LOVE PSYCHEDELICO is a Japanese band, widely known in Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan.

The band was formed in 1997 by singer Kumi (born April 11, 1976 in Chiba Prefecture) and guitarist Naoki Sato (born July 21, 1973 in Shizuoka Prefecture), while studying at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo. They signed with label Victor in 1999.

Their first album, The Greatest Hits, sold over two million copies. Their second album Love Psychedelic Orchestra, released in January 2001, sold 690,000 copies.

They have released four albums since, the last one was Golden Grapefruit, in 2007, and compilation album THIS IS LOVE PSYCHEDELICO, in June 2008, it was also their 1st US release.

Love Psychedelico also toured extensively through the club and bar circuit in the United States. Some cities include Nashville, Austin, and Kumi's childhood home of San Francisco.

Style

Stylistically, Love Psychedelico is highly reminiscent of the British Invasion of the late 60s, both members having cited The Beatles and Led Zeppelin as influences, though the influence of American folk and blues are also present (Kumi having claimed Janis Joplin and Sheryl Crow, and Sato Bob Dylan, as influences). To pay tribute to their influences, Love Psychedelico sometimes borrow song titles from the bands that influence them.

Kumi's lyrics are a mix of English and Japanese, a phenomenon common to popular Japanese music, but uncommon in that significant amounts of the English lyrics are comprehensible and well-crafted, rather than simply employing a few catch phrases as so many J-pop idols tend to do. Kumi often attributes her skillfulness in the English language to spending much of her early childhood in San Francisco.

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