Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter UMI breathes life and exhales acceptance on the freshly released talking to the wind EP. As for live dates, they have a pair coming up in Australia, though here’s hoping some more are on the way so we can have a repeat of their sublime performance at the Fonda Theatre. The follow-up to their 2022 debut album Forest in the City, the new EP arrives as a four-track meditation that embraces the need for growth during times of aimless change.
talking to the wind begins with a tender invitation of intimacy — physical, emotional, soulful — unfurling itself from the velvety grooves of “why dont we go.” The song’s weightless jubilance and dulcet melody encourage you to sink deeper into the warmth of UMI’s effervescing vocals. In “happy im” she alternates between English and Japanese, painting an image of verdant love that acknowledges the mistakes made in avoiding it. Then there’s the coy affection that ebbs and flows out of “not necessarily,” their lucid affirmations confirming a need to be awash in loving waters.
“SHOW ME OUT” — one of the new songs revealed by the EP — serves as its closer. As its caps-locked name suggests the track is a gushing plea to be wrapped in the doting and nourishing love of another. “Obvious this is something that I’ma need forever / You show me something inside me that I’ve been seeking,” she coos lucently. “Baby, can you show me out?” A music video directed by UMI showcases the song’s vivacious spirit, following them as they execute a blissful choreography alongside dancers VJ Vee and Augustine.
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UMI said of the EP: “Each of the songs were created at a time where I didn’t know exactly where I was going or what I was creating for. The only thing I knew for certain was that in the moment of creating it all I was happy. It’s okay to create without a map and to live without one, too; to breathe out and let the wind of life take you where you’re always meant to be.”
Words: Steven Ward
Visit UMI on their website, TikTok, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
UMI tour
3/26 – Sydney, NSW – Oxford Art Factory
3/27 – Melbourne, VIC – Night Cat
Listen to talking to the wind the new EP from UMI below!
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