UMI is a Neo-Soul and R&B-Inspired Artist Creating Space for Healing

The music industry can feel very unpredictable but [my spirituality] grounds me. I’ll make a vision board or I’ll script, which is when you write about something you want to happen as if it’s already happened. I’m not worried about where my career will go because it’ll flow the way it’s meant to. Spirituality just gives me more space to be authentic and emotional and aware of everything I’m creating and doing. It’s the same with the people I work with— it’s all about being intentional.

How so?

As a female in this industry, I’m realizing how important it is to be intentional with the people you surround yourself with. This industry is very male-centric. There can be a lot of male ego.

You can work with people who work you to the ground because they don’t understand the importance of mental health, or men who might not have boundaries, so I’m really intentional about men I allow into my life and work with. I’m really intentional about increasing the number of women I work with and making sure they resonate with my energy. So by being tapped into myself, I’m more aware of the people I’m going to surround myself with—I feel better everyday because people aren’t dragging me down with their energy.

That makes sense—you being more selfaware allows you to make better choices so you can be the best person you can be.

Exactly. Today, I was watching the Amy Winehouse documentary, and I felt like she just needed people who felt and heard her. That opened my eyes. I really need to be careful about who I surround myself with because it’s not like the music industry is bad—not if you just be intentional with who you surround yourself with.

As a female in this industry, I’m realizing how important it is to be intentional with the people you surround yourself with. This industry is very male-centric. There can be a lot of male ego.

Does your cultural heritage have any impact on how you create your work?

I’m half-Japanese which is where “Umi,” my Japanese middle name, comes from. I speak Japanese and just went to Japan a couple months ago—I’m still very tapped into that part of myself. Growing up with my mom playing a lot of Japanese music in the house—like Japanese jazz, pop, and rock—I grew up with more melodies to tap into, and more perspective. So I’ve been realizing it more now, where a lot of my musical influences come from and how getting exposed as a child allowed me to have that in my self-conscious.

Also, I had a bit of an identity crisis at one point. “Am I Asian? Am I Black? What do people see me as?” But now, accepting both parts of myself, and accepting that people might not see me as both parts of myself—just making music that expresses that has been important.

In both ways, I feel like your music reflects that. It’s a mix of a lot of different genres, like mixing the two parts of your identity. All of that speaks to breaking down the idea of barriers that we arbitrarily create.

That’s so true. Now’s the best time to be an artist, because you don’t have to be one thing anymore—you can be everything. I’ve also been realizing the significance of your name on your personality. I’m really glad my mom picked “Umi” because my personality is very like the ocean, you know? I can see myself having different parts of the ocean when I’m making music.

Do you feel like a lot of that is because you’ve been close to the coast your whole life?

That’s a really good point! I’ve always grown up seeing water. I think that’s very true. I just got back from Hawaii a couple weeks ago, and just staying right by the ocean was such a healing experience. I’ve been learning to flow with life more. I’ve been having these ups and downs with emotions, but I would try to block and suppress it—and it’ll just come out in my music. I’m realizing I am the ocean. I just gotta flow with life.

Do you feel like a lot of that is because you’ve been close to the coast your whole life?

That’s a really good point! I’ve always grown up seeing water. I think that’s very true. I just got back from Hawaii a couple weeks ago, and just staying right by the ocean was such a healing experience. I’ve been learning to flow with life more. I’ve been having these ups and downs with emotions, but I would try to block and suppress it—and it’ll just come out in my music. I’m realizing I am the ocean. I just gotta flow with life.

I also learned that music really is energy. People would tell me they feel so healed from the show. And I felt like I was really doing something to help people, to impact people. So I just need to keep working on my live show and practicing so I can heal even more.

The British indie rock duo talk Grammy nominations, Harry Styles, and knitting.