In this engaging episode of Seeing Them Live, we welcome MEGG, a dynamic artist who fuses pop music with her punk rock roots. Raised in LA's South Bay, MEGG has opened for bands like The Used, headlined the iconic Saint Rocke Music Venue, and even sung the national anthem at Dodgers Stadium. The discussion covers her musical journey, including her first concert experience at a Madonna show, and her childhood fascination with the Spice Girls. MEGG reminisces about her early bands and significant concerts, shares her time at USC's Popular Music Performance Program, and discusses her thrilling participation in Warped Tour. Listeners will also hear about her EP plans, insights into her creative process, and her exciting upcoming performances including Warped Tour in Long Beach. Tune in to hear her story, her music, and a live acoustic rendition of 'The Hangover Song.'
This episode features an interview with the artist MEGG, who combines her love for pop music with her punk rock background to create a unique sound for a diverse audience of tomboys, romantics, and misfits. Born and raised in LA's South Bay, MEGG has achieved significant milestones such as performing at Dodgers Stadium, headlining at Saint Rocke Music Venue, and opening for bands like The Used. This summer, she will be playing at Van's Warp Tour in Long Beach, California.
The conversation begins with MEGG recalling her first concert experience, a Madonna show, attended with her parents and a friend, which left a lasting impression on her as a child. They discuss various best concerts she has attended, including performances by Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and Missy Elliot. This inspires MEGG to share how these experiences shaped her musical career, leading her to attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and later the University of Southern California's Popular Music Performance Program.
MEGG recounts forming several bands along the way, including Runway MMC with her friends, supported by her mother's visionary clothing line idea, and Party for One, a pop-punk band she started with her buddies from USC. MEGG's career took significant turns with these projects, growing from performing at college parties to headline venues like Saint Rocke. MEGG delves further into pivotal moments such as playing the Musink Tattoo Music Festival, opening for The Used, and the journey to secure a spot at Warped Tour 2025.
MEGG's experiences exhibit her resilience and dedication to her craft amidst various challenges and the evolving music industry landscape. Towards the end of the interview, MEGG discusses her musical influences, her recent single releases, and plans for upcoming projects, such as an EP to be released in the fall following her performances at Warped Tour. She emphasizes the importance of staying true to her musical style while being versatile across different genres. As an added treat, the interview includes a live acoustic rendition of MEGG’s 'The Hangover Song.'
BANDS: Blink 182, Every Time I Die, Fleetwood Mac, Guns N Roses, Hot Water Music, Mumford and Sons, Nirvana, No Doubt, Paramore, Pennywise, Pennywise, Spice Girls, Sum 41, Taking Back Sunday, The Used, Tomorrow's Bad Seeds, Tomorrow's Bad Seeds
VENUES:
Break Room, Dodger Stadium, Forum, Musink Tattoo Music Festival, Redwood Bar, Saint Rocke, Staples Center, Warped Tour.
[00:00:48] Charles: Today's guest is MEGG. MEGG spelled in all caps and with two Gs blends her love for pop music with her punk rock roots to create a fearless sound [00:01:00] for the Tomboys, Loudmouths Romantics and the Misfits in between. Born and raised in LA's South Bay, MEGG has opened for bands like The Used Headlined at the iconic Saint Rocke Music Venue and sang the national anthem at Dodgers Stadium. You can catch her this summer playing Van's Warp Tour in Long Beach, California, which takes place on July 26th and 27th. MEGG's new song, The End is out now. MEGG, welcome to Seeing Them Live.
[00:01:32] MEGG: Thank you for having me.
[00:01:34] Charles: Yeah, thanks for coming on. This is, very exciting for us. And we're also joined today by my co-host and producer Doug Florzak, and we'd like to give a shout out to Mike at Earshot Media for setting up this interview. Yeah, we've been chatting a little bit, going back and forth with emails and stuff, so there's a lot to talk about here today. I thought we'd start with your first concert as we usually do, and then bounce between some of the bands you started , we'll sprinkle some [00:02:00] concerts in as we go. So, I have, and I don't know if this date's right, a Madonna show was that 2003?
[00:02:08] MEGG: It might have been before. It's hard to say because my dad was there and he passed in 2003, but he passed at the end of the year. So, maybe it was bef, I mean, the timing sounds about right. It must have been 2001, 2002 or 2003. 'Cause I was definitely at the older side of elementary, but the younger side of middle school for sure.
[00:02:31] Charles: Okay. Then I was trying to do the math later to figure out all these other things. So, I wasn't sure on that exact date. But, your mom and dad took you to the show, right. And a friend of yours.
[00:02:40] MEGG: Yes.
