Swiss-Polish-Japanese singer, composer, and pianist Yumi Ito has long been celebrated for her ability to blur boundaries between genres and cultures. Now, with the release of Lonely Island, she strips everything back to its essence. For the first time in her career, Ito performs completely solo—just voice and piano—offering a deeply personal album that is both a retreat and a revelation.

Drawing on her classical training, jazz improvisation, and a lifelong practice of learning by ear (from early childhood under the Suzuki method), Ito reimagines ten of her own songs that have accompanied her over many years - pieces she says she would take with her to a desert island. Among them: the meditative Old Redwood Tree, the impressionistic Stardust Crystals, and a transformed version of What Seems To Be, where she replaces the original saxophone lines with her own voice and piano.

The result is music that shimmers and breathes - somewhere between Debussy, Norah Jones, Ólafur Arnalds and Tori Amos. There are echoes of impressionism, Brazilian rhythms, and cinematic landscapes. Every sound was recorded live, creating a delicate sonic world that draws the listener closer with each phrase.

Lonely Island marks both a homecoming and a new direction. Rooted in improvisation and guided by storytelling, the album opens a new chapter in Ito’s genre-defying career. While a full-band album and international tour are planned for 2026, this is Ito at her most stripped back - and arguably most powerful.