Meg Myers photographed by Ana Coto

It’s always exciting to see talent getting the attention that they deserve and that’s exactly how we feel about the rise of 25-year-old Meg Myers. She has a colourful history; Meg was a practising Jehovah’s Witness but now says that she ‘celebrates her birthday’, she didn’t attend high school and claims that she will always make music. Meg has already been compared to the female artists of the 90s and she’s alright with that, especially when the names Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple are thrown in there. Her beauty is understated but captivating, her lyrics come across as occasionally tortured but delivered by a beautifully powerful voice and Swide have already fallen in love with her. This is one singer/songwriter who comes with some grit and is happy to say what she thinks and that is exactly what she does.

Meg Myers, a pleasure to have you on Swide. You’re doing rather well at the moment, aren’t you? What keeps you grounded?

Thank you for taking the time to have me. I hope so.. i sure could use a good year after 25 years in prison. Things have been going really well and I’m very excited. I guess the way I am able to make myself at least appear grounded.. is by spending every chance I get alone flying. 

It’s safe to say that ‘Monster’ caught our attention and then the release of your EP ‘Daughter in The Choir’ has been getting a lot of us music lovers rather excited, not to mention the record labels. How does it feel to be, for want of an expression, centre of attention?

To be honest, I don’t always feel like the centre of attention.  Most of the time I’m in the studio or waiting tables at a diner or home with my pet rats Lyon and Arrow. But to answer your question, when I do feel like I’m the centre of attention it can feel really really good, and other times it can feel really really overwhelming. But generally when it’s overwhelming it’s because I’m thinking something dumb like “will I meet everyone's expectations?” and as soon as I catch myself thinking like that, I tell myself to go fuck myself and that in the end we all die and none of it matters anyway.

You’re dad bought you your first guitar at age 8. Was it a match made in heaven or did you and your guitar have to develop a relationship?

Well, I think I spent a lot of time banging on it and strumming made up chords and then eventually we had to pawn it for money. If I remember correctly, it wasn’t until I was about 12-13 that I picked up a guitar and actually started learning.

You’re living in L.A. ‘Tennessee’, one of the tracks lifted from your EP, hears you say that you miss your roots. What is it you miss most about the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee?

Fireflies!

How much influence does the West Coast have on what you are currently putting into your work?

Hmm, I don’t know. It plays a roll, for sure. But so many things play a roll in my song writing. Mostly love and death.

Your music taste is damn varied. What music did you grow up with?

Yeah. I grew up listening to so many different styles. I’ve just always loved some artist or band from every genre.  Early on, I listened to what my parents listened to. Dire Straights, Police, Heart, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, CCR, Van Morrison, Jewel, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis etc.

You described your sound as Modern 90s. Can you expand on that for me?

Well everybody says I have a 90’s sound, which I agree with. I get compared to a lot of 90’s female artists and of course I love that because quite a few 90’s female artists were actually good. But that’s not all it is, obviously. There’s something new to what I do. I’m just playing and I’m not going for a specific type of sound. I’m kind of all over the place. I don’t know. fuck it. Modern 90’s.

What other tastes did you grow up around?

Beans and cornbread, spaghetti, Alfred Hitchcock, The Cosby Show, amazing stories, total chaos, basketball, ballet, baseball.

Do you have a lucky charm you take on the road with you? What’s its significance?

Haven’t gone on the road yet. But when I do, I’ll take this little alien head with me that my friends Lo and Ben gave me.

 Meg Myers photographed by Ana Coto

Music is your outlet and it helped you get through ‘some shit’ as you put it. Now that you’re star is rising are you worried if your outlet will be damaged?

No not really. I can just self-destruct if need be.

When are you a fucking monster?

When I’m riding my Huffy (a type of bike if you were wondering)

If you want to find out a bit more about Meg Myers check out when Carson Daly got his hands on her, below:

Meg Myers' EP ‘Daughter in the Choir’ is out now and available as a free download here Meginthedark!

Meg Myers' Facebook

Interviewed and written by Ben Taylor