[00:02:41] Charles: Okay, so what kind of impression did that make on you? I mean, that's like a killer first concert I would imagine, Madonna.
[00:02:49] MEGG: God, yes, it was crazy to go because I, at that point in my life, I think when the Spice World came out for the Spice Girls, I wanna say in like 1999 or maybe 2000, I would come up from school and watch Spice World every single day and I would do the moves and I would sing and it was just like every single day.
[00:03:09] And so getting to go to a real concert venue, I think, I think it was at the Staples Center actually. Um, and getting to see that in real life. I mean, my eyes were just like, it was, it was crazy. The costumes, the people, there was so much magic there. Um, we ended up leaving early, unfortunately, so I'll give you a little backstory.
[00:03:35] Charles: Okay.
[00:03:35] MEGG: My dad was from North Dakota and um, my mom's from Indiana, they met in Arizona. Anyway, she was like this big liberal, my dad. Big conservative and they never, you know, back then it was just kind of like, oh, what? Who cares? But my mom worked in fashion, so she was around like all the fabulousness and the gay community and she just loved it. And my dad worked in, um, pharmaceuticals, so he was like very like business oriented, whatever, whatever. And we have four boys. I'm the only girl. So, we get there and my mom and I are like skipping along with my friend and Madonna, all of her fans had these zebra cowboy hats that just said, I love cock.
[00:04:20] Charles: Hah.
[00:04:21] MEGG: And my dad was like, oh my God. And my mom was like, oh my God, this is amazing. Like me and my friends are like, those sparkles and everyone's oiled up and everyone's in like full makeup and hair was like the coolest thing. But my dad, after like halfway through, she kept like saying the F word and like flipping off and like saying like, all these like really outrageous, amazing Madonna things.
[00:04:47] And it was just like, my dad was just like, he, he just couldn't, he's like, I feel like we should not have our like 10-year-old daughter and her friend here. And my mom was like, come on. And he was like, no, I've sat through half of this. Like we're done. So, it was amazing. It was amazing.
[00:05:03] Charles: Yeah. At least you get to see some of it. Yeah. I took my daughter; we went to see Harry Styles a couple summers ago. Yeah, there was a lot of costumes and it was just a sea of, , people watching was like, unbelievable. It was really, cool. So, I imagine it might've been something like that.
[00:05:20] MEGG: Oh yeah. It was cool. It was just, 'cause you know, I was, I grew up in a beach town, so it was like just surfers and skaters, which is like, you know what I'm used to. And so, getting to be like in downtown LA like that and see all this creativity and beauty and magic, like the sets and the costumes and you know, the way Madonna just tackles the stage and you can't look anywhere else, no matter how hard the other dancers are working. They call her the queen of pot for a reason. It's crazy. Yeah, it was, it was pretty sick. It was pretty sick.
[00:05:53] Charles: Cool. Then you listed several best concerts. and I didn't know that this one that you mentioned this trio with Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Missy Elliot. Was that shortly thereafter that concert, or was that later?
[00:06:08] MEGG: It must have been.
[00:06:09] Charles: Because I have it in like 2004.
[00:06:12] MEGG: Yes.
[00:06:12] Charles: Okay. Okay.
[00:06:14] MEGG: 'Cause I remember I was young too. 2004, because I was singing one of, uh, and I was singing an Alicia Keys song to get into the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. It was my audition song. And so I remember like getting to go see it and I auditioned in 2005. So, yeah, I think, I think you have the timing right on the money for that.
[00:06:34] Charles: Okay. Yeah, you put that down as one of your best shows. I have to think that was something else, with those three people performing on the same night and where they've gone since. Crazy.
[00:06:45] MEGG: It was, I remember too, Missy Elliot opened the night and then Alicia Keys happened, and a lot of Alicia Key's stuff was just this amazing grand piano in the center. And I feel like, I mean, God, this was so long ago, but I think [00:07:00] she, Alicia, transformed her stage into like a circle of sorts and she just kind of like arose. I remember feeling like she was higher than the rest of the stage. And then Beyonce came out. At one moment they all three like hopped on the stage and did a song together and that was wild. 'Cause you're right. Think about that now. That would never happen.
[00:07:19] Charles: No.
[00:07:20] MEGG: Crazy thing to see. Also, I forgot all about this, Charles. Like most of these shows I forgot about until you started asking these questions.
[00:07:27] Charles: When you're filling out the formula, like, oh, wait a minute, no, this one, oh no. Oh, now I'm thinking of this one.
[00:07:33] MEGG: Yes. Yes.
[00:07:35] Charles: It happens a lot when people start writing this stuff down. They're like, oh, wait a minute. No. What about, what about this concert? So, that must have been really a cool evening. But you'd mentioned you were practicing for an audition to get into a performing arts high school.
