Mei Semones proves herself to be a paragon of progression of her fantastic new debut album. She talks to Wonderland about heritage, essence and Animaru. 

There’s an effortless quality to the complexity of Mei Semones music. The Brooklyn-based guitarist and songwriter showed plenty of promise on her previous two EPs, but her new record Animaru, a debut full-length which has been released today (2nd May) via Bayonet Records, is a totemic step out; the work of a songsmith who is bold and brave in their vision, and technically flawless in their execution. 

The plethora of sonic pointers the 24-year-old pulls from across the 10-pronged opus is quite remarkable — from intricate jazz to grandiose chamber pop, from sentimental indie to scholarly math rock. But what is even more dazzling is the manner in which she blends the sundry of sounds into a cohesive, cutting-edge and deeply resonant work. It’s mature and intellectual music delivered through a digestible and universe lens — the apex of modern art. 

As her name sprawls across social media trends and nestles into the critical elite, she tells Wonderland about the genesis of her musical journey and the making of her stunning inaugural album. 

Listen to the album…

Read the full interview…

Take us back to your musical origins – what music were you around growing up? Who were your early musical inspirations? 

When I was little I remember my dad listening to a variety of music on the radio — jazz, classical, rock. My dad is a euphonium player, so I would often hear him practicing pieces in the basement. My grandma bought a piano for me and my sister when we were 4 years old and we started taking classical piano lessons, and around the age of 11 I watched the movie Back to the Future, and was inspired to play electric guitar by the scene of the main character playing a Chuck Berry tune. Shortly after starting guitar, I remember my favourites were Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins!

When did you first decide music was the career you wanted to pursue? 

I think it’s something that I gradually came to realise during high school — by my junior year I noticed that there was nothing else that I was particularly interested in. There wasn’t a specific moment when I made the decision to pursue music, just naturally over time it became the only thing I really cared about.

How does your Japanese heritage inform your musical approach?

Being half Japanese has had a large impact on my songwriting because I write lyrics in both Japanese and English. It’s been an integral part of finding my distinct voice as an artist, and has helped me be the most authentic version of myself in my music. I think having bilingual lyrics allows my identity and personality to come through in the music in an honest way — it’s how I grew up, so it feels natural to have it be a part of my songwriting too.

Your music successfully manages to blend a whole host of styles – from math rock to jazz to indie rock – often within the same track. What is the genesis of this merging of sounds? How has it evolved over the last few years? 

For me it really is just whatever comes out naturally. Jazz is the music that I have listened to and studied the most, and I’ve also listened to a lot of Brazilian music and some rock. When I write my own music I draw from the music I love, and so what ends up coming out is a mix of different genres that I have listened to and studied over the years. I hope to continue honing in on my songwriting style and to always make something that is uniquely my own.

How would you describe the essence of your artistry?

I like to think that it is carefree and independent, with straightforward intention.

Congratulations on your debut album! How are you feeling about the release?

Thank you so much! I’m feeling great. I’m really proud of the songs and they are really special to me, so I’m just looking forward to them all being released and being able to share them with everyone.

What’s the story behind the name Animaru? 

Animaru is the Japanese pronunciation of the English word Animal. It’s the name of the fifth track on the album, and the main message of the song is to trust your instincts and live for yourself. I thought it’d be a good name for the album because it embodies some of the main themes on the album as a whole.

How was the process of creation of the album? How did working on your EPs previously inform the making of this larger project?

The songs on the album were written in the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024, and we recorded at the end of the summer in 2024. For me the songwriting process begins with the guitar, usually harmony first or maybe some sort of guitar lick, then a melody emerges from there, and lyrics last. I then bring the core of the song (guitar & vocals) to my amazing band, and we arrange the parts together as a group. I would say in comparison to previous projects, this album has more of a live sound because we were able to all record in the same place in the same period of time, whereas before we’ve had to split things up in layers due to living in different places.

What drove the inspiration for the project, both sonically and thematically? 

I am inspired by the music I love, artists like Coltrane, Monk, Bud Powell, Wes, Jim Hall, Gilberto, etc. I am also inspired by my friends and bandmates who are all incredible musicians. Thematically, I’m inspired by everyday life and memories from my past. I just write whatever pops in my head, both musically and lyrically. There’s not a larger concept or overarching idea for the songs as I’m writing them, it’s really just writing songs that I like and then putting them together in an album.

What does the album mean to you? 

This album is a collection of songs that I love very much and that are really special to me. My band and I worked hard on them and I am so happy with how they turned out. One of the main themes in the album is love — love of music, my guitar, my band, my friends, my family, New York City, life in general. The other main theme is trusting your instincts and following what you love / what’s important to you. I hope that people who listen to this album are able to take something away from it to lead their own lives with love and passion.

Aside from Animaru, what’s to come from you this year and beyond?

We have lots of touring planned for this year! We are going on our first ever headline tour starting in May, followed by our first ever festival appearance at Fuji Rock Festival in Japan in July. I’m hoping that after that we’ll be able to do some more international touring later in the year, and aside from that I plan to keep working on new music and hopefully make some more time to practice the guitar.

Words – Ben Tibbits

Photography – Derek Kwok