Lyric

Hajō, an alternative rock band weaving serious and melancholic soundscapes, releases their first EP, Grow into Season.

Having performed at the Shimodaita Kanna Na Nana Festival (as "Nagisa Nakamura & Aeto Yoshimura" in 2024, and under the Hajō moniker in 2026), the band has established a distinct presence. The project was created as a trio: song-writing core members Nagisa Nakamura and Aeto Yoshimura, joined by Soshi Fujimoto, drummer for the band Nichoen, who performed at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '26.

Recorded entirely by the band themselves, the EP was mastered by taoru_noguchi (ochiaisoup). Rooted in alternative rock and post-punk, the release greedily absorbs the alternative spirit of '70s folk, shoegaze, electronica, and ambient music, defining what alternative music means in 2026.

The track that gave the band its name, Tr. 4 "Hajo" (written and composed by Yoshimura), transitions from the passionate delivery of Nakamura's silky vocals into a roaring, three-minute-plus guitar solo by Yoshimura, evoking the formidable intensity of Bloodthirsty Butchers, Yukio Nagoshi, and Thurston Moore.

The rest of the EP is equally rich, balancing experimentation, impulse, and emotional depth. Highlights include Tr. 1 "Seasons," an experimental audio-collage-driven drum 'n' bass track built from recording materials, and Tr. 3 "Hitomi no," which expands a Steve Reich-esque minimal single-note riff with the raw, initial impulse of Mineral.