Japanese pop-rock band Every Little Thing debuted in 1996. Originally it was a trio featuring keyboarder Igarashi Mitsuru, vocalist Mochida Kaori, and guitarist Ito Ichiro. The story goes that Igarashi, looking to form his own band, heard Mochida's vocals on a demo tape and waited two years to work with her when she turned 18, while Ito had been Igarashi's high school friend who joined temporarily at first, but chose to stick with the group after the huge success of their first single.
Initially, Igarashi composed, arranged, and wrote lyrics for all the songs. Under his direction the group enjoyed phenomenal success over the next few years, quickly becoming one of the biggest names in the Japan music scene. Then in early 2000 came a major turning point when Igarashi announced he would be leaving the group. The reason still seems unclear, as numerous reports around the web give varying and conflicting information. Despite the great loss, Mochida and Ito chose to continue Every Little Thing as a duo. They found their own direction and carried on for many years of continued success.
ELT has a rich history of supporting members reaching back to the beginning. These musicians are often involved in the recording process, but also live performing on tours, and even assiting with songwriting and arrangements. The most legendary of these was Kato Kaoru, the guitarist who supported ELT from 1996 until 2008. Page to be added...
After Igarashi left the band in 2000, Mochida would go on to write nearly all of the band's lyrics, and Ito would be heavily involved in the majority of the arrangements. But while both members began composing their own melodies, neither were nearly as prolific of songwriters as their leader had been. Many of their songs came from other composers, which they would then put words and instruments to. Page to be added...
