sasami
{{Short description|American singer-songwriter (born 1990)}}
{{About|the singer|her self-titled album|Sasami (album){{!}}Sasami (album)|the Tenchi Muyo! character|Sasami Masaki Jurai|the anime TV series|Sasami: Magical Girls Club}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sasami
| background = solo_singer
| image = Sasami Ashworth 2018 (40589380565) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Sasami performing in 2018
| birth_name = Sasami Ashworth
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|06|23|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = Bronxville, New York, US
| origin = Los Angeles, California, US
| genre = {{hlist|Indie rock|country rock|alternative metal}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|musician}}
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|keyboards|bass|guitar|French horn}}
| years_active = 2012–present
| label = Domino
| past_member_of = Cherry Glazerr
| website = {{URL|sasamiashworth.com}}
}}
Sasami Ashworth (born June 23, 1990), known mononymously as Sasami (stylized as SASAMI), is an American musician who records music in a variety of styles, from singer-songwriter ballads to heavy metal and industrial.{{Cite web |title=SASAMI Biography, Songs, & Albums |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sasami-mn0003806630/biography |access-date=January 7, 2023 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} She began her career as a member of Cherry Glazerr but went solo in 2018. Her most recent album, Blood on the Silver Screen, was released on March 7, 2025.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, Sasami toured as a member of ambient pop artist Yeule's backing band.{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2023 |title=Logging Off and Rocking Out With yeule, Pop's Internet Explorer |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/logging-off-and-rocking-out-with-yeule-pops-internet-explorer/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}
Career
= Early life =
Born in Bronxville, New York, Sasami Ashworth comes from a Zainichi family.{{Cite web|url=https://wfuv.org/content/sasami-2019|title=SASAMI: 2019|date=May 29, 2019|first=Alisa|last=Ali|publisher=WFUV|access-date=February 2, 2025}}{{Cite web |date=February 21, 2022 |title=Artist of the Month: Enter SASAMI's World of Fantasy |url=https://consequence.net/2022/02/sasami-interview-artist-of-the-month-squeeze/ |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=Consequence |language=en-US}} Her father is of German descent and her mother was a Korean born in Japan during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Ashworth spoke Korean and Japanese growing up and was part of the Unification Church.{{Cite web|url=https://joysauce.com/sasami-enters-her-nu-metal-era/|title=Sasami Enters Her Nü-Metal Era|date=December 21, 2022|first=Melissa|last=Slaughter|publisher=JoySauce Network|access-date=January 30, 2025}} She learned the French horn in middle school and attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts alongside members of Haim.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/arts/music/sasami-squeeze.html|title=Sasami Wanted to Appropriate White, Male Music. She Landed on Metal.|date=February 21, 2022|first=Eric|last=Ducker|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 30, 2025}} After she graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 2012, she scored and made orchestral arrangements for films, commercials and studio albums, and worked as a music teacher in Los Angeles, where she is currently based. In 2015, she joined the American rock band Cherry Glazerr with whom she played synths and toured for two and a half years before announcing her departure in January 2018 to pursue her solo musical career.{{cite web |url=http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/news/09-10-18/sasami-signs-to-domino |title=SASAMI signs to Domino |work=Domino Recording Company |date=October 9, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2018}}{{cite web |last=Rettig |first=James |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1989714/sasami-callous/premiere |title=SASAMI – "Callous" |work=Stereogum |date=April 3, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2018}}
= Solo career =
In April 2018, Sasami shared her first solo track "Callous" on SoundCloud, which Pitchfork awarded with their "Best New Track" label.{{cite web |last=Farrell |first=Margaret |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/sasami-callous |title="Callous" by SASAMI Review |work=Pitchfork |date=April 5, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2018}} Later that year Domino Recording Company announced that Sasami had signed to their label, and released the songs "Callous" and "Not the Time". The Fader called Sasami "rock's next big thing."{{cite web |last=Wang |first=Steffanee |url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/10/09/sasami-not-the-time |title=SASAMI is rock's next big thing |work=The Fader |date=October 9, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2018}} Sasami stated, "I wrote both of these songs on tour on a guitar on my iPad with GarageBand plugins and Moog 15 app sounds and then re-recorded them in the studio onto tape with really great tones. So it's kind of like emotionally scribbling a letter on a tear and snot-stained napkin and then re-writing it on fancy papyrus paper to make it look like you have your shit together." The songs were released on a 7" vinyl in October 2018.{{cite web |url=https://sasami.dominomart.com/not-the-time-callous-7 |title=Sasami {{!}} Domino Mart |website=Sasami.dominomart.com |access-date=October 10, 2018}}
