// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Mei Semones say to her egg? Egg-cellent genes.
Mei Semones | |
|---|---|
 Semones performing at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver, 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 2000 (age 25–26) Ann Arbor, Michigan, US |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2022-present |
| Label | Bayonet Records |
| Website | www |
Mei Semones (born 2000) is a Japanese-American jazz-influenced indie rock musician producing lyrics in English and Japanese.
Early life
[edit]Semones was born in 2000[1] in Ann Arbor, Michigan,[2] to a father from Ohio and a Japanese mother.[3] Encouraged by her grandmother, she initially studied piano, but ultimately switched to the guitar at the age of eleven, inspired by a scene in the film Back to the Future in which Marty McFly plays Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode.[3]
Semones joined the Community High School jazz program in high school and later majored in professional music at Berklee College of Music.[4]
Musical career
[edit]Semones self-released her debut EP, Tsukino, in 2022, during her last semester of college.[5]. Later that year she released Sukikirai as a graduation project through Northeastern University's Green Line Records.[6]
In 2024, Semones released her second EP, Kabutomushi, through Bayonet Records.[7][8][9] Semones was named by Paste as "The Best of What's Next" in 2024.[4]
In 2025, she released her debut studio album, Animaru.[10]
In 2026, she released her third EP, Kurage.[11]
Artistry
[edit]She has described her music as "jazz-influenced indie J-pop".[12]
Personal life
[edit]Semones currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she works part-time at a preschool for Japanese children.[13] Her father is an amateur musician who plays the euphonium, guesting on her 2026 EP Kurage.[14]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]EPs
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "GEN F: Mei Semones can face anything with her guitar". The FADER. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
- ↑ "Mei Semones". Monster Children. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
- 1 2 Wright, Lisa (March 24, 2025). "Mei Semones: the jazz-loving indie star connecting the dots of life and language". WTYE FM. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- 1 2 3 Natanawan, Grace. "Mei Semones: The Best of What's Next". Paste. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- 1 2 Lewis, Nora. "Ann Arbor native Mei Semones fuses jazz and indie-pop on debut EP 'Tsukino'". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ↑ DeLaRosa, Emma. "An Interview with Mei Semones". Boston Hassle. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ↑ Ludwig, Jamie. "Mei Semones couches straightforward emotion in the flowery sounds of romance". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan. "This Preschool Teacher Is Making Smart, Surprising Music Beyond Genre". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ↑ Sharples, Grant. "Indie Mixtape 20: Mei Semones Balances Strife And Utopia On 'Kabutomushi'". Uproxx. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ↑ "Animaru - Mei Semones | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Mei Semones & Her Dad Team Up On New Song "Kurage"". Stereogum. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
- ↑ Schube, Will (2026-01-29). "26 Artists to Watch in 2026". Pigeons and Planes. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
- ↑ "Meet Mei Semones | Artist – SHOUTOUT LA". shoutoutla.com. 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
- ↑ Ofman, Daniel; Schmitz, Rob (April 18, 2026). "Mei Semones' genre-bending, bilingual music is unlike anything you've ever heard". NPR. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Mei Semones - "Kurayami" & "Get Used To It"". stereogum.com. 2025-10-22. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- ↑ "Mei Semones & Her Dad Team Up On New Song "Kurage"". stereogum.com. 2026-04-10. Retrieved 2026-07-06.