Mei Semones’ Debut Album, “Animaru”, Out Now via Bayonet Records
NME “The Cover”
CLASH “Next Wave”
The Line of Best Fit “On The Rise”
Fader “Gen F”
The New York Times “Artist to Watch”
Rolling Stone “Artist You Need to Know”
Stereogum “Artist to Watch”
The Face “Rated”
--
Today, Mei Semones — the 24-year-old Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist — releases her first full-length album, Animaru, via Bayonet Records. In conjunction with today’s release, Semones also shares a video for title track, “Animaru.” Reflecting on the video, Semones says: “The ‘Animaru’ video was shot in November 2024 in Tokyo with director Takuto Shimpo. It was a dream come true– I never would have imagined that I would be riding a pig motorcycle through the streets of Shibuya, where I have been going on outings with my family since I was little! Another thing that makes this video really special is the incredible hand-made animal costume I'm wearing throughout the video, made with love by Mahito-San, who also did hair & makeup for the video.”
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “ANIMARU”
Animaru (the Japanese pronunciation of the word “animal”) is the embodiment of Mei’s deeper trust in her instincts. The album is a collection of musically impressive tracks that see Mei sounding more adventurous, more vulnerable and more confident than ever before. “No second-guessing, no overthinking. The way I want to live my life is by doing the things that are important to me, and I think everyone should live that way,” says Semones of her strengthened self-assurance.
Though her music might inherently evoke feelings of romance and softness, the crux of the album lies in Mei and her band’s skillful balance of tension and release. Often within individual tracks, there are moments of pared-back acoustic guitar adorned with Mei’s infectious vocalizations that, in a moment’s notice, transform into orchestral swells of sweeping strings and complex guitar rhythms.
In the midst of extensive touring, Mei and her five-piece band recorded the album in the summer of 2024 at Ashlawn Recording Company, a farm studio in Connecticut operated by their friend Charles Dahlke. To these sessions, she brought a batch of tracks that, not unlike her 2024 EP Kabutomushi, are sophisticated declarations of non-romantic love: love of life, love of family, love of music and her guitar. Animaru exemplifies Mei’s enchantingly wide range as a songwriter and musician, including some of the most challenging and most straightforward songs she has ever written – including "Dumb Feeling" which hit #3 in the J-Wave Tokio Hot 100 charts and the colossal “I can do what I want.”
Along with selling out Camden Assembly for her debut UK show this April, Mei Semones also wrapped up a EU/UK tour supporting Panchiko. A full list of dates can be found below for the upcoming North American tour, with tickets and further information available here. Stay tuned for more UK/EU dates.
--
STREAM/PURCHASE ANIMARU
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “ZARIGANI”
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “I CAN DO WHAT I WANT”
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “DUMB FEELING”
PURCHASE/STREAM KABUTOMUSHI
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “DANGOMUSHI”
WATCH MEI SEMONES’S AUDIOTREE SESSION
MEI SEMONES TOUR DATES
Wed. May 7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg*
Thu. May 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live*
Fri. May 30 - Washington, DC @ The Atlantis*
Sat. May 31 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Back Room*
Mon. June 2 - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5*
Tue. June 3 - Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR*
Wed. June 4 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
Fri. June 6 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups*
Sat. June 7 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*
Sun. June 8 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club*
Mon. June 9 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry*
Wed. June 11 - Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch*
Thu. June 12 - Toronto, ON @ Longboat Hall*
Fri. June 13 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB*
Sat. June 14 - Boston, MA @ Red Room Cafe 939*
Fri. July 11 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada ~
Sat. July 12 - Austin, TX @ Parish ~
Tue. July 15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar ~
Wed. July 16 - San Diego, CA @ Quartyard ~
Fri. July 18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room ~
Sat. July 19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent ~
Mon. July 21 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall ~
Tue. July 22 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret ~
Wed. July 23 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza ~
Sun. July 27- Yuzawa @ Fuji Rock Festival
Fri. August 1 - Taipei @ The Wall
Mon. August 4 - Seoul @ Westbridge Live Hall
* with John Roseboro
~ with Lionmilk
MORE PRAISE FOR MEI SEMONES
“the culmination of a lifetime spent joining the dots: between genres, between attitudes and between the facets of her own identity." - NME Cover
“‘he work of a songsmith who is bold and brave in their vision, and technically flawless in their execution.” - Wonderland
“thrillingly unpredictable” - DIY Magazine
“an exhilarating, eclectic offering that shows a maturity far beyond someone releasing their first album" - CLASH 8/10
"the album ranges freely from jazz and bossa nova to indie-rock and lushly orchestrated pop, and everywhere in between." - The Line of Best Fit
“Virtuosic, culture-hopping music.” - The New York Times
"The first time you hear Mei Semones, you’re likely to contort yourself into some weird shapes in an attempt to describe her music.” - Stereogum
“Few artists could pull off such hairpin pivots, but for Semones, this is business as usual.”
- Vulture on “I can do what I want,” “The Best New Songs of 2025 (So Far)”
ANIMARU TRACKLIST:
1. Dumb Feeling
2. Dangomushi
3. Tora Moyo
4. I can do what I want
5. Animaru
6. Donguri
7. Norwegian Shag
8. Rat with Wings
8. Zarigani
9. Sasayaku Sakebu
