Yumi And The System

Blink and you could miss an East Nashville show played by Yumi and the System. But if you’re listening, you’ll hear about the energy long after the show. They’re Cat Power vs. the Kills. A grunge-­‐rock cousin to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. And their energy is sweeping the floor, and providing an integral part of the ever-­‐shifting rock genre. This crunching, energy packed duo swelling up East Nashville has easily become a must-­‐see for locals in the rock scene. With strict punk beats, daring melodies, and seasoned with electronic flavor, Yumi and the System have caught onto something. Having previously toured in a band for a number of years, Pennsylvania transplants Amy and Ben Wright refreshed their love for music by taking a break from their previous project. With their passion for the rock genre, they started shaping new songs, and the female-­‐ fronted rock duo Yumi and the System was born. In May, they began working with producer and musician Lincoln Parish (founding member of Cage the Elephant), and the music quickly snapped into place. They released their debut album Wonders Of Origin in September, with great response thusfar. “I love that music can be landmarks in a person’s life,” says Ben. “It can remind you of that road trip, get you through a loss, or be that song that was playing when you were in a fender bender. Music is what creates the memories.” The album utilitizes Amy singing lead vocals, and Ben creating melodies on guitar, with bass, keys and a drummer close behind. Amy’s vocals are best described as nonchalantly authoritative, the kind of voice the rock scene has recently been lacking. The band’s music easily treads on the cracks of modern European rock, and consistently steps next to the mainstream. Although Ben and Amy primarily write the songs, the debut record Wonders Of Origin includes their cowrites with Kevin Tetuan and Joey Campbell. “I love writing, playing with our friends, all of it,” says Amy. “It’s more fun sharing ideas with others rather than shouldering them alone.” Their debut video of “Day of the Tiger,” (directed by Seth Graves) showcases their experimental, crunching rock sound. It’s easy for musicians who find themselves in Nashville to lose themselves along the way. Being surrounded by the business side of music can quickly cause creativity to dwindle and drain the fun out of performing. But for Amy, it’s much more than that. “What I love most about music is how sometimes it can transport you to another world. We all can lose ourselves in a song that brings us back inspired, or feeling a breath of release from life's daily grind. With this project, I often wrote as an escape, a release, or just void of inspiration. And then something would shift where I realize that picture has become so much bigger than myself. The definition of the word Yumi has become the skeleton for the spirit to attach to. It's unavoidable. Music always has interacted with the human spirit. It can provoke or calm. It can relieve or intensify. It can be only fun or meet you with seriousness. It can give you soul and open your eyes to those around you.” Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yumitweets Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/yumiandthesystem www.yumiandthesystem.com