Gus and Jamie grew up in the suburbs south of London and went to school together. In search for a new band member, they posted advertisements, including on MixB, an online bulletin board for Japanese expatriates, largely due to their interest in Japanese rap. They selected Sarah based on her background in art, and their interest in her bilingual ability. Although she had collaborated with a Japanese girl group previously, Sarah did not have a background in professional singing; instead, she was interested in collaborating with Gus and Jamie simply because she "wanted to try it".
The band released their debut mixtape Intro Bonito through Double Denim Records in August 2014. They wrote many of their songs featured on the mixtape using a Casio SA-45 mini-keyboard. The band also contributed "Flamingo" to Ryan Hemsworth's compilation EP shh#ffb6c1. In September 2014, Kero Kero Bonito released Bonito Recycling, a compilation of Intro Bonito remixes by artists including Danny L Harle and Spazzkid.
On October 21, 2016, their official debut album Bonito Generation was released through Double Denim Records. The album featured previous singles such as "Picture This" released in March 2015, "Lipslap" released in February 2016 and "Break" released in June 2016.
On February 12, 2018, the band released their single Only Acting which featured a more darker, rock-influenced style compared to their previous releases. On February 20, 2018, the band released their EP, TOTEP. The EP included the aforementioned single Only Acting, and other songs following the rock-influenced style. On May 8, 2018, the band released the single Time Today, and announced their second studio album, Time 'n' Place, which was released on October 1, 2018 The album was inspired by radical changes in the band's personal lives and featured a similar sound to TOTEP.
On July 8, 2019, the band uploaded "KKB Life" to their YouTube channel, a vlog video recorded during the Time 'n' Place era, announcing that a new era is starting. They later released the single When the Fires Come in September 2019 and their EP Civilisation I later that month. The EP and lead single featured an electronic style, similar to the band's production in their earlier work. In 2020, the band wrote and performed It's Bugsnax!, the theme song for the video game Bugsnax, which was featured in its announcement trailer. The members of the band recorded their parts of the song remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 21, 2021, Kero Kero Bonito published their EP Civilisation II, a sequel to their previous EP Civilisation I, after releasing the single The Princess and the Clock earlier on February 24, 2021. This EP continued the electronic style the band established in the first EP. On September 10, 2021, the band published a compilation, Civilisation, combining EPs Civilisation I and Civilisation II, with the added track Gateway in between them.
Make Believe
Kero Kero Bonito Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think of trees and rivers as I'm drifting off
I pinch my wrist (just to tell where I am)
I get a twinge (seems as real as it can)
But I remain and so I know the rest is up to me
At night, the sunlight beats upon my skin
In here, I see everything
I feel it
All my life I tried
To find the time to make believe
But now as certain as the seasons
I know real life will get in between
If I never get to decide my reality
At least I see how it could be
When I get round to sleeping (sleeping), dreaming (dreaming)
Works for me
And though my soul (lets me do what I want)
Is pretty bold (in a place I belong)
From time to time, my grip'll slip
And I just lose control
Then awake I freeze
But nothing in my head can hurt me
However real it seems
All my life I tried
To find the time to make believe
But now as certain as the seasons
I know real life will get in between
If I never get to decide my reality
At least I see how it could be
When I get round to sleeping (sleeping), dreaming (dreaming)
When I get round to sleeping (sleeping), dreaming (dreaming)
Oh
The lyrics of Kero Kero Bonito's "Make Believe" reflect the struggle between reality and fantasy. The singer sets an alarm for 5 o'clock and tries to imagine trees and rivers as they fall asleep. They pinch their wrist to check if they are still in the present, and when they feel a twinge, it seems as real as reality. However, they acknowledge that the rest is up to them. They fantasize about the sun beating on their skin at night and seeing everything around them. They know that real life always interferes with their imagination, but at least they can see how it could be while sleeping and dreaming.
Throughout their life, the singer has tried to find time to make-believe, but reality always gets in the way. They acknowledge that they might never get to decide their reality. However, they find solace in dreaming when they get round to sleeping. They understand that their soul allows them to do whatever they want, but from time to time, their grip slips, and they lose control. But even in those moments, nothing in their head can hurt them, however real it seems.
Overall, the lyrics of "Make Believe" reflect the struggle between fantasy and reality. The singer understands that they may never get to decide their reality, but they can find solace in dreaming and imagining how things could be. It's a reminder to hold on to our imagination, even when reality doesn't match up to our expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
I set a watch for 5 o'clock
I set an alarm for 5 o'clock to keep track of time.