[00:07:49] MEGG: Yes, I went to LACHSA, which is the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
[00:07:56] Charles: Okay.
[00:07:57] MEGG: it's a public school, but it's audition only. And so there's like four departments. It's kinda like the movie Fame, so there's like the visual department, music department, which is split into vocal and instrumental. Theater department and then the dance department. There's like a hundred kids in each department. I think it was like graduating class of like 370 or 400. And so I was auditioning to be in the vocal major.
[00:08:20] Charles: Okay. Were you accepted into that program?
[00:08:22] MEGG: Yeah.
[00:08:23] Charles: Okay, cool. Cool. Yeah. 'cause then later we could talk about this a little bit later, you went on to get into this University of Southern California Popular Music Performance Program.
[00:08:35] MEGG: Yes.
[00:08:36] Charles: And so, yeah, I did a little research on that and I'm like, holy cow, you just said you went there, but that's a pretty major big deal, isn't It?
[00:08:43] MEGG: Yeah.
[00:08:44] Charles: It seemed like it from there. The acceptance rates that they published online was like 9.2% for the university, but it's even less for this program.
[00:08:55] MEGG: It was, uh, yeah, that was, I hadn't even, yeah, at that [00:09:00] point. And we could dive into it later, but I thought I was doing musical theater. That was like my trajectory. And, an old teacher had told me about this new program and I was just like, sure. Like I'll audition for it. I love the idea of being close to home. But yeah, that, that was, um, that was crazy. That was the most fun four years of my life.
[00:09:18] Charles: So, getting back to high school then, I guess, uh, you and your friends started a band, is that correct? Like in '06?
[00:09:26] MEGG: Yeah.
[00:09:27] Charles: Runway MMC.
[00:09:29] MEGG: Mm-hmm. So, this is a fun story actually. My mom, had a clothing manufacturing company at the time, and she had just started getting into, they did like, uh, JC Penney, Mervin's, Macy's, Sears, like, stuff like that. Basically, my mom's goal was to make designer clothing for the average woman.
[00:09:51] So, she would make these, this, these beautiful dresses that anywhere else would be hundreds of dollars, but she would make them affordable. And so she started getting hit up by like [00:10:00] celebrity managers to do personal clothing lines. And as she was working with these different artists, obviously I was songwriting and doing my own stuff at the time, she had an idea of doing like a Spice Girls thing, but with clothing lines. So, each girl would have their own line of clothing depending on their style. So, we started as five, and then that ended up getting knocked to three pretty quickly. And, it was me, this girl Chelsea, this girl Melody. And so like, I was like the rocker girl. Chelsea was like the urban cool girl. And then Melody was the like beautiful Latina mariachi vibe.
[00:10:37] And we made the line and Wet Seal loved it. So, it was manufactured in over 200 Wet Seal stores across the country, which now I'm learning is like a huge deal. So, that was really cool. And we got to work with Scary Spice and Randy Jackson and the producer that did Jojo's Leave Get Out. And it was all really fun and really cool. But then it just kind of became pretty clear that it wasn't really the trajectory that the three of us wanted. I wanted to go to college and I grew up listening to, you know, punk rock and I wanted to kind of get into more of a rock vein. Melody wanted to get into the Christian world, Christian music world, and Chelsea is like a huge star. She's like on all these acting shows and she was just like, I think I'm gonna like, push the acting career.
[00:11:27] So, we ended up splitting up. But my mom is such a visionary. She is such a visionary. It was a great idea. Like I think if someone were to take that idea now, it would be a smash, but it just wasn't the right fit for us.
[00:11:41] Charles: Because you guys released an EP, is that correct? Yeah. And what was that like? I mean, you guys went to a studio or something and recorded an album, and it was all tied in with this clothing, effort as well.
[00:11:55] MEGG: Yeah, it was cool because her dad, oh, I don't know the right word, started like, you know, one of the biggest mariachi bands or groups, I don't know. So, he had some connects to get us in front of some producers and some people. So, that's how we were able to, you know, meet up with these crazy producers that now I look back, I'm like, I make all my music in my best friend's like bedroom. But I'm like, here I am 16, like in like, Alex Cantrell's studio singing like, you know, these like pop tracks.
[00:12:23] But it was cool dude. Like we didn't write them, which was wild to kind of sing someone else's songs, but I love harmony. so it was fun to do three-part harmony and like, even though I'm not very good at dancing, it was really fun to dance. And I kind of got to live out my like 8-year-old Britney Spears, you know, Spice Girls Dream.
[00:12:42] Charles: Yeah.
