shallm Release "Anti After School" Concept EP & MV
shallm has stepped into a bold new chapter with the September 23 release of their debut concept EP Anti After School—a deeply personal project that strips away the band’s familiar aesthetic to explore something rawer and more introspective.
For those new to shallm: the Tokyo-based outfit has carved out space in the Japanese rock underground with theatrical flair and emotional intensity. Vocalist lia has always been the creative spine of the project, and Anti After School marks the first time she’s built an entire EP around her own teenage memories and experiences.
The five-track EP explores the particular loneliness, anxiety, and fleeting moments of salvation that define adolescence. Rather than romanticize those years, lia channels them into visceral soundscapes—rough, distorted alternative rock that matches the turbulent emotions she’s capturing. The lead single and title track, “Anti After School,” embodies this shift: it’s aggressive, unpolished, and brutally honest. Lyrically, it functions as a message from her adult self back to her teenage self, creating a dialogue across time rather than a nostalgic reverie.
The accompanying music video, shot entirely on film, captures this vulnerability through grainy, tactile imagery that mirrors the EP’s emotional texture. Perhaps most striking: lia’s visual transformation. Gone are the long pink-tinted locks and full rock regalia; in their place, a bob cut and understated styling that feels almost defiantly “anti-aesthetic” for a Visual Kei-adjacent artist. It’s a statement in itself.
The EP’s five tracks—”Chime Won’t Ring,” “Just Like the Teacher Said,” “Goodnight,” “How Many Minutes Until the Moon?,” and the title closer—form a complete emotional arc through adolescent turbulence, culminating in that crucial moment of reflection.
shallm will support the release with a four-city tour kicking off October 8 at Zepp Shinjuku in Tokyo, followed by stops in Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka.
Stream Anti After School now across all platforms, grab tickets through official channels, and catch shallm live if you’re in Japan this October. This is essential listening for anyone drawn to emotionally unvarnished rock.