Artists

FEED

Biography

Drawing comparrisons to Radiohead, the Smiths and the Cranberries, FEED has been continuously tagged as a promising band -- a description yet to be realized and beset by setbacks.

The band's highly melodic music can be both ethereal and driving, and singer Saito Maya bears some timbral resemblance to the Cranberries' Dolores O'Riardan, a comparrison she dislikes.

FEED formed in 1994 when Saito and guitarist Komiyama Shinsuke were sophomores at International Christian University. Fellow student Ikeda Akifumi joined as the band's bass guitarist.

The band took a break in 1996 while Saito finished her studies at New York University. FEED regrouped in 1998 and recruited drummer Taro Dai, solidifying its line-up.

When FEED played the CMJ festival that year, it had already attracted the attention of Pizzicato Five's US management and Sony Music in Japan. FEED then went on to perform at the SXSW and NXNW festivals.

FEED released its first six-song EP, Make Every Stardust Shimmer!, in early 2000, then went into the studio with Patti Smith producer Lenny Kaye to record its debut album, 9 Songs, for Sony. Unfortunately, restructuring at the label left FEED without a deal.

The band formed a partnership with Polystar Records to release 9 Songs independently. The album was released in 2001, and later that year, Smashing Pumpkins chose FEED out of 1,500 bands to open for them in Tokyo.

Despite an ambitious launch and a number of pre-release promotional events -- Saito modeled for Nike Shoes -- FEED has pretty much gone silent. The band's official site hasn't been updated since 2001, and no announcement was made about the band's status.

Members

Saito Maya: Vocals
Komiyama Shinsuke: Guitar
Ikeda Akifumi: Bass
Taro Dai: Drums