The band is a two-piece in a time when bands can have six or more members. They play a style of music that鈥檚 losing overall popularity rather than gaining it. Yet, as the end of a year looms, Japandroids鈥� latest album, Celebration Rock, has hit best-of lists from Spin to Exclaim.
As to why the record has resonated so much with listeners, guitarist/vocalist Brian King didn鈥檛 have an easy answer.
鈥淚f it was an easy question to answer, more people would make records that resonate with a lot of people. To be honest, it kind of happened with us by accident. That鈥檚 just the kind of music we like making and I think we鈥檙e getting better at it,鈥� he said in an interview from Chicago.
鈥淭here are less straight up rock and roll bands today. Maybe there鈥檚 just less competition.鈥�
The formula for Japandroids鈥� success probably isn鈥檛 that simple. King and his bandmate David Prowse, who met while attending the University of Victoria, can also thank hard work. They finish a four-month tour 鈥� which included Europe and North America 鈥� on Saturday in Vancouver, then get three weeks off around Christmas before heading to Australia and Asia in 2013.
The band is playing to bigger rooms than ever before. The crowd in Philadelphia increased to 1,200 from 250 at shows only four months apart. King credits the band鈥檚 popularity to word of mouth more than anything else.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have many music videos. We don鈥檛 license our songs to any TV commercials, movies or shows. You don鈥檛 see us on MuchMusic. There are a lot of ways people discover songs and we don鈥檛 exist in that world, so it鈥檚 been a very organic process of building popularity.鈥�
Celebration Rock 鈥� a taut, action-packed eight songs over 35 minutes 鈥� is the band鈥檚 second album. Exclaim placed it at No. 3 for best pop or rock album of 2012. Rolling Stone gave it No. 9 and Stereogum deemed the collection of energized anthems No. 7.
The top accolade is probably from Spin, which named Japandroids Band of the Year (with a No. 4 spot on the album list). And earlier this year, the record made the Polaris Prize shortlist.
The critical success seems to contradict the band鈥檚 outsider status in a time when electronic and hip hop music rule the world. But the best things rarely follow logic.
The Japandroids鈥� tour ends with performances in western Canadian cities. King said it鈥檚 good to be back, but even getting to Austin, Texas, was a homecoming.
鈥淛ust getting to the airport there after two and half months in Europe, it鈥檚 like 鈥�;Oh, I鈥檓 home.鈥� I know where to go eat, get coffee, get a drink. I know where all the venues are and how to get around. It鈥檚 not like coming home to Vancouver, but compared to a lot of places, even cities in sa国际传媒, it just feels like home now.鈥�
