Mei Semones

NME “The Cover”
 
CLASH “Next Wave”
 
The New York Times “Artist to Watch”
 
Rolling Stone “Artist You Need to Know”
 
Stereogum “Artist to Watch”
 
The Face “Rated”
 
Today, Mei Semones — the 24-year-old Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist — releases the new single and video “Zarigani” from her first full-length album, Animaru, out May 2nd via Bayonet Records.
 
Following the previously released “I can do what I want,” described by The FADER as “a slow-fast, orchestral-rock odyssey that captures the sensation of flight,” “Zarigani,” translating to “crayfish,” is a bright, effervescent track that is a nostalgic expression of love for her twin sister. Mei sings; “We’ll always have each other / I love you like my guitar / I love you like no other.” Family is one of the primary loves of Mei’s life, with her mom, Seiko Semones, making all of her album and single artwork. Despite Animaru being a statement of Mei’s autonomy and confidence at this point in her life, it's the various loves that she surrounds herself with – her family, her friends, her band, her music – that empower her to do things her own way.
 
Of the track’s sonic qualities, Semones says, “‘Zarigani’ encapsulates a lot of the genre blending I was trying on this album. The bright, intricate, fast-moving bossa-type verses strongly juxtapose the simpler-sounding indie rock-like choruses. The main lick that repeats before each chorus was inspired by a melodic minor Coltrane lick. The name of the song means crayfish, and comes from memories of catching crayfish in the creek with my sister when we were little.” Of the video, she says, “The music video is very special to me because my sister and her friends are in it, as well as my friend's adorable dog Mortimer!”
 

Inspired by the Japanese pronunciation of the word “animal,” Animaru is the embodiment of Mei’s deeper trust in her instincts – a collection of musically impressive tracks that see Mei sounding more adventurous, more vulnerable and more confident than ever before.
 
In the midst of extensive touring, Mei and her five-piece band recorded the album in the summer of 2024 at Ashlawn Recording Company, a farm studio in Connecticut operated by their friend Charles Dahlke. To these sessions, she brought a batch of tracks that, not unlike 2024’s EP Kabutomushi, are sophisticated declarations of non-romantic love: love of life, love of family, love of music and her guitar. Animaru exemplifies Mei’s enchantingly wide range as a songwriter and musician, including some of the most challenging and most straightforward songs Mei has ever written.

MORE PRAISE FOR MEI SEMONES
 
“the culmination of a lifetime spent joining the dots: between genres, between attitudes and between the facets of her own identity." - NME Cover
 
“‘I can do what I want’ is sheer brilliance” - Wonderland
 
“a soft and playful love letter to New York City that'll swiftly win you over” - DIY Magazine
 
 “a phenomenal guitar technician, she matches God-given chops, with wonderful songwriting, performed in both English and Japanese” - CLASH Next Wave