[00:12:43] MEGG: Quickly to find out that it wasn't for me. But it was really fun to, to do that and be in these big rooms and have these meetings. And, you know, there was like one picture of us with Mel B. Scary Spice, who was my favorite Spice Girl growing up. So, it was, there was a lot of crazy, you [00:13:00] know, we got to perform at the Orange County Fair, which at the time was like this huge deal. All of our friends came in our, like our little shirts that we made and, you know, my mom had this great idea for the tags on the lines to be our face. So, like, I think my color was red, Chelsea's was blue, and melodies was pink. And so you would walk into any Wet Seal store in the country and there would be the Runway MMC corner. It was just cool. It was cool.
[00:13:24] Charles: That, is, that, that's a lot of vision. I mean, there's a lot going on there. You know, that's really a lot of, lot of, uh, aspects to kind of pull all together. That's, that's really cool. So, after the end of that band, you formed another band, or you were in another band like in 2010? Party For One?
[00:13:43] MEGG: So, 2010 is when I started MEGG, the artist. And then, put out an EP, um, for the first time with this producer guy who was really into the, into the vibes, made that, and then, um, me and my [00:14:00] best friends that I was playing music with at USC. Then we started a band in 2012, called Party for One.
[00:14:07] That was like a Blink 182 meets No Doubt, just pop punk party drinking on stage, like it was a such a blast. You know, playing all the college parties at the college bars and, you know, and then after we graduated, we played at like every bar in the south. I think we were playing like three or four times a week. It was, it was just fun.
[00:14:25] Charles: Yeah, 'cause I was watching, I guess it's like a mini documentary of you headlining at the Saint Rocke Club, which you talked about, and there's a couple full circle moments maybe we'll talk about here, that you describe as full circle where when you form MEGG, and you'd mentioned that Party For One band in that mini documentary video, where you're at this club opening for, I forget the name of the band.
[00:14:50] MEGG: Tomorrow's Bad Seeds.
[00:14:51] Charles: Yeah, just talk about that, 'cause then it like turns into a whole kind of full circle thing for you as a performer.
[00:14:57] MEGG: Yeah. again, I, I grew up in the South Bay and in the punk scene, like Pennywise used to play next door at my neighbor's house in the backyard. Just like it was always a dream of mine, number one, to play Saint Rock, but Tomorrows Bad Seeds was like one of my favorite bands in high school. They did the like, sublime thing where it was like equal parts reggae, equal parts punk, equal parts rock. And, I ended up meeting Moi, who's a singer of Tomorrow's Bad Seats. He saw Party for One was playing around the South Bay all the time, all the dive bars, all the whatever.
[00:15:26] And, we started kind of gaining some traction and he was like, you guys are sick. Like, we're headlining Saint Rocke. Do you guys wanna open? And I was just like, oh my God, this is cra like, yes, yes, we wanna open. And um, we opened for them. It was a sold-out show that was like, that was just very hard to put into words. I think I was like 22 years old and it was just maybe 23. So, it was crazy.
[00:15:50] And then, I played a couple, I played a couple other sets at Saint Rock. Again, Moi would bring me on stage, not the band, but he would bring me on to like, do, we would, we would do Saw Red by Sublime and Gwen Stefani all the time. And then 10 years later, he asked me to play again. So, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in the South Bay is called blackout Wednesday. Everybody goes, everyone's home for the holidays. And so, everyone's out at the bars and it's like high school reunions and it's just a messy night. And then everyone goes to Thanksgiving and eats their face off the next day.
[00:16:22] And so Tomorrow's Bad Seeds usually almost always plays Saint Rocke that night. It's like a huge night. And, 10 years to the date he asked me back. So, that was kind my reintroduction to Saint Rocke again. Another sold out night. And after that, the people at Saint Rocke were like, have you ever thought about headlining here? And so, I was like, all right, let's, let's give it a shot. Four months later, five months later, I ended up headlining there for the first time. And, it really did kind of feel like Moi kind of helped pull me up, you know, he really helped, pushed me up in, in the scene a lot. And so because of those two shows, then Saint Rocke trusted me to then do my own headlining thing. So, it felt full circle in a very cool way.
[00:17:02] Charles: Yeah, that's a cool video and story. I recommend people to check it out. Then, I don't know, maybe if we backtrack a little bit, MEGG. Like another full circle moment, or at least maybe in my head. You know, you were mentioning some of your best concerts again were, Taking Back Sunday at Warped Tour, and I have that at 2012. And in some videos or interviews I heard with you, you would go to these Warped Tours with your friends who were also part of MEGG, the band, right? Okay, so yeah, and I watched the video where, you know, the guy tells you you're gonna be, the Warped Tour in 2025.
