CruelShe

CruelShe

AYA made her debut under this professional name from the then-BMG Funhouse in April 2001. While immersing herself in busking on the streets and recording her own compositions on the MTR, she was introduced to an A&R, through whom she sent a demo tape to the American rock producer Adam Kasper. Greatly impressed by her musicality, Adam suggested the recording of her first album in Seattle, which resulted in [Senjyo no Hana (A Flower In The Battlefield)] (2002), joined by Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam), and Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) to name a few. The following works, namely [Kinjirareta Uta (The Forbidden Song)](2003) and [Baghdad Sky] (2004), were both recorded with her live band; the latter became the first project from BMG Japan to see a worldwide release. After releasing [Over Night] (2006), the closing theme of the TV anime series [Le Chevalier D'Eon], AYA went into a long hiatus until 2006, when she resumed her musical activities under the name [CruelShe]. In September 2015, she celebrated her return to the scene with a show at GARDEN in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo; she has performed live on a random basis ever since. In February 2022, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she performed her first streaming-only, acoustic studio show. October 2023 sees the digital release of her first single in 17 years, entitled [analog].