Mei Semones in Chicago

Mei Semones is a Japanese American singer-songwriter and guitarist raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and based in Brooklyn. She writes indie pop shaped by jazz and bossa nova, often moving between English and Japanese lyrics. Her releases include the EP Kabutomushi, the debut album Animaru, and songs such as “Tegami” and “Wakare no Kotoba.” In 2024, she supported Laufey on dates of the Bewitched Tour, performing her intricate guitar arrangements with a band. She later presented “Tora Moyo,” “Dumb Feeling,” “Animaru” and “Tegami” in arrangements for guitar, strings, bass and drums at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.