[00:17:43] And I listened to this interview, these guys, it was just a short snippet, maybe six minutes or so, where he, and I can't remember, but he talked about how like your being part of that show, that lineup in 2025 at the Warp Tour, could be [00:18:00] somebody's best concert or most surprising concert, which you yourself said, yeah, that I never thought of it that way.
[00:18:07] So, you guys would go to these Warped Tours, right? And this Taking Back Sunday was also where you got this fat lip you had mentioned. So, you wanna talk about this show in particular, and then how eventually, you're gonna be playing the Warp Tour this summer.
[00:18:22] MEGG: Yes. Thank you for calling out these dates, 'cause I feel like Warped Tour at this point. They all seem like one summer. I can't even remember or distinguish them apart. But yeah, my buddies and I would go to Warped Tour and they played in my band in college. They played in my band now. And, we learned really quick. So, the thing Kevin Lyman is the founder, obviously, and the thing that he does to really promote seeing all the bands is he doesn't release a line up thing. It's not like on this stage today, it's just like you come and if you miss the band, you came to see, like, should have been here when we opened.
[00:18:55] And I remember we were on our way and we were running late. I think we got there at like [00:19:00] noon or like 12:30 and we missed Sum 41, which was like one of the top bands we wanted to see that day. And so after that we're like, all right, we're, we're never gonna be late to Warped Tour ever again. And he's doing that again for the comeback tour, which I thought was really sick.
[00:19:14] But yeah, take seeing, Taking Back Sunday. I've been in plenty of pit, but I've somehow managed to avoid any blood on the face, but, Taking Back Sunday was so much fun and I got my first fat lip and it felt like definitely a rite of passage and a bit of like a stamp where I was like, oh, I've made it. I got my first, you know, fat lip at Warped Tour, and that was definitely one of the best shows I've seen Every Time I Die at Warped Tour was also one of the best shows I've seen. Actually, my best friend Rob Nagelhout, who produces all of my songs and co-writes, blah, blah, blah.
[00:19:47] Charles: Yeah.
[00:19:48] MEGG: He found a video of the Warped Tour Every Time I Die set and you could see him and I we're like, three people from the stage were like in the little like [00:20:00] circle pit and he like zoomed in and got a picture and he's like, that's you and I from that thing.
[00:20:05] Charles: Wow.
[00:20:05] MEGG: And then come to find out they broke up a couple years later. So, glad I got to see them, that they've been such an incredible, I mean, God, just such a staple in my, in my life. That was also one of the best sets I've seen. Then, I continue to go to Warped Tour. Obviously always dreamed of being on that stage, like what artist or band doesn't wanna play Warped Tour. It's like the festival of all festivals on top of the fact that it's like a community for like the weirdos and the misfits.
[00:20:31] And, it's one of those things that's like, yeah, this style of music is cool now, but like, it wasn't cool when I was, you know, 15 or 16. It wasn't even cool when I was 20. I remember at our school, at our music school, like there were all these other bands that got so many other opportunities than Party For One and not 'cause they were better, but because we were a pop punk band and to like the music world that was like, whatever, oh yeah, they play pop punk. Like we missed out on a lot of opportunities 'cause nobody would take us seriously.
[00:20:59] And [00:21:00] now Pop punk is like ruling the nation in such a huge way. So, like, I think that's part of the honor that I feel is like, I don't know, it's crazy. This shit could bring me to tears, 'cause it's like I just, like once Warped Tour stopped happening, you know, I was like, all right, that's a dream that will never happen. I'll play other festivals, it'll be fine. But when I heard it was coming back, I was just like, I'm going to be on this bill. I wrote it on my mirror in my bathroom. As soon as there was rumor that it was coming back, I was like, MEGG, at Warped Tour 2025. Like, no fucking way am I not getting on the bill.
[00:21:31] And yeah, I did everything in my power to get in touch with Kevin, and it took a really long time and a lot of embarrassments and no's and silence. But I finally got in touch with him and when I had the opportunity, I shot my shot in a really chill way, and I think he came to one of my shows. I don't know, we never talked about it. But, then I got the email in December and just sobbed and screamed simultaneously, throwing up for hours and [00:22:00] then called the boys and like that was a crazy, like even making that video with Esteban, that Warped Tour announcement video.
[00:22:07] I grew up watching these Warped Tour announcement videos on YouTube, and we went back and revisited them and social media has come such a long way. It's hilarious. These like long form announcements. Back when we had attention spans, you're sitting watching this band do nothing like four and a half minutes.
[00:22:22] Charles: Yeah, really.
[00:22:24] MEGG: It was so fun. It was so fun to make that video. And, I wrote that song pretty much when I got the call, I came up with the storyline, whatever, and then I just recorded on my phone like, am I dreaming? Think. And then I called Rob, sent him the voice note and he put all the production to it.
