Summer Is Over, but Wepeg Is Just Getting Started with Debut Album 'Summerhits'
By Kelly Darroch
Within the bustling city of Tokyo, you may turn a corner and find yourself in the eclectic neighborhood of Shimokitazawa, awaiting Wepeg to take the stage at a local club. If you’re lucky, you may catch the moment when their vocalist picks up her cowbell, and the previously sweet-sounding, shyer performance shifts into the lush explosion that is Wepeg. Having just released their debut LP Summerhits in June, Wepeg is waiting for their record to become your next fall, winter, or spring hit.
Image Provided by Wepeg
The Japanese trio, who describe themselves as “neu-punk,” explosively blend indie-rock with their favorite new and old post-punk influences. Rino Yamaguchi (vocals), Teppei “Tyop” Yamaguchi (bass), and Keita “Toma” Tomatsuri (guitar) crossed paths while attending Waseda University in a school music club, where they could be caught covering bands like Talking Heads and Oasis — two influences that shine through in both the vocals by Tyop and Tomatsuri, which are reminiscent of David Byrne, and in the Gallagher-esque Adidas zip-up worn by Tomatsuri in their “Boys (don’t look back and run)” music video.
Wepeg has eagerly implemented changes in the band amidst the release of their new album, even going so far as to change the band’s name. Up until April 2025, they were known as Tengoku Ku-Nyang, a name that Tomatsuri explained was “too cute in Japanese.” In their efforts to shift away from the brighter sound of their 2023 EP Being Polite (In a Mean Way), Tomatsuri created a made-up word that better reflected the darker, more nuanced, and introspective sound they aimed for with this release.
While none of the members studied music in school, music has been a constant presence in their upbringing. Tyop Yamaguchi, who handles the majority of the arrangements, has been playing music since the age of 6, with a heavy background in cello and strings. He transitioned to electric bass after graduating from high school. Tomatsuri grew up as what he describes as a “Chili Peppers kid,” while also taking piano lessons in his youth. Lead vocalist Rino, an indie rock and literature lover (especially mystery), practiced vocal training throughout her life.
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Like most bands, Wepeg is not Wepeg without its influences. Each member is keen to share their admiration for the artists from whom they’ve found inspiration.
Through listening to their discography, I had a holy trinity of bands in mind that may have influenced them: Wetleg (which coincidentally sounds a lot like Wepeg), Talking Heads, and Black Country, New Road — all of whom were mentioned in conversation. They even cited BCNR’s Live at Bush Hall (specifically “Up Song”) as one of the album’s largest influences. That, and Fontaines D.C.’s 2024 single “Starburster,” which they attribute as the reason for wanting to lean towards a “darker” sound. Between each of them, the list extends to Viagra Boys, IDLES, Parquet Courts, Patti Smith, Beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, and several more.
Despite Japanese being their native language, Wepeg has committed to navigating the obstacles of writing in a language they are less familiar with. Because their list of Western influences was far longer than their list of Japanese influences, they found it easier to write in the English language. Wepeg also discovered that in their experience, the Japanese language is more difficult to create songs in, in terms of fitting the syllables of each Japanese letter into the melody. You can, however, listen to their earlier singles in Japanese on streaming services, which I can promise are worth your time.
“We tried to make music in Japanese because in Japan, most of the bands make their music in Japanese, and people prefer Japanese songs,” Tomatsuri explained. “So, I think it’s better to make Japanese songs in Japan if you want to get famous, but we weren’t quite good at it, so we changed it to English.”
The songwriting process is relatively equal among all members, as each plays an integral role. It begins with Tyop, who assembles random words that he enjoys and sounds right for the melody. Rino then writes in Japanese and translates it into English so she can alter Tyop’s previous lyrics to possess a more nuanced and discernible meaning. Tomatsuri, who is the most fluent in English, will typically make the final edit, checking that everything is grammatically correct and understandable. On some occasions, they swap roles a bit, and Tomatsuri might write an eccentric standout track like “Pickles,” which is perfect for any Parquet Courts fan. Wepeg will always keep you on your toes with how distinct each track is from the next.
Their process has yielded a lyrical style that is much more poetic or even symbolic than your average indie-rock song. While some of the lyrics may seem straight to the point, they are anything but simple, considering how much intention is placed in every single phrase. They make you think, and when you’re in the right headspace, that can be the most fulfilling type of song.
