Mei Semones may be mellow, but she cuts through
Would Manila be the capital it is if it weren't a little manic?
It’s two hours before Mei Semones' first show in the Philippines. Tickets are sold out, spirits are high, and the queue is wrapped around the venue as I make my way inside with pink gems on my face.
Backstage, however, the singer emanates a gentle demeanor. Coconut-flavored Mogu Mogu in one hand and a pack of Ube Pillows in the other, she quietly waits as I enter the green room. I can’t help but immediately point out the two quintessential Filipino childhood snacks she’s holding.
Even as a visitor, she seems to have already caught a glimpse of Manila’s vivacious personality. “There was some sort of march or parade happening right outside the hotel,” Mei tells me. “It was 5:50 a.m. when I woke up and (thought), ‘What is happening?’ I guess there was a drumline, but the music was really cool.”
I’m amused that she found the sudden percussion endearing rather than a nuisance. Her ear has long been attuned to instruments. She started piano lessons at four before switching over to the guitar at 11, thanks to Marty McFly’s Johnny B. Goode solo in Back to the Future.
It felt like a natural segue to ask what guitar she brought on tour. “I find that my PRS McCarty 594 is the most reliable in terms of tuning and the consistency of the sound,” says the Japanese-American musician. “As long as I have my PRS and a decent amp, it will sound like me, and I'll be happy with how it sounds.”
What about that specific guitar makes it distinctly “hers”? “It's a pretty mellow tone, but it cuts through when it needs to,” she answers.
The same could be said about Mei’s music. Often described as a convergence of J-pop, indie rock, bossa nova, and jazz, the duality of her mellow warmth and piercing clarity spills over into her debut album, “Animaru” (a transliteration of “animal”).
Mei wasn’t fixated on the minutiae of assembling the bilingual record. “Every single song is written from a place of instinct; I’m never planning out how it should sound.” From Rat with Wings being a metaphor for someone’s true, unpleasant nature to the muddy leeches and “snakes in the grass” in Donguri, she only pieced together the recurring animal motifs with that instinct-driven process once the album promotion began. “I’m just writing songs that I like. Then I find out what they’re about after.”
“Animaru” oscillates between precision and playful imagery. Years of practice, along with her extensive music education, inform her intricate sonic language, but her lyrics flow freely. “I write about whatever pops into my head: What I saw that day or a specific memory. To me, it’s two different sides of myself coming together.”
Close interpersonal relationships are some of Mei’s strongest influences, both as a lyricist and a musician. Her current band—Claudius Agrippa (violin), Noah Leong (viola), Ransom McCafferty (drums), and Noam Tanzer (bass)—are friends she met while studying at the Berklee College of Music. “The songwriting, I still do it by myself, but in terms of the sound, they’re such a huge part of it. Friendships definitely influence my songwriting a good amount.”
That sense of camaraderie is something she’s deliberately bringing to the forefront in her upcoming EP “Kurage,” out on April 10. “I want it to be collaborative, where each track has a collaborator. Especially with Koneko, that song is about my friendship with Liana Flores (a British-Brazilian bossa nova and folk-pop singer-songwriter), how I’m happy we’re friends, and the time we’ve spent together.”
The gratitude for the people in her life goes hand in hand with the freedom she’s gained. The single I can do what I want plus the title track speak to the autonomy and importance of listening to oneself. Meanwhile, the album closer, Sasayaku Sakebu, refers to self-liberation as a friend: “My hero is my friend / That's why I am smiling / 'Cause if my hands are free / None of that means anything.”
“Writing ‘Animaru’ was around the time I was making the transition from working at a pre-school to doing music full-time,” Mei shares. “A lot of the songs are about how happy I am making music and (the ability) to focus most of my energy on it. That is my job now, (which) is a dream come true.”
Mei is humbled by how far her instincts have taken her. “It’s really special to see that people all around the world are listening to the music and getting something from it, at least enough that they want to see me play.”
“I’m grateful to do this. We’re able to come (to Manila) because there (are) people who listen to our music here. So, it’s really thanks to everyone’s support.”
After the interview, I spontaneously pulled out an extra pack of face gems. “You’ll make better use of it than I will,” I offered. She asked if I was sure, which I was, and stuck gems on both temples right before she was whisked away to be photographed.
I spotted her still wearing them on stage, and the subtle gleam in her eyes said it all: Doing what you want can, in fact, lead you to places you’ve never imagined.
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Mei Semones’ debut album “Animaru” is available to stream on all major music streaming platforms via Bayonet Records. Follow the artist at @mei_semones.