[00:22:41] And then I flew back home and got my best friends together and we shot it. And my other best friends were like the robbers in the video. And then it just got really chaotic with a lot of champagne at the end, and I still can't believe it's happening. I feel like it's one of those things that like, I'm gonna faint [00:23:00] when I get on the state. Like I don't even, I don't even know, man. it's a lot and it's very cool.
[00:23:04] Charles: Yeah. That's huge. I heard you talking too about like some people try to game getting picked or with votes or something, or buying votes or something. How does that work with the bands?
[00:23:18] MEGG: I think you're thinking of the battle of the bands.
[00:23:20] Charles: Okay. Maybe, was it? Yeah.
[00:23:21] MEGG: If you have an opportunity, like if once they announced the lineup, you could do like battle of the bands in your city?
[00:23:28] Charles: Okay.
[00:23:29] MEGG: Cause I've been seeing a lot of that around. So, I think that that's happening again for this year.
[00:23:33] Charles: I watched the video of you, the announcement that you're gonna be on Warped Tour. And then I started listening to music for this interview, and then I thought, man, it, it's about time. How could they not have MEGG on Warped Tour?
[00:23:46] MEGG: Think.
[00:23:47] Charles: You guys sound great and the range and emotion in your voice, gosh. But like, on, your EP, Misunderstood
[00:23:57] MEGG: Hmm.
[00:23:58] Charles: That song. I mean, that's such a catchy tune. That's so cool. Then on that, same EP is that song Change, and like, you could literally hear you like crying in your voice. So, the range of your voice and then just the different styles of music is so cool.
[00:24:17] MEGG: Thank you so much for saying that, honestly. Like Wow. I appreciate that. Thank you.
[00:24:22] Charles: And, the latest song, The End, that's like Warped Tour all over that, right?
[00:24:28] MEGG: Very excited to play that.
[00:24:30] Charles: That's a cool tune. And you've been releasing a lot of individual songs, I guess. Right, MEGG?
[00:24:35] MEGG: Yeah.
[00:24:36] Charles: So, is the idea then to eventually combine them maybe to an EP or an album, or you just like to leave them individual like that?
[00:24:45] MEGG: I'm so impulsive with music. That, I don't know. I have no idea. Last year, so at the end of 2023, I just had been working on so much music. I like too much [00:25:00] shit. Like I enjoy too many genres that are so different that it's always been really tricky for me to like. Hone in on one, and then I kind of spiral in the whole realm of like, who am I? What am I, what is my sound? What do I have to say? And it's been really hindering in that way. So, I was like, dude, I don't, I don't even have like a different word to say other than the F word. I was literally searching my brain.
[00:25:25] I was like, what can I say? I was like, forget it man. I'm gonna just release a song every six weeks and just let it, like who? Like literally who cares? Like don't be precious with it. Just put it out. So, last year, every six weeks I would write a song. Rob would put his magic on it, and then I would just let it go and then work on the next. And it was a really great exercise for me and learning that A like, forget pin holing myself into a specific genre that I don't have to do that. I don't think artists have to do that anymore.
[00:25:58] Charles: Yeah.
[00:25:59] MEGG: So, I just wrote what was on my brain, wrote what I was going through, wrote what was inspiring me at the time, put them all out with really no plan of what to do after. And it was incredibly freeing and so much work and stressful, but I think it's really helped guide my sound now to where I feel like now that all of those different versions of myself are out when I'm playing them live, it's very clear which ones are very me and which ones I had maybe outgrown. So, right now The End was kind of the first song that was like, Ooh, this feels like the new MEGG, the new sonic path we're going.
[00:26:35] And, I've been writing like crazy. And so, the plan now is I'm gonna put out an EP in the fall after Warped Tour.
[00:26:41] Charles: Cool.
[00:26:42] MEGG: Drop another single probably in May, and then another one right before Warped Tour will be three singles. And then after Warped Tour, drop a Pre-Save, and then put out the whole EP and then if all goes according to plan, I would love to tour that EP for a couple months. And then next year get my ass back in the studio and write for hopefully my first full length album. That's kind of the plan.
[00:27:04] Charles: You know, I read things all the time how people are productive, and that's interesting, you talk like every six weeks I write a song and basically, I ship it. It's done. I ship it. And there's a lot to be said to keep that cadence like that. I could imagine it's very stressful, writing songs like that, but in the same time, they're done, they're out onto the next one. And, it seems to be working because I wrote down all the dates and yeah, you stick to a pretty strict schedule there.
