Amber Mary Bain otherwise known as The Japanese House is the next artist up on my list. Debuting back in 2015, it has been a steady rise for Amber’s career but there are a few reasons why I feel like 2025 is set to be an explosion for this musician - mainly the surging rise of the artist’s genre and collaborative process that appears to be booming right in front of our eyes. Amber’s style has often been associated with popular sub-genres like Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Electro Pop and even Folktronica. Yes, blending genres like Folk, Electronic, Indie, Pop, and Yacht rock. Amber’s music defines what it means to be “eclectic”. It’s hard to put a label on the type of music because it truly feels so unique and different than Indie bands or Singer Songwriters.
Bain was born in Watford England and grew up primarily in the suburban countryside counties surrounding London. Her father was also a musician and was a giant influence on her early life, introducing her to the professional world of music. Amber began recording with her father at an early age and at 17 developed a relationship with the 1975’s lead singer, Matt Healy, ultimately signing to his record label, Dirty Hit. Bain’s first EP, Pools to Bathe In was produced by Healy along with drummer Goerge Daniel. The trio has collaborated on several subsequent projects and Daniel has become a frequent collaborator.
Bain released her breakout hit EP, Saw You in a Dream in 2017. The hit song of the same name went on to generate humongous buzz in the Pop Music space. In El Hunt’s (DIY Mag) review of the song, the writer states,
“Cloaked in just a couple of vocal layers - rather than Amber Bain’s usual infinite vocoders - and with a hazy, low-key melody, this is a simple love song; written for a figure from the past that keeps creeping into her subconscious while she’s getting some shut-eye. It’s interesting to hear The Japanese House sacking off intricate, glitchy pop; just the minute she seemed to have her signature aesthetic pretty much nailed.”
This description truly encompasses the Japanese House and the subgenre Dream Pop, literally and figuratively. You feel as if these songs help you drift through your subconscious just as Bain takes you on a journey through her own.
2023 was a massively successful year for The Japanese House. The artist released the hit album In the End It Always Does which features hit songs “Touching Yourself” and “Sunshine Baby”. The project is Bain’s depictions of a tormenting and charged three-way relationship which was a life-changing event for the artist. Bain stated in an interview about the record that,
“It was very different back then; it’s gone from being solely electronic to what it is now, mostly live/ acoustic instrumentation. It’s about that desperate feeling when someone leaves you and the disbelief that they could. It’s funny you could have those kinds of insane dramatic thoughts, that feel so real at the time, but can by some miracle look back in fondness at your entire life being ruined. It all circles back around.”
The latest news on Amber includes features on Charli XCX’s Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat with a collaboration on her hit song “Apple”. She will also be joining Charli on tour next summer in Europe. Another significant collaborative release is the song “backseat” which comes off the album Ten released by electronic producer Fred again.. You could describe the song as a remixed version of “Sunshine Baby”.
My reasoning for this On The Rise selection is pretty simple. It feels like everyone wants to work with Amber especially some of the musicians. Between the 1975, Bon Iver, Charli XCX, Fred Again. Indie Pop has become increasingly popular over the last decade. The genre is wide and diverse and includes familiar names such as Clairo, Remi Wolf, Omar Apollo, Lizzy McAlpine, Caroline Polachek, Soccer Mommy, Wallows, and Bleachers.
Since her breakout, Amber has established herself as one of indie pop’s most intriguing voices, known for her willingness to blur the boundaries between vulnerability and strength, past and present, introspection and connection. Collaboration is crucial to expanding an artist’s fanbase and reaching new potential. I believe The Japanese House is only scratching the surface and will continue to blossom while working with more musicians. In terms of new music, Amber is not forcing anything:
“I’m gonna throw a bunch of stuff in the air and then we’ll see where it lands”.
We can expect the next record to be just as genuine, authentic, and introspective as the rest. I am excited to see what the future holds.
Photos - MARIA HERMANN
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