Semones, Mei
Kabutomushi/tsukino
Mei Semones, a 23-year-old Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, blends jazz, bossa nova, and math-y indie rock into a cathartic and genre-defying sound. Her debut Bayonet Records single, 'Wakare No Kotoba' (translated as "parting words"), showcases her intricate guitar work with wide-interval arpeggios and odd meters, delivering an "anti-love song" about ending a toxic friendship, enriched by orchestral swells and crashing guitars.Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Semones began playing piano at four and electric guitar at eleven, later studying jazz guitar at Berklee College of Music. There, she met her bandmates, including string players Noah Leong (viola) and Claudius Agrippa (violin), who enhance her complex compositions. After moving to New York City in 2022, Mei released singles, an EP, collaborated with John Roseboro, and toured with Raavi. Her music explores themes of infatuation, devotion, and vulnerability, combining virtuosic guitar, sweeping strings, and heartfelt lyrics in both English and Japanese, creating a signature style that is both ornately catchy and emotionally resonant. Released on bubblegum pink vinyl.