Mei Semones

On 16 July 2026 at Yuca in Köln, Mei Semones brings a set that threads jazz harmonies, bossa nova sway and math-leaning indie rock into intimate, bilingual songs. The Brooklyn singer, guitarist and composer writes in English and Japanese, tracing infatuation, devotion, vulnerability and the moment of goodbye with precise guitar work and unforced melodies. Her recent EP Kabutomushi maps this terrain: compact forms, catchy motifs and shifting meters that stay light on their feet. On stage, Semones plays with a small string section, viola and violin rounding her tone and opening space for rhythmic turns and chamber-pop colors. Trained in jazz yet rooted in DIY scenes, she treats rhythm as narrative, letting a bossa pulse loosen, tighten, then slide into indie contours. The set moves from hushed sketches to fuller arrangements, with guitar up front, strings threading counter-melodies, and lyrics that keep the focus on close detail rather than drama.