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Mei Semones has released “2 Hands,” the second single from her forthcoming album Howl, along with a music video featuring her longtime bandmates. The song blends her guitar-led style with South Asian tabla and includes lyrics in Japanese and English; the album is scheduled for release Jan. 15, according to Stereogum.
Mei Semones has released “2 Hands,” the second single from her forthcoming album Howl, alongside a music video featuring her longtime bandmates. The track adds South Asian tabla to Semones’ mix of guitar-driven styles and includes lyrics in both Japanese and English, offering an early example of the sound she is developing for her first album on Verve/Interscope.
In its report, Stereogum described “2 Hands” as a song about Semones’ devotion to music. Its lyrics address giving herself to that pursuit, with the singer moving between Japanese and English. The reported instrumentation includes South Asian tabla, set within the blend of jazz, bossa nova, chamber pop and indie rock associated with her earlier work.
The accompanying video shows Semones playing with bandmates Ransom McCafferty, Noah Leong, Claudius Agrippa and Noam Tanzer. Semones said she wanted the video to capture what it feels like to make music with them and to highlight their musicianship. She also credited director Jacob Rodier and the rest of the video team.
“2 Hands” follows the release of Howl’s title track, which Stereogum reported had arrived the previous month. The publication identified the new song as the album’s second single. Howl is slated for Jan. 15 on Verve/Interscope, Semones’ first release for those labels, according to the report.
A New Chapter on Verve/Interscope
The single gives listeners a further indication of how Semones’ next record may extend the sound of her debut, Animaru. The reported addition of tabla, alongside her established guitar-based and jazz-influenced elements, points to an arrangement that draws on more than one musical tradition. That is a description of the track’s reported instrumentation, not a claim about the full album’s sound.
The release also puts Semones’ band at the center of the song’s presentation. Her comments connect “2 Hands” to the musicians who perform with her, while the video makes that ensemble visible. With Howl set to be her first album for Verve/Interscope, the single is also an early public look at a new label chapter for the artist.
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From ‘Animaru’ to ‘Howl’
Stereogum named Semones an Artist To Watch the year before its report, citing her debut album Animaru. The publication characterized that record as a polished but unconventional combination of jazz guitar, bossa nova rhythms, chamber-pop arrangements and indie-rock weight. That description provides a point of comparison for “2 Hands,” whose reported tabla part adds another element to her musical palette.
Semones had announced Howl and shared its title track before releasing “2 Hands.” The new single therefore serves as a follow-up preview rather than the first announcement of the album. The report says Howl is due Jan. 15 and identifies Verve/Interscope as its label; it does not specify the calendar year in the supplied material.
““Everyone in my band is such an incredible musician and I feel so lucky and grateful to play with them, and that’s what this song is about!””
— Mei Semones, quoted by Stereogum
Album Details Still to Come
The supplied report does not give a release year for the stated Jan. 15 album date, so that timing cannot be pinned to a calendar year from this material alone. It also does not provide a complete track list, additional album credits, or details about whether more songs or videos will be released before Howl arrives.
The report describes “2 Hands” as incorporating tabla but does not name the player or explain how the instrument was recorded. Beyond Semones’ comments about the song and video, further details about the writing and production process are not included.
Howl’s Scheduled January Release
The next stated milestone is the scheduled Jan. 15 release of Howl on Verve/Interscope. Stereogum said the album was available for pre-order when it published its report. The source provides no further release schedule, so whether Semones will share another single, video or album information before that date remains unknown.
Key Questions
What is “2 Hands”?
“2 Hands” is a single by Mei Semones and the second song released in advance of her album Howl, according to Stereogum.
What is distinctive about the track?
The report says the song incorporates South Asian tabla and features lyrics in Japanese and English, alongside elements of Semones’ broader guitar-led style.
Who appears in the music video?
The video features Semones performing with Ransom McCafferty, Noah Leong, Claudius Agrippa and Noam Tanzer, her longtime bandmates. Jacob Rodier directed it, according to Semones’ comments in the report.
When is Howl coming out?
The report lists Jan. 15 as Howl’s release date on Verve/Interscope but does not state the year in the supplied source material.
Source: stereogum.com
