Wands (band)

WANDS

Company type	Music group
Industry	Music
Founded	1991
Defunct	2000 (initially)
Fate	Reassembled in 2019
Headquarters	Tokyo , Japan
Products	Music albums and singles

WANDS is a Japanese rock ensemble established in 1991, originally active until 2000 under the B-Gram Records label. The group reassembled in 2019, featuring new lead vocalist Daishi Uehara alongside returning members Hiroshi Shibasaki and Shinya Kimura, now affiliated with the D-Go record company. Throughout its 29-year history, WANDS has seen three different lead singers and experienced five changes among its instrumentalists.

Wesugi era

• (1991–1996) – lead vocalist, lyricist, composer, arranger
• (1991–1992) – keyboardist, composer, arranger
• (1991–1996) – guitarist, composer, arranger
• (1992–1996) – keyboardist, lyricist, composer, arranger

Waku era

• (1997–2000) – lead vocalist, lyricist, arranger
• (1997–2000) – guitarist, lyricist, composer, arranger
• (1992–2000) – keyboardist, lyricist, composer, arranger

Uehara era

• Daishi Uehara (2019-present) – lead vocalist, lyricist
• Hiroshi Shibasaki (1991-1996, 2019-present) – guitarist, composer, arranger
• Shinya Kimura (1992-2000, 2019-present) – keyboardist, lyricist, composer, arranger

1991–1996: Rise to prominence with Show Wesugi

Formed in 1991 by frontman Show Wesugi along with guitarist Hiroshi Shibasaki and keyboard player Kousuke Oshima, the band took inspiration from diverse sources—Wesugi drew influence from Axl Rose while Oshima had connections to the Japanese rock group Loudness. The name "WANDS" originates from the tarot card suit of wands. Their initial release was the single "Sabishisa wa Aki no Iro (Loneliness is Autumn Color)." In 1992, their single "Motto Tsuyoku Dakishimeta Nara" achieved the top position on Oricon charts and remained listed for 44 weeks.

After Oshima's exit in 1992, Shinya Kimura joined as keyboardist. Collaborating with Miho Nakayama that year, they produced "Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto," which became a J-pop staple and was performed at the prestigious year-end program Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Show Wesugi also penned Deen’s debut single "Konomama Kimidake wo Ubaisaritai," which surpassed one million sales in 1993. April of that year saw both their album Toki no Tobira and single "Ai wo Kataru yori Kuchizuke wo Kawaso" claim the number one spot on Oricon simultaneously—a feat previously accomplished only by Seiko Matsuda. The single held #1 for four consecutive weeks while the album charted for 33 weeks. That year’s total sales exceeded 4.11 million singles and 3.18 million albums, earning them the "Artist of the Year" accolade at the Japan Gold Disc Awards.

In 1994, their single "Sekai ga Owaru made wa..." sold over 1.2 million copies and received a million-seller certification from RIAJ; it was also used as the ending theme for the anime series Slam Dunk. During this period, Wesugi transitioned from his earlier grunge-inspired sound toward alternative rock; this track represented his final work in that initial style. The subsequent release "Secret Night (It's My Treat)" embraced a power pop style that generated some debate among fans. Their album Piece of My Soul released in 1995 debuted at number one on Oricon charts with first-week sales exceeding 542,000 copies.

Wesugi’s artistic direction evolved into what was described as a "painterly" aesthetic with influences drawn from punk and blues genres. Following the February 1996 release of "Worst Crime (About a Rock Star who was a Swindler)," both Wesugi and Shibasaki departed to establish al.ni.co., focusing more on grunge music; their exit was officially confirmed in 1997.

After leaving WANDS, Wesugi continued his musical career including performing at Hide’s sixth death anniversary event in 2004. Meanwhile, Shibasaki went on to form the rock band Abingdon Boys School with Takanori Nishikawa in 2005; Oshima contributed to Nishikawa’s 2006 album Under Cover.

1997–2000: Third phase featuring Jiro Waku

Shinya Kimura revived Wands with vocalist Jiro Waku and guitarist Issei Sugimoto. During this era, Jiro Waku, who had previously led the group twelve skateboarding boys (a precursor to SMAP) under Johnny & Associates, took charge of the band. Their initial release, "Sabitsuita Machine Gun de Ima o Uchinukō," composed by Miho Komatsu, was used as the ending theme for Dragon Ball GT. Following singles included "Brand New Love," written by Izumi Sakai, who also authored "Ashita moshi Kimi ga kowaretemo," the closing theme for the first season of Yu-Gi-Oh! produced by Toei Animation. Another track, "Kyo, Nanika no Hazumi de Ikiteiru," was created by Nana Azuki (later associated with Garnet Crow) and Makoto Miyoshi (later part of Rumania Montevideo). Their debut studio album in this period, Awake, was released on 27 October 1999, reaching #18 on the Oricon charts but remained on the charts for only three weeks. The band announced their dissolution in 2000 through their official website.

2019-present: Fourth and fifth eras with Daishi Uehara

On 13 November 2019, Wands revealed the start of their fifth chapter featuring new vocalist Daishi Uehara alongside returning members Shibasaki and Kimura. Their first concert in nearly two decades occurred on 17 November 2019 at Dojima River Forum. In January 2020, they launched "Makka na Lip" via the Giza Studio label; this song was selected as the opening theme for the anime series Detective Conan.

Following a Special Live event on 16 February 2020, they announced an upcoming single titled "Daki Yose, Takamaru, Kimi no Taion to Tomoni," composed by Shibasaki and Haibara, scheduled for release in May. This track served as the theme song for the Japanese television drama Silent Voice, marking their first drama-related theme in 28 years.

In 2024, Uehara teamed up with fellow agency artist guitarist Tak Matsumoto to produce a cover single called "Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni," which was featured on the kayokyoku cover album The Hit Parade II.

Studio albums

• Wands (1992)
• Toki no Tobira (1993)
• Little Bit… (1993)
• Piece of My Soul (1995)
• Awake (1999)
• Burn The Secret (2020)
• Version 5.0 (2023)
• Time Stew (2025)