mon)

| Performance name: THE JAPANESE PRIDE『NOW TOUR』 Date: 8/17 (Mon)

| Performance name: THE JAPANESE PRIDE『NOW TOUR』 Date: 8/18 (Sun)

| Performance name: THE JAPANESE PRIDE『NOW TOUR』 Date: 8/19 (Mon)

| Performance name: FREAKY & GROOVY PARTY Date: 8/31 (Sat)

| Performance name: Jūnana Daime Tsuyu Shōgun 2man Series 〜Kitai no Shōgun〜 Date: 9/2 (Mon)

| Performance name: “CHUMP!! FEST 2024” -B.B.STREET 27th Anniversary SP- Date: 9/5 (Tue)

| Performance name: Suijiisai Date: 9/8 (Sun)

| Performance name: TOKYO CALLING 2024 Date: 9/14 (Sat)

| Performance name: Date fm MEGA★ROCKS 2024 Date: 10/5 (Sat)

| Performance name: SUPER ROCK CITY HIROSHIMA 2024DX Date: 10/13 (Sun)

| Performance name: TRUST RECORDS presents. “PUNK IN AUTUMN 2024” Date: 11/3 (Sun)

COPES announces the release tour for their first full album “FORTH”!

They’ve also announced a release tour for their new album, “FORTH”. They’ll be performing to not only fans in the Kanto region but all over the country. Make sure to check them out when they make a stop near you! (instagram)

Standing only 3,000 yen (Tax Incl.) Mandatory drink not included in price

11.NEET （Only on CD release）Venue: Shibuya Spotify O-CrestVenue: Machida CLASSIXVenue: Imaike HUCK FINNVenue: Ikebukuro LiveGarage Adm & PremierBar Loin d’ici 2FVenue: Morioka the five moriokaVenue: Hachinohe FOR MEVenue: Sendai enn 3rdVenue: Shinjuku LOFT & BARVenue: Ikebukuro AdmVenue: Kawasaki CLUB CITTA’Venue: Shunan LIVE riseVenue: Shinjuku Venue 11Venue: Music Clubs throughout SendaiVenue: 10 venues throughout HiroshimaVenue: RAD HALL / TOYS