Hemlocke Springs nearly let her nerves derail her music career.
The alternative pop singer and producer, whose real name is Isimeme “Naomi” Udu, rose to viral fame in 2022 for her self-produced single “Girlfriend.” Two years prior, however, while studying at Dartmouth College, she was so shy about the early demos she uploaded to SoundCloud that she deleted them from the site altogether. It took her a year to muster up the courage to return to music, releasing a demo called “Jacob” under her current stage name.
Praised for the nostalgic and kitschy atmosphere of her music, the musician melds elements of electronic dance music and bedroom pop for upbeat-yet-romantic tunes. Quickly growing her following online after the release of “Girlfriend,” Hemlocke Springs was eventually invited to open for acts such as queer pop trio Muna and rappers Ashnikko and Doja Cat.
She released her debut studio album, “The Apple Tree Under the Sea,” in February and plans to bring the accompanying tour to San Francisco’s Fillmore on Wednesday, May 20.
The trek will mark her first North American headlining tour.