I Don't Like Mondays. (IDLMs.) is a Japanese rock band based in Tokyo. The band members are Yu (vocals), Choji (guitar), Kenji (bass guitar), Shuki (drums). Founded in 2012, the band has released several self-produced albums and singles, including the One Piece anime theme song "Paint".
The band focuses on creating high energy dance music with memorable choruses and a light feeling that can take away the burdens of everyday life, including the "Mondays" referenced in their name.
In addition to several tours of Japan, the band has performed internationally at festivals in Jakarta, Sao Paulo, Taipei, and Barcelona. Their music has been used for the television dramas Rizzoli & Isles and Octo: Mind Investigator Akari Shinno.
The band is also deeply involved in the fashion industry and has collaborated with Versace, H&M, Emporio Armani, and Leslie Kee, among others, along with launching their original fashion brand.
They are signed with Rhythm Zone, an imprint of Avex Group.
Band members
History
Origin of the band name
The band name "I Don't Like Mondays." was chosen because the members liked the idea of using a sentence to describe the band. The band has stated that they truly dislike Mondays, and they consider it to be a weekly holiday.
2012–2015: Formation and early albums
The band was formed in 2012 in Omotesando, Tokyo. Yu was intending to be the manager of a new band when he met Kenji and Shuki, who had worked together in a previous band. Choji joined after the band's initial guitarist dropped out.
Their first album Play was released in September 2014 by Nippon Coumbia, with the band playing a number of festivals the same year, including Tokyo Crazy Kawaii Taipei and J-Music LAB 2014 in Hai Day. The music video for "Perfect Night" was released in July, followed by a remix of the song in December by DJ Baby-T.
In January 2015, they released the double-A-side single "We Are Young"/"Super Special", which included three EDM remixes of previously-released songs. The artwork and jacket photo were produced with art direction from the band members, and the single was selected as one of Japan's best singles of the year by Keisuke Kuwata. "Super Special" was chosen as the ending theme for the Japanese broadcast of the American crime drama series Rizzoli & Isles.
The band's second album Tokyo was released in July 2015. For the album jacket, the band was photographed by Leslie Kee. The track "Final Destination" was used as the ending theme for the second season of Rizzoli & Isles. In June, IDLMs. provided music for the "Nippon Genki Project 2015 Super Energy!!" fashion show produced by Kansai Yamamoto. The band performed their first solo concert at Shibuya WWW on October 25.
In September 2015, the band produced a single titled "The Independent", which was used for Leslie Kee's short film The Independents with fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto.
2016–2021: Fashion, Future, and Black Humor
The band released their third album Fashion in September 2016. Google Play Music in Japan used "Freaky Boy" from the album in their advertisements, and the song "Tonight" was featured as the ending theme for the TBS late-night music television program Count Down TV. They launched their first national tour in October and performed a solo concert at Zepp DiverCity in Tokyo on November 19.
In June 2017, the band released the E.P Summer, which included a dance remix of "Tonight". The limited edition release also contained 11 live videos from the 2016 Japan tour and the final performance at Zepp DiverCity.
In August 2019, their fourth album Future was released, which was the first album under new label Rhythm Zone. The album contained new mixes of "Tonight" and "Fire" created for the release, and the special edition Blu-ray featured a documentary of the band's recent tours and their decision to change labels. Leading up to the album's release, the band performed the new song "Diamond" for the first time at the Join Alive festival in Hokkaido on July 13. The music video for "Diamond" premiered on July 13, with the band members' wardrobe provided by H&M.
IDLMS. released their fifth album Black Humor in August 2021. During the songwriting phase for the album, Yu composed his lyrics with piano to develop the melody simultaneously. A collaboration with UK fashion brand AllSaints was presented to promote the album's launch.
Following Black Humor's release, the band launched a nationwide tour of Japan, performing their largest number of shows in a single tour.