Man/Woman/Chainsaw: Inside Their Debut Album ‘Cannonball’

Last Updated on 2026-08-07 by a-indie

Artists Who Inspire Them and Their Approach to Visuals

-Yuuki Takita: Also, please tell us about any bands or artists you’ve been paying attention to recently, or any bands or artists who inspire you or resonate with you.
A: Mannequin Pussy, Ear, RIP Magic

-Yuuki Takita: Looking at your promotional photos, you give off a very stylish and cool impression. I felt this was something you share with The Cure and The Horrors, senior bands on your label, Fiction Records, but are there any specific visual elements you’re conscious of or established concepts you’re working with?
Lola: We don’t have a curated image really. Actually a few times people have told us that we all look like we’re from different bands. The album does have a conscious theme though. The cover is supposed to look like a young person’s bedroom; perhaps it is their childhood bedroom at their parents house. There is an item in the room for each song in the album. It’s a bit of an Easter egg.

The Feeling Behind the Debut Album『Cannonball』

-Yuuki Takita: From here, I’d like to ask about your debut album, Cannonball. What kind of feelings or vibes are reflected in “Cannonball,” which also serves as the album’s title track?
Emmie: I think for where all of us are at in our early adult life the majority of these songs are about life experiences and people we’ve encountered in the past couple years so overall I think it has maybe a sort of nostalgic or reflective tone. Something Else to Give, Canyons and Still Angry are on the more devastating end, The Thing and Get Up and Dance are more combative and Lighter and Nosedive are our moments of bittersweet relief.

-Yuuki Takita: Overall, this album has a harmonious, chamber-rock-like atmosphere and a refined feel, but there are also raw, unpolished elements that break through that refinement, it really feels like “Cannonball”! That’s what excited me the most. When producing this album, what kind of idea exchanges and discussions did you go through to move the project forward?
Clio: Writing this album really taught us how to place our instruments within the band’s soundscape. Being the violinist in the band, I often listen to the lyrics my bandmates are writing and try to match that emotion through harmonies and melodies on my 5 stringed electric violin.

The Philosophy Behind Songwriting and Lyrics

-Yuuki Takita: Please tell us about “Songlining.” While there’s a sense of unity in the way the tension builds to a dramatic crescendo, each track is colorful, with the piano, violin, and guitar taking turns as the lead instrument. It almost felt as if there were several songwriters involved, what were your key considerations when creating the music?
Emmie: The beautiful thing about playing music with other people is that you get 5 extra brains to power the songwriting process. We almost always write together, sometimes from scratch or sometimes from the bones of one person’s idea. I think this album has been a big step up for us in terms of how intentional our playing, writing together has become – we know each other’s strengths and how best to utilise them to create music that we’re really proud of and that’s made us realise the value in leaving space for one another. Before going into the studio we wrote some of the heavier rocky songs on the album which we showed to our producer Margo who said “If everything is epic nothing is” which made us take a step back slightly and think more about how we wanted to mould the highs and lows to span across the album.

-Yuuki Takita: If you had to pick the track that most embodies the Man/Woman/Chainsaw sound and the one that least does on this album, which ones would they be? Please explain why.
Clio: Canyons! The duality of M/W/C and Cannonball is served. Sensitive, heartfelt yearning that transitions and explodes into frustrated amplified angst. Love sucks sometimes! <\3 -Yuuki Takita: I’ve heard that Vera Leppänen was once influenced by Leonard Cohen’s lyrics. What kind of approach do you take when writing lyrics?
Vera: Everyone who writes lyrics is probably influenced by Leonard Cohen. And for good reason! For me, lyric writing can be super satisfying, kind of God-space-y as Dolly Parton might say it, or it can be a mega uphill battle where I have to try all kinds of writing exercises to get to anything. That is how the cookie crumbles though. Usually I just wait for inspiration, which isn’t the most productive method, so I do think you have to treat it like a proper job and rely on songwriting techniques. Pat Pattison-ing it up is necessary. Being in a band is a great tool for lyrics though; you always have someone to edit with, multiple perspectives can be a saving grace.