Mei Semones – Kabutomushi
Today, Mei Semones, the 23-year-old Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, releases a new single, “Tegami,” as well as a live performance video of the song, off of her Bayonet Records debut, Kabutomushi, out April 5th.
“‘Tegami’ was my first time experimenting with Bossa Nova style music in odd meters.” says Semones. “It’s a love song. My partner likes to write me letters, but I’m not very good at writing letters back. So instead I wrote this song, hence the name of the song ‘Tegami’ which means ‘letter’ in Japanese. I think the range of style is really noticeable in this song, and it’s one of our more ambitious string arrangements with lots of intricate lines & textures.”
Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Semones began playing music at a young age, starting out on piano at age four before moving to electric guitar at age eleven. After playing jazz guitar in high school, she went on to study guitar performance with a jazz focus at Berklee College of Music. College is where she met her current bandmates, including string players Noah Leong and Claudius Agrippa, whose respective viola and violin add softness and multidimensionality to Mei’s intricate guitar work. All of the songs that comprise Kabutomushi are written and sung in both English and Japanese, with Mei wanting to stay connected to her first language through her music.
Kabutomushi sees Semones chronicling infatuation, devotion, vulnerability, and saying goodbye to some of her closest relationships, complete with sweeping strings, virtuosic guitar-playing and heartfelt lyrics. Throughout the EP, Semones’ straightforward vocal delivery calls to mind that of the late bossa nova great Astrud Gilberto, while also having drawn comparisons to Japanese contemporaries Ichiko Aoba and Lamp.
MEI SEMONES TOUR DATES (INCL. SXSW)
Tue. Mar. 12 – Austin, TX @ Tweedy’s (Happen Twice x Howdy Gals Showcase – 3PM)
Wed. Mar. 13 – Austin, TX @ Radio East (Big Hug x Howdy Gals Day Party – 2:30PM)
Wed. Mar. 13 – Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlies (UMAW “Fair Pay at SXSW” Showcase – 11:15PM)
Thu. Mar. 14 – Austin, TX @ High Noon & Coral Snake (Paste Showcase – 12PM)
Thu. Mar. 14 – Austin, TX @ Spiderhouse (Bayonet x Howdy Gals Day Party – 3:30PM)
Thu. Mar. 14 – Austin, TX @ Hole In the Wall (Happen Twice Show – 9PM)
Mon. Apr. 15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right (EP Release Show)
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