Oversleep Excuse

Oversleep Excuse

A band from Tokyo comprising American, British, and Japanese members. Having played together in previous projects, Matthew Guay and Adam Gyenes formed Oversleep Excuse in 2005, and after trying some different line-ups, settled as a four piece with Japanese members Mami Matsuzaka and Kazumoto Shoji. Intent on breaking out of the guitar/ bass/ drums mold, Oversleep Excuse expand their sound palette with piano, kalimbas and a steel pan, as well as utilizing electronic elements. The use of the steel pan in particular (the Trinidadian instrument) became a signature of their sound on their debut album, 2014's 'Slowly Better' (RIC017), yet the way the band incorporate it into their songs sounds far removed from the Caribbean. Rather, their sound has sometimes been called 'Nordic' and classified as 'Post rock', or 'Avant-pop', though neither of these descriptors is a perfect fit. Live sets see the members rotate duties on different instruments from song to song. Matthew Guay is primarily vocalist and guitarist, but also plays steel pan and occasionally drums. Mami Matsuzaka originally joined as drummer, but is also skilled on piano and keys, and plays steel pan too. Adam Gyenes plays guitar, drums, synthesizer and steel pan as well. Only bassist Yoshitomo Tanaka sticks to one role. Oversleep Excuse frequently play live in Tokyo, and went to Singapore to play the Baybeats festival in 2016, and Spring Scream in Taiwan in 2018. Original Bass player Kazumoto Shoji left the group prior to the release of Slowly Better in 2014 and was replaced by Yoshitomo Tanaka. With the new line up they spent 3 years honing a new set of songs which they have recorded themselves, and release their follow-up album 'Universe' in 2018.