Mei Semones

Experience the distinctive sound of Mei Semones live on Saturday, April 24, 2027, as the Brooklyn-based Japanese American guitarist and singer-songwriter brings her genre-blending music to the stage. Known for weaving jazz, bossa nova, samba, and grungy math rock into a sound that is entirely her own, Semones creates performances that can move effortlessly between delicate intimacy and intricate, rhythmically charged intensity. Doors open at 7:00 pm, with the show beginning at 8:00 pm.

At the center of Semones’ artistry is her guitar playing and bilingual songwriting. She moves naturally between English and Japanese, sometimes within the same song or even the same line, treating both languages as integral parts of the music. Her approach reflects a deeply personal connection to her Japanese American heritage and the diverse musical influences that have shaped her life.

Semones began playing piano at age four before discovering electric guitar at 11, inspired in part by Marty McFly’s iconic guitar performance in Back to the Future. Growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spending summers in Yokosuka, Japan, she developed an appreciation for music and experiences from both sides of her cultural background. Her early exposure to jazz legends including Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, and Wes Montgomery eventually led her to study guitar at Berklee College of Music. Her interest in Brazilian music, particularly the recordings of João Gilberto, further expanded her musical vocabulary.

Following her 2024 EP Kabutomushi and 2025 debut album Animaru, Semones enters a new chapter with Howl, her sophomore album released through Verve/Interscope. The record explores the full range of everyday experience, allowing tenderness, joy, grief, uncertainty, and memories of loss to exist side by side. Its songs include “Senro,” “Chichibu,” “Kira Kira,” “Akumu,” and “2 Hands,” each revealing a different facet of her evolving artistry.

The live experience expands these songs through a full ensemble featuring Semones on vocals and guitar alongside viola player Noah Leong, violinist Claudius Agrippa, bassist Noam Tanzer, and drummer Ransom McCafferty. Their arrangements add layers of texture and movement while keeping Semones’ voice and guitar at the heart of the performance.

For fans of adventurous songwriting, expressive guitar work, contemporary jazz, and music that crosses cultural and stylistic boundaries, Mei Semones offers an evening that feels both intimate and expansive. Join her on Saturday, April 24, 2027, with doors at 7:00 pm and the show at 8:00 pm, for a live performance inspired by the many sounds, memories, and connections that make Howl such a personal musical statement.