Words: Garrin Faturrahman
Image: Alec Hirata

No one wishes to be compartmentalized squarely into one genre, especially now where everyone can be anything, anywhere, all at once. If you’re looking for a place where such an ethos is breathed to life in its fullest – and truest! – form, perk your ears up for the one who finds catchy harmony in genre-bending realm, Mei Semones.

You can find grunge, free form jazz, math rock, to shifts from Japanese to English in quick yet precise progression – practically, these words are just 101s that can help you map out what can be found in her songs. While she goes by ‘jazz-influenced, indie-J-pop’ as her intro, it’s not hard to see that such fun may just go underexplained.

We had a brief chat with Mei Semones on topics ranging from the stuff that was envisioned as her song goes, imagining what sorts of anime can fit Mei Semones’ worldbuilding, to… hoping for an Indonesia visit? (hello promotors).

It’s not everyday we get to hear a ‘fair’ amalgamation of Western and Japanese sounds. Can we hear what brought your call to balance these features in your songs?

For me it felt pretty natural to make music this way!

I have been speaking both languages since I was born, and I grew up visiting Japan usually at least once a year.

Both cultures and languages have been a big part of my life, so it feels most true to myself as a person and as an artist to have both in my songs.

From heartfelt yet catchy tunes, to intricate progressions wrapped up in natural-sounding melodies, there’s just so much to unravel in your songs – which, in itself, is a character appreciated and shared across Japanese songs (e.g. tricot, Perfume, to YOASOBI). Do you approach songwriting with a J-pop attitude, or is there something else that you’d like to share?

I think a catchy melody is very important!

I am not sure I approach songwriting entirely with a J-pop attitude, I am inspired a lot by jazz compositions/harmony as well as some Brazilian music – I love João Gilberto!

For me, it’s important to write something that is honest, interesting, and fun for me to play.

With that said, maybe the intuition in crafting catchy melodies really is a nurtured skill. I read how you usually record melodies into your phone! Can we hear any advice (or your take) on melody-making?

I like to go with whatever I am hearing!

Sometimes it’s a melody that emerges from harmony, or sometimes the melody is inspired by a motif from a solo or another piece of music, that I then develop into something new.

I am inspired by a lot of jazz from the 50s/60s, standards, bebop, post-bop.

In the topic of songwriting, how do you balance the polars of ‘this is too much’ and ‘this needs more’?

I just go with whatever feels right to me.

Sometimes it feels like a song needs to have a lot going on for it to be engaging and interesting to me, and sometimes it feels like it’s best to keep it simple.

From your interview last year, I know ‘emo’ is something that is not intended in your songs. Now, your latest release seems to lean closer to clean, bossa pop jazz, and less on the coming-of-age, driven-guitar sounds like in “Kurayami” or “Animaru.” What brought about this movement in your songwriting?

My recent releases have been collaborations with my friends Liana Flores & John Roseboro.

Their music is more bossa/jazz leaning, and I wrote the songs thinking of them, so I think that’s why those songs are in that style! 

Still on that topic, which sonic palette do you relate to and find yourself in best?

I like both!

I don’t think there is one that is best for me, I am just aiming to make music that I like, and I like a few different styles of music.

Today, we are acclimated (and even driven) to mix-and-match a lot of things at once. Your songs, too, are an embodiment of this. Can we hear from you what drives you to juxtapose contrasting sounds—yet pleasantly blended together—in your pursuit of arts?

I think it’s because I like and listen to/have studied different types of music!

I like jazz and I like bossa (Coltrane, Monk, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, etc!) and I like rock and alternative rock and grunge rock, like Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. So I think my music is just a reflection of different things I like.

Nowadays, people are more driven to be unadulteratedly themselves, and some are seeking to actualize the saying; to be cringe is to be free. How do you take this sentiment to heart – does this atmosphere actually help you as a person and a musician?

I haven’t really thought about that!

I think I have always thought that the only option is to be myself, and I have never really considered otherwise, especially as an artist.

Talking about your guitar, it’s refreshing to see a PRS, tora moyo (ha) guitar like yours getting love in the wave of offset-bodies, as of late! What demands are there that can only be fulfilled by your current guitar?

I love my guitar because it is very comfortable for me.

In my 3rd year of college, my dad very kindly offered to get me a new professional guitar, so we went to the Sweetwater headquarter in Indiana and I tried out different guitars for 8 hours. The PRS McCarty 594 Hollowbody ended up being my favorite after playing different guitars all day!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mei Semones (@mei_semones)

The neck shape and fretboard feels right for my hands, and the body is light and fits well with my body. I also love the tone, it’s warm and mellow, but cuts through when it needs to.

If your song (or perhaps, songs) were to be featured as a song for an anime, what would that be?

I would love for my songs to be in a shojo anime about high schoolers falling in love, or a hero anime about finding yourself and being the best hero you can be! 

I’m not sure if I can pick an all time favorite but I like Kimi no Todoke and Fruits Basket! I also like My Hero Academia. And of course love Ghibli too.

On that note, during your songwriting process, what goes on in your mind? Do you imagine the worldbuilding of an existing fictional work, or something else?

Often I am just writing about how I am feeling that day or what has been going on the past few weeks!

Or, sometimes I will think about memories/imagery from my past and write about that.

Occasionally I’ll write from a fictional place, like what it would feel like to be a sea creature, or an animal in the forest, or a monster living in a river.

Come to Indonesia! Anything you’d like to share regarding an upcoming Southeast Asia tour, if there’s any? Hahaha (:

I hope we can soon!! I’m sure we will be doing a bigger Asia tour next year when the next project comes out (: It’d be a dream to play in Indonesia!