Sard Underground (stylized in all caps) is a solo project of Yua Shinno produced by Daiko Nagato. In September 2019, as a musical group,[2] they debuted with their cover album Zard Tribute under the Giza Studio label. As a solo project of the Japanese artist Zard, the name is derived from Zard.[3][4]
History
Musical group period 2019-2024
The band formation has started in the December 2018 by introducing only Yua herself with the social network accounts creation.
In February 2019, the band has announced 4 stable members and soon held first one-man live in the live venue Hills Pankojo Factory in Osaka. In June, two cover songs has received a promotion: My Friend was promoted as an image song to the marathon event Tohoku Miyagi Revive and Makenaide as a theme song to the High School Basketball Winter Cup.[5] Both of the songs were included in the cover album Zard Tribute, which released on 18 September. The album debuted at number 24 on the Oricon Album Weekly Charts and charted 10 weeks.[6][7][8][9] In November 2019, they appeared in the music event DFT presents Ototo ONTO vol.6.[10]
On February 10, 2020, the twenty-ninth anniversary of Zard's first single "Good-bye My Loneliness", the band released their debut single "Sukoshi Zutsu Sukoshi Zutsu." It is an unreleased song written by Zard vocalist Izumi Sakai and composed by frequent Zard collaborator Aika Ohno. The single was used as an ending theme to the anime television series Detective Conan, which featured many Zard songs from 1999 to 2008. A cover of Zard's first single and its B side "Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de" were also included on the regular and Detective Conan editions of the single, respectively.[11][12][13][14][15][16] On June 3 2020, the band released their second single "Korekara no Kimi ni Kampai," another unreleased song written by Sakai. It was composed by another frequest Zard collaborator, Daria Kawashima. The song was featured as the theme song of MBS's music television program +music. The single also included two new covers of Zard songs.[17][18][19]
On 28 April 2021, they've released their first video-album "SARD UNDERGROUND LIVE TOUR 2020", which includes footage of live held on the previous year.[20] On May 26, 2021, via Sard Underground's office site it was announced that guitarist Asaka Miyuu had departed Sard Underground and her exclusive contract had been cancelled. After a doctor's diagnosis it was decided it would be difficult for her to continue her activities as a member of the band and she withdrew. The departure of Miyuu also pushed back the release of the original album "Natsu no Owari ni..." (At the end of summer...) to an undetermined future date, originally slated for July to release.[21] Later, rename of the album was announced to the Orange Iro ni Kanpai and release was postponed two months later, in September 2021.[22] For the upcoming live concerts, Yuuichiro Iwai (ex. U-ka Saegusa in dB) take the role of the supportive guitarist.
Their fourth single, "Karappo no Kokoro", released in 2022, became their first single which debut at top 10 on the Oricon Weekly Charts.
In October 2023, Sard made guest appearance at the Japan's Anime Song Festival held at Melaka, Malaysia. It became their first oversea stage appearance since their debut.[23][24]
In 2024, the band celebrated its 5th debut anniversary. On 24 March was released their first compilation album Zard Tribute Best Selection.[25] The album will include newly recorded covers and re-record of the previously covered songs.[25] On the same day, they've announced their first nationwide live tour.[25] On final live tour day, 22nd September it was announced that Sugioka and Sakamoto are leaving the band at the end of the month, having Shinno alone continuing her activities as the solo project.[2][26]
