Yoko Kikuchi
Encyclopedia
Yoko Kikuchi is a fourth-generation American artist and singer/songwriter of Japanese and Filipino descent, associated with the Antifolk community of New York's East Village
. Born in New York City
to parents involved in the visual arts, she was raised in SoHo
and Hell's Kitchen
, attending public schools including Wagner JHS 167 and Stuyvesant High School
. It was at those schools where she met Ann Zakaluk, with whom she co-fronted the Antifolk indie pop
band Dream Bitches between 2004 and 2009. Although she is self-taught on the guitar, her ear for harmonies is due to her ten-year involvement in the Young People's Chorus of New York City, directed by Francisco J. Núñez, with which she toured and competed both nationally and internationally.
Kikuchi has released three solo albums. Songs I Wrote For You (2003) is a collection of songs written and recorded during her time as a student at Montserrat College of Art
in Beverly, Massachusetts
. The double-album "How to Stay Amazed/Lilly Lafayette" (2008) is a retrospective of songs written between 2001 and 2006. "Menahan Tree" (2008) is an EP of songs recorded in the living room of the house/venue she shared from 2007-2010 with Jacinta Mack and Angela Carlucci (The Baby Skins, Herman Dune
).
In 2006, Recommended If You Like Records released a split 7", This Song/That Song with Casey Holford. Yoko toured Europe in support of that release with Holford and Daoud Tyler-Ameen as the band Daouets. She also has two releases with Dream Bitches: "Sanfransisters" (Olive Juice Music, 2005) and "Coke-and-Spiriters" (Recommended If You Like Records, 2008). In 2008-2009, she played drums in two bands, Lady Bright, with whom she toured but never released an album, and A Fermata. Since then she has formed a band called Tight Little Ship (named after a song by Schwervon!) with her Lady Bright bandmate Sara Lautman and their friend Christy Davis.
In addition to her involvement in these musical projects (and some unnamed), Yoko has been known to be an emerging web-designer, health food slinger, visual artist and vegan chef.
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
. Born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to parents involved in the visual arts, she was raised in SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
and Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
, attending public schools including Wagner JHS 167 and Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
. It was at those schools where she met Ann Zakaluk, with whom she co-fronted the Antifolk indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band Dream Bitches between 2004 and 2009. Although she is self-taught on the guitar, her ear for harmonies is due to her ten-year involvement in the Young People's Chorus of New York City, directed by Francisco J. Núñez, with which she toured and competed both nationally and internationally.
Kikuchi has released three solo albums. Songs I Wrote For You (2003) is a collection of songs written and recorded during her time as a student at Montserrat College of Art
Montserrat College of Art
Montserrat College of Art is a four-year residential college specializing in the visual arts, located in Beverly, Massachusetts, 23 miles north of Boston. It is named indirectly after the Slave Ship Montserrat.-Description:...
in Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
. The double-album "How to Stay Amazed/Lilly Lafayette" (2008) is a retrospective of songs written between 2001 and 2006. "Menahan Tree" (2008) is an EP of songs recorded in the living room of the house/venue she shared from 2007-2010 with Jacinta Mack and Angela Carlucci (The Baby Skins, Herman Dune
Herman Düne
Herman Düne is a French duo, formed in 1999. Originally a trio, the band now consists of David-Ivar Herman Düne and Néman Herman Düne . Néman, who is from Switzerland, replaced former drummer Omé in early 2001...
).
In 2006, Recommended If You Like Records released a split 7", This Song/That Song with Casey Holford. Yoko toured Europe in support of that release with Holford and Daoud Tyler-Ameen as the band Daouets. She also has two releases with Dream Bitches: "Sanfransisters" (Olive Juice Music, 2005) and "Coke-and-Spiriters" (Recommended If You Like Records, 2008). In 2008-2009, she played drums in two bands, Lady Bright, with whom she toured but never released an album, and A Fermata. Since then she has formed a band called Tight Little Ship (named after a song by Schwervon!) with her Lady Bright bandmate Sara Lautman and their friend Christy Davis.
In addition to her involvement in these musical projects (and some unnamed), Yoko has been known to be an emerging web-designer, health food slinger, visual artist and vegan chef.