Kishi Bashi today shared a new song ‘Marigolds’, the third and final single from his forthcoming album Omoiyari, out May 31, 2019 on Joyful Noise Recordings. 

Speaking about the song’s thematic inspiration, Kishi Bashi explains:

 

“[Marigolds] is about the differences between generations that are difficult to comprehend sometimes. It’s almost impossible to completely understand somebody who grew up in a different era than you, older or younger, alive or deceased. It’s the realisation that another person’s perception of the world is just as real to them as yours is to you, and that this humility

is the first step in living in harmony on a planet that is ultimately

made up of 8 billion parallel universes."

With UK shows soon to be announced, Kishi Bashi will head out on a run of intimate album release shows throughout the U.S. in June, all of which have sold out two months in advance.

In February, he performed at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History event commemorating the Day of Remembrance, playing five new songs along with clips from the forthcoming Omoiyari: A Songfilm documentary. He presented a similar showing at Asheville,

NC’s Connect Beyond Music Festival earlier this month, alongside an interview with

NPR Music’s Bob Boilen. A current itinerary of upcoming dates is below and more

touring news will be announced soon. 

Channeling the hard-learned lessons of history - and reckoning with the country’s past internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII - Omoiyari is an uncompromising musical statement on the turbulent socio-political atmosphere of present-day America. Lead single “Summer of ’42” and

its follow-up “F Delano” saw support from NPR Music, Noisey, Brooklyn Vegan, Cool Hunting,

and more. 

“I was shocked when I saw white supremacy really starting to show its teeth again in America,” Kishi Bashi says. “My parents are immigrants, they came to the United States from Japan post–World War II. As a minority I felt very insecure for the first time in my adult life in this country. I think that was the real trigger for this project.”

 

Kishi Bashi recognised parallels between the current U.S. administration’s constant talk of walls and bans, and the xenophobic anxieties that led to the forced internment of Japanese-Americans

in the months following the attack on Pearl Harbour. So he immersed himself in that period, visiting former prison sites and listening to the stories of survivors, while developing musical concepts along the way. The unique creative process behind Omoiyari will be documented

in a film scheduled for release in early 2020.

“I didn’t want this project to be about history, but rather the importance of history, and the lessons we can learn,” Kishi Bashi -- whose previous albums 151a (2012), Lighght (2014), and Sonderlust (2016) have garnered serious

acclaim from outlets including NPR Music, The Wall Street Journal, and 

The Guardian -- reflects.

 

“I gravitated toward themes of empathy, compassion, and understanding as a way to overcome fear and intolerance. But I had trouble finding an English title for the piece. Omoiyari is a Japanese word. It doesn't necessarily translate as empathy, but it refers to the idea of creating compassion towards other people by thinking about them. I think the

idea of omoiyari is the single biggest thing that can help us overcome aggression and conflict.”

The strong conceptual elements of Omoiyari are driven by Kishi Bashi’s captivating musical score. Stepping away from his past loop-based production model, he embraced a more collaborative approach when recording, and for the first time included contributions from other musicians,

such as Mike Savino (aka Tall Tall Trees) on banjo and bass, and Nick Ogawa (aka

Takenobu) on cello. Kishi Bashi’s spectacular trademark violin soundscapes are still

an essential component of his sound, but the focus of Omoiyari is centred squarely

on its songs. The result is his most potent and poignant collection of music to date.

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LIVE DATES

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06/08 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theater SOLD OUT
06/10 - Los Angeles, CA @ Masonic Lodge SOLD OUT
06/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Masonic Lodge SOLD OUT
06/12 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall SOLD OUT
06/14 - Portland, OR @ The Old Church SOLD OUT
06/16 - Seattle, WA @ Washington Hall SOLD OUT
06/18 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club SOLD OUT
06/19 - Brooklyn, NY @ Murmrr Theatre SOLD OUT
06/20 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club SOLD OUT

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B I Z Z A R R E

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