Between the heartfelt prose of her blog posts and her casual ’90s R&B mashups, the humble singer-songwriter mesmi creates temperate compositions that exemplify her singing prowess. Her name, a gift of her college friends, is intentionally undercapped to convey a mindfulness that "music and art is about much more than me."
Even so, mesmi’s voice naturally commands the attention of others. Hers is a luster that’s reminiscent of Mandopop artists like Jay Chou — her 2013 debut EP was painted with the rosy veneer of studio production which gave some young Sarah McLachlan feels. Outside of the mixing room, mesmi’s unplugged café performances make you forget about the woes of your workweek, if only for a few minutes. Her journey is neither glam nor grunge — the artisanal and artistic qualities of mesmi’s musicianship, coupled with her attentiveness to fans, brings mesmi closer to earth than you’d expect.
Having played across the disparate and disconnected sprawl of Los Angeles for years, from Long Beach to the San Gabriel Valley, mesmi is ambivalent of the city’s sheer size.
"It can be hard to feel at home or to feel like you matter sometimes, but the fact that there’s always something going on and you can find creatives of so many different types is really special."
We couldn’t agree more. Rest assured — you do matter.
mesmi performs back-to-back shows this weekend: on Saturday at The Roar Room in La Crescenta, and Sunday at Art Share LA for So Soul Sundays. Listen to her newest released single "Gloria" below. – Ryan Mo