MEI SEMONES shares 2 new singles / Winner of Reeperbahn's Anchor Award
ei Semones Shares “Kurayami” & “Get used to it” Singles
Watch “Kurayami” Video; Pre-Order The 7” Now
Debut Album Animaru out now (May 2) via Bayonet Records
Watch videoHERE
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”
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Today, the inimitable (and indefatigable!) Mei Semones shares two new singles, “Kurayami” and “Get used to it,” which are available for pre-order in 7” format now. Freshly off releasing “Itsumo,” her most recent standalone single, which follows her critically acclaimed debut album, Animaru, released earlier in May this year, Semones is showing no signs of slowing down. Last month she completed her first tour of the UK and Europe, including a sold-out performance at The Garage in London, and won The Anchor Award at Reeperbahn.
Watch Video For “Kurayami” & Listen to “Get used to it”
Of “Kurayami,” Mei says “"Kurayami’ means ‘darkness’ in Japanese, and this song is about growing up in Michigan and reminiscing on what it was like hanging out with my friends. Being a kid was really fun and I was happy, but I remember there was a point where we started to lose our innocence and I think this song is about that feeling. It's one of the more technically difficult songs I've written, and it took some practice to get to the point where I could sing and play it at the same time. There's lots of fun tempo changes, odd meters, wide interval arpeggios, and fast licks, and I think the band arrangement is really creative too.” “Kurayami” is accompanied by a stylistically rich and cinematic video filmed in Japan and directed by Takuto Shimpo.
Of “Get used to it,” Semones explains that the song is “about the beauty in solitude and being alone, how to move on from something that was important in your life but still leave space for it, and my love for the guitar and music. It's the second song I wrote on my nylon string, and the changes and melody are somewhat inspired by Thelonious Monk. The instrumentation is more minimal than our other songs -- just me (guitar & vox), upright bass, and drums. We were going for a live jazz trio sound, so there's not really any layers or anything. It's just a straightforward recording of the 3 of us playing the tune, and I think that was the best way to capture the feeling behind the song.”
Purchase “Kurayami” b/w “Get used to it” 7”
Stream/Purchase Animaru
UPCOMING MEI SEMONES TOUR DATES
Fri. Oct. 24 - New York, NY @ Night Club 101 - Bayonet Records 10yr Anniversary
Thu. Jan. 8 - New York, NY - Psychic Hotline Winter Jazzfest Showcase %
Sat. Jan. 10 - New York, NY - Winter Jazzfest Brooklyn Marathon
Tue. Jan. 20 - Osaka, JP @ Zepp Namba*
Wed. Jan. 21 - Nagoya, JP @ Diamond Hall*
Thu. Jan. 22 - Tokyo, JP @ Garden Theater*
Fri. Jan. 23 - Tokyo, JP @ Duo Music Exchange [SOLD OUT]
Sat. Jan. 24 - Nagoya, JP @ LIVE & LOUNGE VIO [SOLD OUT]
Sun. Jan. 25 - Osaka, JP @ Shangri-La [SOLD OUT]
Tue. Jan. 27 - Hiroshima, JP @ Club Quattro #
Wed. Jan. 28 - Fukuoka, JP @ Beat Station
Fri. Jan. 30 - Okinawa, JP @ Sakuraza Central
Sun. Feb. 1 - Tokyo, JP @ Duo Music Exchange [SOLD OUT]
Wed. Feb. 4 - Bangkok, Thailand - At.Buatudthong Art Space
Fri. Feb 6 - Singapore - Pasir Panjang Power Station A
Tue. Feb. 10 Honolulu, HI - Blue Note Hawaii (2 shows)
Thu. March 26 - Sun. March 29 - Knoxville, TN @ Big Ears Festival
% duo set with John Roseboro
* = supporting Men I Trust
# = w/ SUZU TOYAMA
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
“Mei Semones has carved out a new frontier in indie-rock, tearing through bossa nova ballads with the infectious urgency of a rafters-rousing guitar hero.” — Pitchfork
“Mei Semones bridges two cultures through her music, blending Japanese and English lyrics into a sound that’s entirely her own.” — Variety
“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
"On her bossa/jazz/J-pop album Animaru, Semones learns to live instinctively.” — The FADER
“Mei Semones’ daring, experimental songwriting and fusion of melodic oddities and jazz improvisation have solidified the framework of her climbing rise in this business—and you’d be foolish to not pay close attention to it.” — Paste
“A collection of musical curveballs, [Animaru] features Semones craftily weaving her diverse set of ideas into a cohesive sound.” — Consequence
“[Animaru is] a great showcase for what [Semones] and her adept, highly skilled band can do.” — Brooklyn Vegan
"Kurayami" Artwork by Seiko Semones
Animaru Album Artwork by Seiko Semones
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