I think of trees and rivers as I'm drifting off
As I fall asleep, I imagine being surrounded by trees and flowing rivers.
I pinch my wrist (just to tell where I am)
I pinch my wrist to make sure I'm still awake and present in reality.
I get a twinge (seems as real as it can)
I feel a physical sensation that seems almost as real as if it were happening in real life.
But I remain and so I know the rest is up to me
Despite the sensations I feel, I choose to stay grounded in reality and take responsibility for my actions.
At night, the sunlight beats upon my skin
Despite it being nighttime, I can still feel the warmth of sunlight on my skin as if it were daytime.
In here, I see everything
In my mind, I can see and imagine anything I want with clarity.
And until the morning comes
I will continue to drift off into my own world and explore my imagination until morning arrives.
I feel it
I feel a sense of satisfaction and joy while exploring my imagination.
All my life I tried
Throughout my entire life, I have attempted to escape into my own imagination.
To find the time to make believe
I have always hoped to find time to daydream and imagine impossible scenarios in my mind.
But now as certain as the seasons
I have come to accept that real life will always get in the way of my imagination, much like the changing of seasons is inevitable.
I know real life will get in between
I acknowledge that reality will interfere with my ability to escape and imagine.
If I never get to decide my reality
If I am never able to create my own reality, separate from real life, I am at least comforted by the possibility.
At least I see how it could be
Even if I never get to escape into my imagination, I can imagine the possibilities of a more elaborate, ideal world.
When I get round to sleeping (sleeping), dreaming (dreaming)
When I am finally able to fall asleep and dream, I can fully dive into my imagination and escape real life.
And though my soul (lets me do what I want)
My innermost desires and imagination give me the freedom to create anything I want in my mind.
Is pretty bold (in a place I belong)
I feel comfortable and at home in my own imagination, where I am free to do as I please.
From time to time, my grip'll slip
Occasionally, my grasp on reality will falter, and I'll get lost in my own thoughts and imagination.
And I just lose control
When this happens, I lose control over my thoughts and actions and become completely submerged in my own fantasies.
Then awake I freeze
When I awake from these daydreams, I feel a moment of panic and uncertainty.
But nothing in my head can hurt me
Although my daydreams can feel real and intense, nothing can physically or emotionally harm me while in my own imagination.
However real it seems
Regardless of how real and vivid my fantasies feel, I know they are not actually happening in reality.
When I get round to sleeping (sleeping), dreaming (dreaming)
Once I am able to fall asleep and begin dreaming, I can once again fully escape and dive into my imagination.
When I get round to sleeping (sleeping), dreaming (dreaming)
Repeated for emphasis on the importance of being able to escape reality and explore imagination.
Oh
An exclamation to emphasize the importance of the theme of the song.
Contributed by Alyssa N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ChillyOn
2013: Why Are You Dancing
2014: Babies (Are So Strange), Kero Kero Bonito, Intro Bonito
2015: ????
2016: Lipslap, Break, Trampoline
2017: Forever Summer Holiday
2018: Only Acting, You Know How It Is, Time Today, Make Believe , Flyway.
2019: Swimming, When The Fires Come
2020: ????
2021: *The Princess and the Clock, 21/04/20*, Well Rested, The Sneaker Dance
Notes that I am rewinding these are every MV KKB produces in 2010s, the bolden is what I most favourite in that year.
@RealLukeWilson
thematically dark songs with jangly upbeat pop sounds is WHAT. I'M. HERE. FOR.
@rajnibasu
Then listen to Belle & Sebastian .
@RealLukeWilson
@@rajnibasu You're the funny little frog in my throat
@rajnibasu
@@RealLukeWilson ✌.ʕʘ‿ʘʔ.✌
@smugcat6938
kinda like weezer?
@manperson2773
Passion pit
@jojogape
This song feels like when you've been feeling down for a while and you get a little spark, and maybe that spark will get you back to normal, like the first step upwards after a long way down
@KpopLover1013
Omg yes. That's how all their songs are for me. Whenever I start to feel low again I come back and listen to their music. It seriously is like therapy 😭
@austins.2495
Not for me. Kkb reinforces the idea that I'm less happy than people who produce stuff like this, and that I probably will be this way forever. It scare me, I'm getting older and more and more time goes by, and I try to practice gratitude and self-improvement, work hard and save money. Yet happiness eludes me and I go to bed alone.
@grrend
@@austins.2495 emo