Australian singer/songwriter
San Mei seamlessly blends dream pop, psych guitar splash, and atmospheric synths in a manner influenced by
the Beatles,
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club,
Cat Power, and
Feist. Debuting in the early 2010s, she issued the EPs Necessary in 2017 and Heaven in 2018.
Born Emily Hamilton to Chinese-Malaysian and New Zealand-born parents, she was raised in Gold Coast, Australia. From a young age, she was influenced by her father's
Beatles records and other '60s pop. She learned to play piano and later guitar, writing her first songs as
San Mei on keyboard and laptop. With contemporary inspiration provided by the sounds of indie rock, she developed an early dream-synth style, heard on initial singles "Brighter," "Wars," and "Revel."
Adding fuzzy guitar warmth to the mix, she issued 2017's Necessary EP, which sounded like
Lykke Li or
Lana Del Rey fronting a shoegaze band. For the follow-up, she joined with
Holy Holy's
Oscar Dawson, who produced 2018's Heaven EP. More expansive in scope and incorporating a driving rock edge, the short collection included the single "Wonder." To promote the effort, Hamilton joined
Holy Holy on an Australian tour in late 2018. ~ Neil Z. Yeung