Mei Semones, Musician

💭 Thoughts on the power of word of mouth, John Roseboro’s music, and the best kind of guitar to play.

My name is Mei Semones and I’m an artist making jazz influenced indie j-pop based in Brooklyn, NY. I’m originally from Ann Arbor Michigan, I’m Japanese American, and I studied jazz guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston before moving to Brooklyn. Aside from music, some things that make me happy are plushies & good food. :)

🎯 Current focus

Right now I’m working on my first full-length album. It feels like there’s something new in every song I write, and it's really special to see a song go from some chords on my guitar to a fully arranged piece of music, with my amazing bandmates playing viola, violin, upright, and drums. I used to think it would be impossible to write enough songs for an album, so I feel really grateful that I’m able to do this now.

💬 The appealing side of being indifferent 

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently is being indifferent – but not in a negative way. I just feel like things would be easier if everyone didn’t care so much about everything, in terms of interpersonal conflicts / relationships with other people. People are so worried about how other people feel and what other people think, but sometimes it feels good to be indifferent, and I find it appealing when other people are indifferent too.

🎶 John Roseboro’s music

Someone I look up to in music is my friend John Roseboro. His writing is honest and his songs are beautiful, and I think he is always true to himself, which I really respect. He has been a big supporter and inspiration for me since moving to Brooklyn.

🌜 Dream bill EP release show 

I’m really looking forward to my EP release & release show in April. I’ve worked really hard on the project, and so has everyone else involved, so I’m excited for it to be out. The EP release show has a dream bill of two of my favorite artists, John Roseboro & Nebulous Quartet, and I think a lot of my favorite people will be there (my family, my band, my friends) :)

🗣️ The power of word of mouth

I think my favorite way to find out about new things is by word-of-mouth. I’m pretty bad at keeping up with what’s going on in terms of trends and things like that, and I’m not on TikTok, so I appreciate it when people catch me up on things. I would recommend it because it’s more interesting to have a person tell you about something in conversation than it is to look at a phone or computer.

For example, there's a restaurant in Japan called Kichi Kichi Omurice that went viral for a bit, but I heard about it from my sister and her friends who went there on their trip. They said the food didn't quite live up to the hype but it was worth it for the experience!

🎸 The best kind of guitar to play

I can’t live without my guitar. I feel like it's an extension of myself, and I’m not sure what I would do without it. My favorite kind of guitar to play is the guitar that I have, a PRS McCarty 594. It feels like it fits perfectly in my hands, and it's so comfortable that it makes everything easier to play. I love the tone and I think it's a really beautiful guitar -- mine is red with stripy wood, and it has the classic PRS bird inlays :)

Follow Mei on Instagram & YouTube and check out her music here.

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