Mei Semones – Kurage
Mei Semones announces her new EP, Kurage, out April 10th on Bayonet Records, and releases its lead single/video, “Koneko” ft. Liana Flores.
In conjunction, she announces a North American tour. There’s no one doing it quite like Semones, the 25-year-old Brooklyn-based guitarist and songwriter blending jazz, bossa nova, and indie-pop. Today’s announcement arrives on the heels of Animaru, her “stunning full-length debut showcasing [her] singular fusion of indie pop, bossa nova, jazz, and rock,” (All Music) released last spring, and singles “Kurayami” and “Get used to it” released last fall.
On Kurage, Semones’ collaborative new EP, the scope of her musical world continues to widen as she presents three new tracks across relationships and locale. Recorded throughout the fall of 2025, in-between Semones’ whirlwind international touring schedule, each track is grounded in place and in people. Today’s single, “Koneko,” (Japanese for “kitten”) features Semones and band in duet with her friend Liana Flores, the British-Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist, and was recorded at the iconic Strongroom Studio in London. “Koneko” is an ode to the two’s relationship and time spent together in the glitzy chaos of London, imbued with a playful sweetness and lyrics in English, Portuguese, and Japanese.
Reflecting on the track, Semones says: “I wrote this song about my first time in London in April of 2025. I was staying with Liana, and the imagery in the lyrics is inspired by our time together: we walked along the canal, drank tea, ate strawberries and cookies, played with her cat, and went to the park to look at the birds 🙂 I hope that the song will make people smile and remind them of the pureness of a good friend <3” The accompanying video was directed by Shota Shiratori and shot in London.
Mei Semones’ songwriting has a specific and recognizable lightness, an ease in spite of its knotted complexities. It’s a testament to her discipline and dedication to her craft of guitar playing that her music is so cerebral, but with such a buoyancy and accessibility—it’s an amalgamation of guitar lines swinging from jazz to bossa to math-y to grungier hooks, lyrics fluttering between English and Japanese. To listen to a Mei Semones song is to be delighted, surprised at every turn—it’s the sense that you’ve met an artist with a truly singular melodic point-of-view.
This spring, Semones will embark on an extensive North American tour, kicking off with an appearance at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, and including stops in the Midwest, South, and East Coast along the way. In May, she will support American Football on West Coast dates of their North American tour.
Mei Semones Tour Dates
Sat. Mar. 28 – Knoxville, TN @ Big Ears Festival
Mon. Mar. 30 Indianapolis, IN @ HI-Fl
Tue. Mar. 31 Evanston, IL @ SPACE
Wed. Apr. 1 Evanston, IL @ SPACE
Fri. Apr. 3 Iowa City, IA @ Stop/Time Festival
Sat. Apr. 4 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Centre
Sun. Apr. 5 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
Mon. Apr. 6 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar
Wed. Apr. 8 – Bentonville, AR @ RODE House
Thu. Apr. 9 – St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
Fri. Apr. 10 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
Sat. Apr. 11 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s
Mon. Apr. 13 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Tue. Apr. 14 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
Wed. Apr. 15 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Thu. Apr. 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
Sat. Apr. 18 – Mexico City, MX @ Foro Puebla
Fri. May 15 – Denver, CO @ Summit ^
Mon. May 18 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall ^
Tue. May 19 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre ^
Wed. May 20 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom ^
Fri. May 22 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom ^
Sat. May 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern ^
Sun. May 24 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park ^
^ supporting American Football
#mei_semones