[00:27:31] MEGG: Oh man. I mean, I thought, I thought Rob was gonna kill me at one point. 'Cause I. Just like, because there's so much that goes into it that I think people that don't do music don't understand. It's like the writing of it. Yes. But then it's the production and then it's the tracking everything all over again and, and then it's making the artwork.
[00:27:51] So, like I do everything by myself. In terms of that stuff, obviously, like I would be nothing without Rob and my songwriting collaborators. But in terms of like artwork and stuff, I've worked with Moe McFadden and Madison Hedgecock and I think those were the only two photographers. Oh, Taylor Lee. You know, I'm just asking buddies to help me out and take pictures of me, and then I'm sitting on Canva for hours ripping out my hair trying to make it look cool and like zazzy um, and then I like forced my boyfriend to be in pretty much every cover art I can possibly force him to be in when he hates being on camera.
[00:28:28] So, it's like, it's a lot of favors. And you have to upload a distribution like four weeks prior to the release date. And then you have to prepare like 50 pieces of content on top of that, which just means more favors and more editing on top of having a job. Like it's, it's just, it's, it's nuts. I had extreme burnout over holiday. Extreme burnout. But yeah, you're right. There is something to be said for that cadence and I am very proud of last year and how I really forced myself to just be a woman of my word and just make it happen.
[00:29:01] Charles: it seems to have paid off, right?
[00:29:03] MEGG: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:29:05] Charles: I have other best concerts of yours, I kinda laughed that the Fleetwood Mac reunion. It was funny 'cause when I went to research that those guys are always breaking up and getting back together. One person will leave and then two years later they come back and then they tour and then some other person leaves and it's like this long list of reunion concerts. So, I had no clue which one you had seen because they've been doing this basically for the last, you know, like 40 years breaking up and getting back together, but you put that as one of your best concerts. Fleetwood Mac reunion show.
[00:29:39] MEGG: Yeah, God, even as we're talking about this now, I'm like, there's so many other ones that come to mind, but that one was just, you know, it's Fleetwood Mac. That was incredible. I think it was the first time they had reunited in LA, like maybe they went on a tour. So, I don't know, since the breakup or something. I feel like it was like in 10 years it was so, it was really emotional because I remember the band, it was like very clearly emotionally charged and intense. Like you could feel it. And I think that was the cool bit of it.
[00:30:07] Charles: Okay.
[00:30:08] MEGG: Also, again, just seeing a band that my parents kind of raised me on as well. So, it was like equal parts exciting because I knew that it meant a lot to my mom. And also, Rumors is like one of the greatest albums of all time. So, like that was really cool to see live. I think it was like one of the first times I had seen a classic. Rock. I don't even know. If that's what they would consider themselves, but a classic band of that stature like that. And just to see the musicality and the way that each instrument really has its own space.
[00:30:42] There's no playing over each other. There's no lines that collide. There's no wall of noise. It's like perfectly mixed and perfectly written. Like you can hear every single instrument and differentiate each part. And as a rock and roll girl that's, you know, slamming around in the pit. It's just sound and scream, which I love. But to get to go and watch a band like Fleetwood Mac so intentionally, with these long intros. I don't know. And they had just read on The Forum at the time. That was an incredible night. That was so cool.
[00:31:36] Ray and Mike: Hey everybody, it's Ray the Roadie and this is Hollywood Mike with the Rock and Roll Chicago Podcast coming to you from the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 in Joliet, Illinois, where once a week we are interviewing local musicians and singer songwriters and the podcast itself covers a wide range of topics.
[00:31:51] Including, but not limited to the history of rock and roll in Chicago, the current state of the scene and the challenges and opportunities facing musicians today. So, join us every Tuesday for a new exciting episode of the Rock and Roll Chicago Podcast.
[00:32:06] Jessica Cantina: Hi, I'm Jessica Ann Catina. I've always loved music and surround myself with it every day. I've sung in choirs, took digital musical classes in college, and used to work in radio to further share my knowledge and. Experience with others. I created this podcast music Notes with Jess in 2019. I'm so fortunate of the listener growth and hearing back from some of the celebs I discussed in past episodes.
[00:32:38] That's why now I'm ready to expand, so let's have fun taking weekly music notes of throwbacks, modern hits and media. Thank you. Talk to you soon on music Notes with Jess.
[00:32:55] Rick: What was the last really great rock and roll book you read? How about a good rock and roll documentary? Well, that's why I started the Rock Talk Studio Podcast, the place to go for recommendations of new rock and roll books and documentaries. Give me 20 minutes and the Rock Talk Studio podcast will get you caught up on the world of rock and roll books and docs from every possible angle and leave you with a no doubt decision on where to spend your time and money.