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Outside of their musical influences, the band draws lyrical inspiration from a range of sources, making for quite the backstory. The track “Aftersun” on their 2023 EP, which is what introduced me to the band, was inspired by the trailer of the 2022 film starring Paul Mescal. Yes, I’m talking about the trailer and not the film itself. Having only seen the trailer myself, I can understand that.
“It looks so interesting, so we kind of like created another Aftersun in our imagination,” said Tomatsuri. “The funny part is that we didn’t watch the movie.”
Film is not the only medium that inspires them. The album’s second track, “vtmnts,” is a reference to the fashion luxury brand VETEMENTS. “Vamos Football,” which is the only song that Somatsuri wrote himself, is his own sarcastic mockery of people he believes are “too enthusiastic” towards soccer, or just sports in general. The song also shares a less lighthearted double meaning — a critique of what he describes as the abusive nature of the J-pop and K-pop industry. Tomatsuri deeply disagrees with the physical standards to which these pop idols are held, thus contributing to eating disorder culture. Lyrics like “How did they get here with this job as business? I can’t stay here in the world of illness,” are also a more direct critique of the large-scale sexual abuse scandal involving Japanese business magnate, promoter, and manager, Johnny Kitagawa.
Other tracks feature a more personal element, such as “In Leipzig 4.11.1727.” With a saxophone crooning behind her, Rino soulfully sings, “Anyone can pray for God, I still think there’s something better.” Being raised Catholic, Rino’s religious upbringing was on the more unique side, considering Catholics make up less than 1% of the population in Japan.
The album took about exactly a year to create, with the recording process beginning in June 2024 and the full-length LP being released on June 25, 2025. The album was recorded between Studio Sound DALI and Shinkhai Studio, where the bulk of the engineering took place. Wepeg self-produced Summerhits, but they had help with engineering from Kohsuke Nakamura. They also brought in their team of musical peers to adjust and play the sax, piano, and string arrangements written by Tyop, a few of whom play in another Japanese band called Johnnivan, whom Wepeg compared to LCD Soundsystem.
The creative process differed considerably from their EP, which was less rushed than their album. With the EP, the five songs were completely written before they started recording, whereas the recent album was being written after they booked the studio. It resulted in a pressure makes diamonds type of situation.
“Because we really worked hard to make the songs on that album, I think the songs came more from our core,” said Tyop [translated by Tomatsuri].
The EP worked well because they had that extra time to nitpick and refine it, but the album worked well in the opposite way — the pressure of time.
If you are a fan of their EP, I can assure you that the sound on Summerhits does not lack the same vibrant charm— it actually tends to lean into it even more. The scope is broadened to a wider audience of listeners, so there’s a little something for everyone, whether you’re a fan of indie, post-punk, or even jazz, which is a slight joke between the band who like to call it a jazz record, despite none of them having a jazz education. Wepeg expressed not wanting to limit themselves to one genre, and they effectively do so without being overindulgent. By the end of the album, you will likely have danced in circles in your room to “vtmnts” or taken an introspective drive down the highway while playing “Summerhits” or “Under the sun.”
Wepeg’s enthusiasm for the band is simply fueled by the joy they find in playing with one another. While they do not have a major goal in mind with the band, they have high hopes of playing overseas. After hearing about their friends in Johnnivan’s experience playing in Taiwan, the prospect of having that same opportunity has sparked a great deal of excitement. The music scene in Japan is not one that Wepeg has found great fulfillment in, so encountering music in the context of different cultures and backgrounds is something they think will elevate the band’s experience and progress.
Image Provided by Wepeg
The only way to describe how Wepeg functions is authentically; they never take themselves too seriously, yet they still create music worth taking seriously. Their work is a natural byproduct of their apparent love for music since childhood, and perhaps a bit of luck, which brought together three people with the same vision who work together like a well-oiled machine. Wepeg’s only dream is to create a masterpiece album, not necessarily one that brings fame, but one that people will remember forever.
“We haven’t done it that well from that perspective, but we still tried to make a really good music album, and that was our goal,” said Tomatsuri on behalf of the band.
The term “hit” in the barest of words means to be successful. Success is a terribly subjective term, but if this album has any type of lasting impact on you, that is all Wepeg has aimed for.
