Kishi Bashi

On 3 September 2026 Kishi Bashi will perform at SPOT/De Oosterpoort in Groningen. Behind that name is Kaoru Ishibashi, a singer, violinist and songwriter who has carved out his own place between indie pop, chamber pop and folk, with subtle electronic accents. His music revolves around the dialogue between violin melodies, multi-part harmonies and rhythms that build layer by layer into compact pop songs.

Born in Seattle, raised in Norfolk, Virginia, and now based in Athens, Georgia, he first founded New York’s Jupiter One, played with of Montreal and toured as a violinist with, among others, Regina Spektor. In 2011 he launched his solo career with the EP Room for Dream, followed by 151a (2012), where his characteristic interplay of strings, voice and percussion took shape. With Lighght (2014) and Sonderlust (2016, produced with Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear) he pushed more synths and psychedelic hues forward. Omoiyari (2019) linked his music to a documentary project about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. He recently added Kantos (2024) to his catalogue. Live, this palette unfolds as a direct, melody-focused set in which the violin remains the guiding thread.