SOUTH BAY ARTIST MEGG ELECTRIFIES THE POP SCENE IN SOPHOMORE EP,
Interview conducted on Sept. 30th
by Dan Locke
South Bay-born and raised artist, MEGG, bridges the gap between her love for pop music and her Southern California beach punk rock roots – while combining that with her in-your-face, unapologetically goofy, and warm personality. With a voice that sounds like the lovechild of P!nk and Bishop Briggs, you can’t help but be captivated by the strength and grit of her vocals and her attention-commanding stage presence. Her feel-good, hard-hitting music will have you driving way too fast, scream-singing at the top of your lungs with the windows rolled down on your way to the beach to drink with your friends. “Keep your ears and eyes open to this powerful Pop-Rock package,” says the legend Patrice Rushen.
How did you discover music?
When I was a kid, I discovered music from my parents and as I got older I became a total MTV and Pure Volume addict. I also discovered a lot of music from what my older brothers were listening to in middle and high school. From Led Zeppelin to Thrice to Rancid to Avenged Sevenfold to 50 Cent to Britney Spears and the Spice Girls to Blink 182, we had aaaalllll the genres blasting in our house growing up!
What is the process of writing your music?
My process for writing music usually falls into two categories- I either show up to a session with a co-writer and we start from scratch or start with an idea either one of us had previously come up with OR an idea will come to me in the shower or on a run (inspo always hits then!) and I’ll flesh it out into a voice memo on my phone. Lyrics and melody usually come at the same time for me (along with some kind of visual) so I’ll either sit on the piano and crank it out or I’ll sing bass notes and drum parts into my phone and bring it to a producer to help me fully realize it!
Out of the 6 songs on your sophomore EP, ‘Here For Now’, which one is your favorite track?
Damn, that’s a hard one. I feel like I love them all for different reasons but I’d say SHAMOO or Disney Shit. When I decided I wanted to write and release music again after like 4 years, SHAMOO was the first song we wrote so it’s really special to me because it brought me back to myself and also because of its meaning. Disney Shit is another contender for fave because it’s just so honest and real and although the relationship I wrote it about didn’t last, it’s still such a beautiful reminder to be yourself, no matter how weird, loud or “too much” people may tell you you are. It’s also my favorite to sing live!
Is “Summer in the South Bay” based on a true story?
Yes! I wrote it about my childhood and what it was like to grow up on Avenue C in Redondo Beach! The music video shows a full depiction of what it was like for me growing up in the South Bay. Steve from Phanny’s is real, LBJ’s is real, the Avenue C stairs are real – these spots made me and raised me in a way. Every day in the summer was the same – we would wake up, meet out front of one of our houses, skate down to Phannys, grab a burger and a milkshake, play at the beach all day, as the sun was setting we would skate back up the street, hit LBJS, grab a Special C and make it home before the street lights came on. Growing up here was fucking magical, I’m very very lucky for that.
Tell me about the single “Change”.
Ah, Change. Well, I was in a relationship for a long time with someone I had fallen head over heels in love with and he loved me right back. I had never been loved like that before by a partner so I dove aaaaaaaall the way in. About halfway through our relationship, I realized that I wasn’t happy anymore. I wasn’t making music, I wasn’t playing shows and I was questioning who I was. There was a very real part of me that loved playing house and building a life around my partner but a bigger part of me knew it wasn’t enough. I ended up moving out of our home of 2.5 years together, decided it was time to get back to myself, start making music again, and as all of that was happening, I had the shitty realization that as I was living my truth, I was falling out of love with him. I randomly had my diary with me for this session, showed up bawling and my friend Matias Mora and I sat on his patio with an acoustic guitar and pulled lyrics straight from my diary. I really loved being in love and I loved him and what we had so I stayed for a few years after writing it but deep down I knew it wasn’t the same. I didn’t end up releasing it until after we had broken up which was haunting and took on a whole new meaning but that’s the story.
What was your first performance like?
My first solo performance was when I was 8. My mom forced me to wear a full-blown mermaid costume (no one else dressed up), I sang Part of Your World, was SO nervous and on the big last big not, I croaked like a frog.
How was it to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion?
Oh my God, that was a DREAM! I couldn’t believe I had been chosen to sing at my high school’s graduation there & to this day am still so grateful to LACHSA for that experience. Blows my mind I got to sing at the fucking Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and one of my favorite songs to sing at that!
How was it to work with Cameron Bennett?
I love working with Cameron Bennett. He is incredibly organized, professional, talented and a true dream to work with. He’s got a crazy eye for things and is really collaborative, which I love. He’s really great at taking both the artist’s vision and his own and combine the two together to create something so special. He’s on time and literally schedules shots by the 5-minute mark- who does that?! He’s so passionate about his projects and he goes all the way in for his clients which is why I’ll always choose to work with him. His brain is magic and he’s honestly the best to work with.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies in quarantine?
Running!! I realized I gotta do it – it really clears my mind and gets my mental right. Ok, that isn’t really a hobby lol but that’s the first thing that comes to mind!
What is your happy place?
Being on stage. The beach. Sunday BBQ with my family. Long drives. The studio.
