The Seshen, Emily Afton, Sky Cats and Grace Hayes

The Seshen- Emily Afton featuring Grace Hayes and the Sky Cats appear at The Saint at 8 p.m. Friday, July 14. The cover is $10.

The Seshen is a San Francisco Bay Area-based six-piece led by singer/lyricist Lalin St. Juste and bassist/producer Akiyoshi Ehara. Their forward-thinking sound combines synthesizers, drum machines, live percussion, and entrancing harmonies to create an unmistakable fusion of R&B, synth-pop, and electronic music. St. Juste and Ehara are joined by four remarkable bandmates to create their multidimensional music: drummer Chris Thalmann, keyboard/synth player Mahesh Rao, percussionist Mirza Kopelman, and sampler Kumar Butler. They take inspiration from across the musical spectrum; their individual influences range from recognizable artists (Erykah Badu, Jai Paul, James Blake, Radiohead and Broadcast) to genres and eras that don’t initially appear to fit together (hip hop, indie rock, early electronica, and ’70s dub). Their unique alchemy of seemingly disparate sounds has led fans and critics alike to describe the band as defying categorization.

The Seshen’s latest release, “Flames & Figures” (October 14, 2016 – Tru Thoughts), was two years in the making and marks an evolution in their distinctive sound. Narrated by St. Juste’s lyrical stream of consciousness,  “Flames & Figures” explores themes of femininity, power, illusion, and loss, as she draws on both her personal experiences and the world of her imagination.

The band remains in high demand, supporting live shows with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, tUnE-yArDs, Thundercat, Petite Noir and many more. They will be touring extensively in both the U.S. and Europe in 2017 after recently signing with booking agency 13 Artists (Tame Impala, Alabama Shakes, Portishead).