THE EMERALDS formed their three-piece band in January 2002. Within the first two years of their formation, they went through a phase of self-discovery as they decided on which type of music appealed to them the most to perform. After deciding on the theme of love and using the essence of Rock 'n' Roll's groove and distinctive sound, THE EMERALDS were well on their way toward spreading their music.
In March 2004, THE EMERALDS were given the opportunity to perform on the USA tour Japan Nite at the ever popular SXSW (South by Southwest) Music Festival in Austin, Texas. The performance caused much excitement; the more the band played, the more the audience started to fill into the tent of the outside venue. At the end of their first performance in the USA, they were able to draw a crowd of three hundred people, cheering and enjoying the SAMURAI Rock 'n' Roll with loud applause. It was at this performance that they were able to sell over one hundred copies of their 2004 release, TALK ABOUT LOVE, allowing THE EMERALDS to make positive impressions on people working within the music industry. From this success, their songs were able to be aired on college radio stations and fan letters began arriving from the American audience!
The following year, they were once again invited to perform on the Japan Nite tour at SXSW. The outcome of this packed venue and sold out performance was an even bigger success than the previous year. Their CD sales doubled and the success of the show was not only featured in Japanese magazines, but also in Austin's local newspapers and on the Web site of Rolling Stones magazine, resulting in a huge fan increase for THE EMERALDS. After the 2005 SXSW performance, the band launched their first USA tour, visiting cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Francisco and Seattle. The band received such a warm welcome from the audiences throughout the tour and it added yet another page of praise for THE EMERALDS.
Later that year, in October 2005, the band was invited to perform at the Boston NEMO Music Festival. Following that, THE EMERALDS had another performance in New York City, joining comrade bands The Spunks and Gito Gito Hustler. The next month, the band returned to the USA to tour with Peelander-Z, another band whose popularity has increased with American audiences.
In 2006, THE EMERALDS returned for their third consecutive performance at SXSW in March and that autumn, they were invited to Korea's largest music festival, Ssamzie Sound Festival, alongside bands such as Ellegarden and Nicotine. For this incredible experience, the band performed in front of a crowd of ten thousand people and was even cheered for an encore!
The years 2007 and 2008 were no different from the previous, with continual performances in the USA, mainly participating in the Japan Nite tour. THE EMERALDS also released their first full-length album, titled LOVE IS ROLLING, which they began distributing in 2008. In April, the band traveled to Hawaii to perform at Kawaii Kon, but hit the US coasts once again by September to play at several events. By Christmas, THE EMERALDS played their first one-man in Yoyogi, Japan.
The band rang in 2009 with live events, and by March, traveled overseas for JAPAN NITE SXSW2009. Through the next month, they played around the US, before returning to Japan by April. In July, THE EMERALDS performed under the name THE RUBIES and held their first performance at Shibuya Take Off 7. The band explained that THE RUBIES was created so the trio could continue to tour, as THE EMERALDS was busy and unable to book new shows for now.
THE RUBIES is scheduled to perform their next show on August 29th in Chiba.
