When you're an independent rock band, maintaining a do-it-yourself ethic long-term can be difficult. Many acts eventually have to scale back, and dreams of a musical career turn into the reality of having a really cool hobby. Uhnellys, however, have kept up the fight.

"I see other bands our age and I can't help but notice that they're poor; it becomes more apparent as they get older," guitarist and singer Naoki "Kim" Kaneko tells The Japan Times while snacking at a restaurant in Tokyo's busy Shibuya Ward. "You can't just be DIY when you're young. The fact that you can be 40, still do things yourself and be successful is the goal."

Uhnellys is a rock duo made up of Kim and his wife, drummer Sachie "Midi" Kaneko. They started out as a five-piece almost 20 years ago and, according to Kim, back then the band played a completely different style of music: a more straightforward garage rock sound rather than the jazz-, funk- and hip-hop-influenced rock they play today. As the members left one by one, Kim eventually took on vocal duties as well.