Losing a singer ends most bands. Azami lost its original vocalist eight years in, played five farewell shows with him, and carried on.
Koshigaya
Azami formed in 2013 in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, and played its first show that October. Its home is the city of Koshigaya, and it played the last show of its first lineup at a venue there.
The Change
In December 2020 the band announced that vocalist Shion Miura would leave after five more shows. His explanation was candid. He and the band wanted to reach the same place, he said, but pictured getting there differently. His last show was on 27 February 2021.
The others said from the start that Azami would continue. On 20 July 2021 the band introduced a new singer, Junpei Ishii. A second change came in 2023, when the bassist left and Tomoki Kamishima joined that June.
The Records
The new lineup has been productive. The EP FORWARD came out on 3 August 2023, and LETTERS on 12 February 2024. The band’s fifth mini-album, 遙か, was released on 13 August 2025. The title means “far away.” The band is on the label Mad Trip Trax.
The Guest Spots
One way to measure a band’s standing is to count how often other bands ask it to appear on their songs. By that measure Azami is doing well.
The metalcore band C-GATE put Azami on its song “SMASH BROS.” Azami returned the favour, with C-GATE and its singer NaShun on a song of its own. Azami and Junpei Ishii also both appear, credited separately, on a track by the band Good Grief.
That web of features is typical of the scene these bands share. They turn up on each other’s records.
Why It Matters
The bands that survive a change of singer are the ones where the songs and the idea belong to the whole group. Azami’s second lineup has released two EPs and a mini-album in three years.
Start with 遙か, then LETTERS.
