Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Mei Semones, whose mother is Japanese, started playing piano at age 4 and switched to electric guitar at age 11. After playing jazz guitar in high school, she studied guitar performance with a focus on jazz at Berklee College of Music. She released several singles and EPs and moved to New York in 2022. She collaborated with post-bossa balladeer John Roseboro and went on her first tour with melodic rock outfit Raavi. While working as a Japanese kindergarten teacher, she continued to write songs (her lyrics are written in both English and Japanese). In the spring of 2024, she released the EP "Kabutomushi". She was selected as "Artist You Need to Know" by Rolling Stone and "Best of What's Next" by Paste, and was highly praised by Flea of ​​Red Hot Chili Peppers, attracting attention and performing in Japan. Her debut album "Animaru" (Animal) was recently released in May 2025.