Sachi Keiko

Sachi Keiko didn’t set out to become a singer-songwriter. Growing up in Las Vegas, she dabbled in violin and piano as a child before falling in love with percussion in middle school. That passion bolstered her through college, where she studied percussion in a prestigious and competitive conservatory environment, and after graduating she moved to New York City to pursue her lifelong dream of being a Broadway percussionist. But as the roadblocks to that goal kept piling up, she found herself turning more and more to her guitar — and her own voice. One online songwriting class changed everything. She was quickly welcomed into the vibrant singer-songwriter community in Brooklyn and hasn’t looked back, going from writing songs in her bedroom meant for no one else’s ears to performing all around NYC in venues like Nublu, Union Pool and Cassette. Her first EP, “Keep It Down” — set to be released October 9 — is a culmination of her musical abilities and the freedom of finally feeling able to express herself through song. With honeyed vocals that glide over soft guitar-led instrumentals, “Keep It Down” cements Sachi as a gifted singer-songwriter of the indie-rock persuasion (fans of early Phoebe Bridgers are sure to enjoy, but also conveys an important message: it’s never too late to find your voice. (Ellise Shafer)