Mei Semones, announces her new EP and Bayonet Records debut, Kabutomushi, will arrive on April 5th, via Bayonet Records (Beach Fossils), ahead of the album’s release, Semones has shared “Inaka.” The track follows previous single “Wakare No Kotoba.” 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 is embarking on a short solo tour with Bratty in the lead up to the release of Kabutomushi and has announced her record release show with full band on April 15th at Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right.

One of the more indie rock-leaning songs Semones has written, “Inaka” still has glimpses of jazz harmony throughout, with cinematic strings adding a romantic flair alongside Semones’ guitar lead. “I wrote this song shortly after moving to Brooklyn in the fall of 2022, when I was feeling defeated and exhausted everyday,” Semones says. “I’ve grown to love the city, but at the time I was idealizing losing all ambition and moving to the countryside with my partner, hence the name of the song “Inaka” which means “countryside” in Japanese. Looking back at that time, I realize the city wasn’t the issue, I was just tired.” In the video, directed by Lucas O.M., Semones starts in New York City’s Lower East Side, before taking the train to her friend’s farm in Old Lyme, CT, visualizing the track’s theme of escaping the city and moving somewhere more pastoral.

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. After releasing a slew of singles and an EP in 2022, coinciding with her move to New York City, Mei and her band have since gone on to collaborate with post-bossa balladeer John Roseboro, and embarked on their first-ever tour with the melodic rock outfit Raavi.

Mei Semones
Kabutomushi EP
Tracklist

1. Tegami
2. Wakare No Kotoba
3. Takaramono
4. Inaka
5. Kabutomushi

Pre-order Kabutomushi by Mei Semones HERE