Throughout 2018, Sasami toured with various musicians, including Baths, No Joy, King Tuff,{{cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/sasami-ex-cherry-glazerr-has-a-new-song-touring-w-king-tuff-cut-worms/ |title=SASAMI (ex-Cherry Glazerr) has a new song, touring w/ King Tuff & Cut Worms |work=BrooklynVegan |date=April 25, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2018}} Mitski, Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail and Menace Beach.{{cite web |last=Rettig |first=James |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2018018/sasami-not-the-time/music |title=SASAMI Shares New Song "Not the Time" |work=Stereogum |date=October 9, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2018}} In early 2019, Sasami announced her eponymous debut studio album, Sasami, and released two more singles.{{cite web |last=Maicki |first=Salvatore |url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/02/13/sasami-devendra-banhart-free-new-single-domino |title=SASAMI enlists Devendra Banhart for contemplative new single "Free" |work=The Fader |date=February 14, 2019 |access-date=June 29, 2019}} The album was released in March of that year.{{cite web |last=Renshaw|first=David |url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/01/09/sasami-album-release-date-jealousy |title=SASAMI shares "Jealousy" and confirms debut album details |work=The Fader |date=January 9, 2019 |access-date=January 9, 2019}} In February 2022 Sasami released her second album, Squeeze, on Domino. The album received many positive reviews and was named as one of the best albums of the year by Rolling Stone.{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |date=December 1, 2022 |title=The 100 Best Albums of 2022 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2022-list-1234632387/ |access-date=January 7, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} In 2023, Sasami toured in support of Yeule as a solo performer and guitarist in Yeule’s band.{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2023 |title=Logging Off and Rocking Out With yeule, Pop's Internet Explorer |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/logging-off-and-rocking-out-with-yeule-pops-internet-explorer/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Sasami identifies as queer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.them.us/story/sasami-squeeze-queer-now-awards-2022|title=Sasami's Nu-Metal Anthems Will Purge Your Queer Rage|date=June 13, 2022|first=Michelle Hyun|last=Kim|work=Them|access-date=February 2, 2025}} As a child, her family brought her up in the Unification Church, which she would later refer to as a cult.
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" style="width:7em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:18em;"| Details |
| scope="row"| Sasami
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| Squeeze
|
|
| scope="row"| Blood on the Silver Screen
|
|
=Singles=
=Credits=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:9em;| Album ! scope="col" style="width:9em;| Artist ! scope="col" style="width:10em;| Credit(s) ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| 2014
| At Best Cuckold | Horns |{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/at-best-cuckold-mw0002691040/credits |title=At Best Cuckold – Avi Buffalo {{!}} Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=October 10, 2018}} |
| scope="row"| 2017
| String arrangements |{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/face-your-fear-mw0003094753/credits |title=Face Your Fear – Curtis Harding {{!}} Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=October 10, 2018}} |
| scope="row"| 2018
| Indigo | Background vocals |{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/indigo-mw0003189068/credits |title=Indigo – Wild Nothing {{!}} Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=October 10, 2018}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|sasamiashworth.com}}
- {{MusicBrainz artist|id=c1184bef-262b-4d23-8946-57f2ce92311c|name=Sasami}}
{{Cherry Glazerr}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people
Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century American women singers
Category:American feminist musicians
Category:American indie rock musicians
Category:American LGBTQ people of Asian descent
Category:American multi-instrumentalists
Category:American musicians of Korean descent
Category:American people of German descent
Category:American people of South Korean descent
Category:American queer musicians
Category:American women bass guitarists
Category:American women guitarists
Category:American women singer-songwriters
Category:Domino Recording Company artists
Category:Eastman School of Music alumni
Category:Guitarists from California
Category:LGBTQ people from California
Category:LGBTQ people from New York (state)
Category:Los Angeles County High School for the Arts alumni
Category:Musicians from Los Angeles
Category:People from Bronxville, New York
Category:Queer singer-songwriters