Yukimi

Flying solo is a state of independence, a sense of liberation, an intrepid yet intimate act. For singer-songwriter Yukimi Nagano, the celebrated vocalist and co-founder of Grammy-nominated outfit Little Dragon, it is all these things and more. Yukimi’s debut solo album, For You, sees her step away from a band formation while staying with the always innovative Ninja Tune label – and creating some of her most beautiful work to date: both intensely personal, and brilliantly relatable.

Yukimi’s voice remains unmistakeable on For You; she elegantly entwines musical styles from jazz, soul and electronic pop to hip hop, roots and psychedelia, but her new song themes dig deeper than ever, across love, loss, feminine energy and innate resilience. Her decision to take a solo route also marks a new chapter in her accomplishments, which have included seven acclaimed albums with Little Dragon (most recently, 2023’s Slugs Of Love), and memorable guest spots with acts such as Gorillaz, De La Soul, DJ Shadow, SBTRKT and BADBADNOTGOOD, as well as becoming a mother to two young children.

“When I originally thought about making a solo record, it was more than a gut feeling,” explains Yukimi. “When I said it to myself, it felt so right, and there wasn’t any sadness at all. As life moves, some of the things that you’re originally scared of become not scary at all. Once the idea unfolds in the moment, you’re like: ‘Yeah, of course I’m supposed to take this path!’

“One of the things I’m really enjoying is being able to make the decisions by myself. I feel like previously, there was a part of me I hadn’t been able to show in the music, because it hasn’t always been the fair thing in a democratic band situation. Now, I just go ahead and try what I want, and that process has been absolutely lovely, just to feel free.”

While this album certainly represents a significant turning point for Yukimi, it is also very intentionally entitled: For You. As she notes: “For me, when songwriting is personal, it also becomes very accessible, because we’re not that different from one another.”

Yukimi has been building to this moment. Born in Gothenburg to an American mother and Japanese father, her love of music blossomed in childhood, and became a professional career in her teens. She soon began to write and sing her own material. When a famous Swedish pop hit factory approached her to sing their tunes, she declined – instead, she seized creative adventures with Little Dragon: a band she’d co-founded with high school friends in 1996.

The 12 exhilaratingly far-ranging tracks on For You celebrate Yukimi’s independent spirit, but they also prove she has never been a solitary soul. The album is lushly co-produced with her Little Dragon bandmate and long-time friend Erik Bodin, who also produced Yukimi’s new compositions. “I’m definitely a team player,” she confirms. “I think my studio is my safe space, and Erik is such a close friend, I feel in my comfort zone when I’m writing with him.”

Yukimi also finds a kindred creative spirit in another talented collaborator: British singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas, who collaborates on songs including the distinctly tender confessional “Stream Of Consciousness”. Yukimi beams: “Lianne came in like a force of nature. We really boosted and inspired each other, which was such a beautiful thing.”

The album’s opening track “Make Me Whole” sets a dreamy, elated tone, along with Yukimi’s characteristically lucid lyrics about desire and potential; the song, incidentally, was sparked on the road in Atlantic City, while on US tour with Little Dragon. “It’s a song about the need to feel fulfilled, and how that applies to us in different ways,” she says. “Sometimes, we just pass through places that leave a strong impression; they’re like juice for writing music.”

The first single release “Break Me Down” feels coolly jazzy and deliciously defiant, with an accompanying video (directed by Fredrik Egerstrand) that references Ingmar Bergman’s cinematic opus, The Seventh Seal, with Yukimi playing the parts of both Death and the Knight. “’Break Me Down’ is definitely a ‘hype me up’ kind of track,” says Yukimi. “All of us could use that type of energy sometimes, and just really feel boundless and big and hopeful – existing in a super-positive space.”

“Break Me Down” reflects Yukimi’s free-spirited attitude (“Every day, I’m reborn like a new reveal... Don’t put me in a box”), which also applies to her entire album’s naturally diverse blend of genres.

“Throughout my childhood, I moved around, and I’m such a mixture of cultures and influences – musically, I’m also all over the place,” she says, cheerfully. “I’m listening to 1990s R&B, Swedish jazz and folk, West African dance music. On For You, I found a balance between organic and electronic sounds, and classic guitar-and-vocals songwriting. I have fun taking in the little elements that I love from other places, then translating it into my own style. That’s also the beauty of every human being’s voice; as much as you might try to copy something else, you carry your own sound.”

Candour and intuition prove a source of strength on these songs. When Yukimi relates themes of sorrow and vulnerability, as on “Sad Makeup”, the observations are sometimes raw, but the effect is ultimately uplifting. “So many times, I’ve been around people who don’t feel well, but try to act like they’re fine,” she says. “The energy always hits really hard.”

Yukimi’s loved ones are also deeply present throughout For You. Her young sons contribute super-cute vocal interludes, and also inspire two unforgettably gorgeous melodies: the sweetly brooding soul of “Elinam”, and the powerfully tender “Jaxon”. “Nothing can surpass the amount of personal growth that I get from being a mother, so it’s natural that they spill out into my music,” she says.

“Jaxon” is a celebration of life and limitless love; additionally, because her son’s father sadly died two years ago, the song is also an exploration of the grieving process – and Yukimi is joined by De La Soul wordsmith Pos, in heartfelt devotion to a child, and memory of a parent, friend, and brother. “That song just had to happen,” she says. “It’s one that makes me cry all the time, because as soon as I listen to Pos’s verse, it moves me. I couldn’t think of anything more healing than to have him write a message to Jaxon.”

On the final track, “Feels Good To Cry”, we hear words to the wise, warmly spoken by Yukimi’s father, Yusuke Nagano. “This track is about just how important and healing it is to cry,” she says. “It feels like the world needs to cry for a bunch of things that it hasn’t really been given time to process. With my dad being from Japan, and part of a post-war generation where you worked hard but didn’t really show your feelings, I wanted to get his current thoughts on expressing yourself through tears. So, I called him up, and what he said resonated with my own thoughts.

“I want this music to really be a force to connect people to each other, and step away from the madness of everything on the planet right now. And I’m excited about embarking on that journey on my own – the expression really feels pure.” On For You, Yukimi’s musical embrace is inspiringly vast, and entirely whole-hearted.”