Emi Meyer

"A true artist is someone who thinks from her heart, who will tell you what she feels, not what she thinks or knows. Not only is Emi a true artist, but she brings out the artist in everyone. I felt it from the first day we started writing together." -Brett Dennen

"It was such an enjoyable experience singing on Emi's new album. Her songs are so strong and her beautiful voice makes it so much fun to sing along with. Emi seems to have an easy, laid-back approach to life. I definitely felt her flowing energy in the studio working with her. And I feel like this energy, this easiness, definitely comes through in her songs. It was very inspiring to see and be a part of." -Priscilla Ahn

"The articulate and confident Meyer, who grew up in Japan and Seattle, began her career at six years old as a classical and jazz pianist and has courageously penned original music influenced by reggae, pop, and rock since her groundbreaking victory at the 2007 Seattle-Kobe Jazz Vocalist Competition. With four solid albums (including a Japanese one) under her belt, Meyer is ready to take over the next part of the world where her music treads." -Audrey Magazine

A beloved indie-pop music darling in Japan, vocalist/pianist Emi Meyer will release her latest full-length studio album, Galaxy's Skirt, in North America on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. The 26 year-old Kyoto, Japan-born and Seattle, WA-raised artist teams up with producer/songwriter David Ryan Harris on Galaxy's Skirt; the album features guest appearances by Brett Dennen, Priscilla Ahn, and an all-star cast of LA studio musicians (see below for a list of musicians). Plankton will release Galaxy's Skirt in Japan (April 3, 2013), and Silver Side Productions (Los Angeles) will digitally distribute the album stateside. Interviews and photos are available upon request.

Over the course of releasing four albums (Suitcase of Stones, Curious Creature, Passport, and the EP LOL), Meyer has gained wide popularity in Japan with several notable TV placements of various songs with brands such as Toyota Prius and Disney Mobile; her tracks have also landed in commercials with a handful of Japanese tech/food/drink companies (Kewpie, Kirin, Docomo). Canon Camera solicited Meyer about using the new Canon EOS 500 camera for the video shoot of the title track "Galaxy's Skirt," which she happily agreed to. Meyer's career in Japan began in 2007, after winning the Seattle-Kobe Jazz Vocalist Competition. The first place win led to consistent touring in Japan, including a tour with French-Israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naem, and hitting #1 on the Japanese jazz charts.

US audiences were introduced to Emi Meyer in July 2011 when PRI "The World" interviewed her immediately after touring in Japan, following the devastating earthquake on March 11, 2011. Her last full-length studio album, Suitcase of Stones, was released two days before the earthquake. Meyer decided to tour Japan as a way to raise morale and offer some hope to people across her native country. She recalls, "I had an official tour planned in May 2011, and a lot of my family and friends were advising me not to travel to Tokyo because of concerns about radioactivity. I saw how my Japanese band mates were out of work, that a lot of people weren't able to go to concerts, and that I could offer something empathic and affirming to Japan. So, it was a gut reaction, and I went on tour as scheduled. The trip really changed my views on life."

After returning to Seattle from her tour of Japan, Meyer released a five-song EP in March 2012, entitled LOL. She comments, "LOL is about a friend's baby - I was just so elated to see this happy new baby in light of everything happening in Japan. The right for every baby to have the best chance they have to be healthy in life. This really inspired me to write LOL."

An abundance of life experiences led up to Meyer writing Galaxy's Skirt, and she landed a rare opportunity to work with a longtime role model, David Ryan Harris. "I discovered Harris' song 'For You' in college and I fell in the love with it. I knew he could do a really produced sound with diverse inflections, but also that he could do simple production, just guitar and vocals. If he was producing the album, I knew it would have a really cohesive quality."

Meyer and David Ryan Harris partnered up for the production of Galaxy's Skirt; Harris enlisted a standout cast of LA studio musicians including guitarist Michael Chaves (John Mayer), bassist Sean Hurley (Sheryl Crow), drummer Victor Indrizzo (Sheryl Crow), vocalist Wendy Wang (Priscilla Ahn), and pianist Zac Rae (Alanis Morissette). On Galaxy's Skirt, Meyer's Soul-inflected vocals and classical piano-work are front-and-center with Harris' creative pop-production beautifully portraying stories about life, love and staying positive.