Orono is coming to Portland.

Former Maine high school student Orono Noguchi will perform with her band Superorganism at Port City Music Hall on May 23.

Noguchi, a native of Japan, was a student at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor when she became lead singer of the London-based band, known for a trippy electro-pop sound.

Shortly after graduating from high school in 2017, she began performing with the band, including tours of Europe and Asia.

Orono Noguchi, of the band Superorganism.

The band’s debut self-titled album came out in March, and Rolling Stone named it one of the 50 best albums of the year. The eight-member band performed on the late-night talk show “Conan” in September. The group begins a U.S. tour in April and has shows scheduled in Europe in the summer.

The May 23 show in Portland was announced Tuesday online. Tickets are $17 to $20 and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. For more information, go to portcitymusichall.com.

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Noguchi grew up outside of Tokyo and embraced American pop music and culture from an early age, encouraged by her father. Her parents had spent time studying at the University of Maine in Orono, and they named her after the town. She grew up honing her English skills on indie rock by groups like Weezer and Pavement.

Wanting to live closer to the music and culture she loved, Noguchi enrolled as a boarding student at John Bapst High School in Bangor. While a student there, she found the music of her Superorganism bandmates online. They were then called the Eversons.

Noguchi and the band members corresponded online, exchanging lyrics and ideas. In early 2017, the band members started making a demo and sent the music to Noguchi. She wrote lyrics for it on a Sunday morning in her dorm room. The finished song, “Something for Your M.I.N.D” launched the band’s career.

Ray Routhier can be contacted 791-6454 or at:

rrouthier@pressherald.com.

Twitter: @RayRouthier


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