The Japanese House

A beguiling fusion of lush dream pop and brooding electronica, the Japanese House is the solo project of London-based singer/songwriter Amber Bain. Signed to the Dirty Hit label, she spent the latter half of the 2010s releasing a succession of EPs and singles like Swim Against the Tide and 2017′s lovely “Saw You in a Dream.” Her 2019 full-length, Good at Falling, enjoyed critical acclaim and a bit of chart success. Following 2020′s Chewing Cotton Wool EP, the Japanese House kept a low profile before hitting to the top 30 of the U.K. Albums Chart with their sophomore full-length, 2023′s In the End It Always Does. The Buckinghamshire native worked under a handful of different monikers before choosing the Japanese House name in 2015, inspired by a childhood trip to Devon where she posed as a boy for a week, attracting the affection of a neighborhood girl who was later heartbroken to learn of Bain’s true identity. Owned by actress Kate Winslet, the cottage was called the Japanese House and Bain’s memories of her experiences there influenced the intentionally androgynous presentation of her musical work. After signing with U.K. indie Dirty Hit Records, she released a pair of EPs in 2015, beginning with Pools to Bathe In followed a few months later by Clean. A new single, “Face Like Thunder,” arrived in 2016. That track was featured on her EP Swim Against the Tide. In 2017, Bain issued the languid pop single “Saw You in a Dream,” which was later included on an EP of the same title. In September 2018, Bain offered “Lilo,” the first single from her forthcoming Japanese House full-length debut. The album — titled Good at Falling — arrived in early 2019. It was a critical success and climbed to number 64 on the U.K. charts ahead of her next EP, 2020′s Chewing Cotton Wool. Returning after a three-year gap, Bain’s next Japanese House single was the pastoral “Boyhood.” Released in March 2023, it worked as the first song issued off the group’s sophomore album, In the End It Always Does. Along with a guest appearance by Muna, the album featured production and songwriting collaborations with the 1975′s George Daniel, Muna’s Katie Gavin, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and Chloe Kraemer. It spawned other singles, including “Sad to Breathe” and “Sunshine Baby,” and reached both 29 on the U.K. Albums Chart and number three on the U.K. Independent Albums chart. ~ Timothy Monger