[00:33:21] Want to know what to read next or which film to add to your watch list? Well, here comes all the top recommendations and hidden gems you don't want to miss. I'm your host, big Rick. Join me for an exclusive look into what's hitting the shelves and the screens and get ready to rock your reading and viewing list, the rock talk studio podcast, your ultimate guide to discovering the best new rock and roll books and documentaries.
[00:33:43] Jamie: Hi, this is Jamie James on Seeing Them Live. We all have our first concert stories, so please share them. We'd love to hear yours.
[00:33:52]
[00:34:03] DougF: Maybe now will be a good time to hear one of Meg's songs.
[00:34:06] Charles: All right.
[00:34:07] MEGG: All right, me and my friend Cooper Carr are gonna play an acoustic version of a song I wrote with A J Peacocks called The Hangover Song.
[MEGG PERFORMS HER SONG, “THE HANGOVER SONG”]
[00:36:39] Thank you, Cooper.
[00:36:40] Charles: Wow. That's such a catchy tune. That's so cool.
[00:36:43] MEGG: I appreciate that. Thank you.
[00:36:45] Charles: You had a couple of concerts that were your most surprising.
[00:36:49] MEGG: Hmm.
[00:36:50] Charles: One of which you were like, part of the concert, you were the opening act, right? For The Used, and there's footage of this and I kind [00:37:00] of closed my eyes at the end because I didn't want to see if they showed what happened to the lead singer, Bert McCracken. But you want to talk about that MEGG?
[00:37:07] MEGG: Yeah, that was crazy. That was definitely the biggest, the first huge show of my career. I was working with these managers at the time and they were like, yeah, like we got you to play Musink Tattoo Music Festival opening for The Used which at the time was my all-time favorite band.
[00:37:21] So, that was just like a shit yourself type of like day. So, we got to do it, whatever. I play my set and it starts pouring rain, like people are slipping sliding everywhere. My friend actually, like, we brought our family RV as like my tour bus.
[00:37:35] Charles: Okay.
[00:37:36] MEGG: It was so trailer park and so on brand. It was amazing. And, people were slipping, walking out of the RV for like, with like gear and stuff. It was a mess. So, we watched Hot Water Music next, and then it was The Used set after that. And everyone's pretty wet in the audience and like it's slick in there. And so, everyone's doing their best, but people are falling down the pit and picking it back up. Like it, it was a disaster. And then all of a sudden Burt just kind of like falls off the stage and we're like, oh, shit. Like, I don't know, maybe he's drunk, I don't know. And he came up and you just see like bone and blood gushing and it takes you a second to realize what the hell you're looking at.
[00:38:20] Charles: Right.
[00:38:21] MEGG: We saw it as Burt is seeing it, 'cause you know, the adrenaline or whatever, I don't know if he was, who knows what he was on or doing, but he fell and it was kind of just like, oh. And then he like got back up and he is like, yeah. And as he did that, like it, you could just see him see it and the band see it. And we were all just like, oh my God. And then he like immediately was like, oh, oh, I don't even remember. He said something and then just like walked off. And we were just like, well that was crazy.
[00:38:51] Charles: So, when he raised up his arms, basically his elbow was poking out of his skin.
[00:38:55] MEGG: Yes.
[00:38:56] Charles: That kind of compound fracture stuff just cringes me [00:39:00] out. That's why like when I saw him fall off the stage, you couldn't see what had happened, but I closed my eyes 'cause it was just, so disgusting.
[00:39:07] MEGG: Right?
[00:39:08] Charles: So, obviously the show is over, right? I would imagine.
[00:39:11] MEGG: I mean like, I think, I don't know, the adrenaline of that was crazy, but Charles, when you asked me that question, I had to re-Google it myself because I almost felt like I made it up. You know when you have a memory and you're like, did I make that up? Because again, I haven't thought about that in 13, 14 years. And I watched video too, and I was like, oh yeah, not, I'm not crazy.
[00:39:33] Charles: That Musink was that in Costa Mesa, California.
[00:39:36] MEGG: Yeah.
[00:39:37] Charles: Okay. And It's organized by the Blink 182 drummer, Travis Barker. Right.
[00:39:43] MEGG: Yeah.
[00:39:44] Charles: And it's a multi-day festival combining tattoo art, music, and it's like kind of a car show too, going on there.
[00:39:51] MEGG: I'm not quite sure about the car show bit, but basically, it's like a tattoo convention. Have you ever been to one of those?
[00:39:58] Charles: No, no.
[00:39:59] MEGG: Okay. So, it's basically a big warehouse with a bunch of like, think about like a farmer's market or like, you know, something like that. Everybody has a bunch of booths. You're not separated by anything. It's just like this banner of this tattoo shop or this tattoo or this banner. And you go around and you look at people's work and you get, you like go there wanting to look for someone that does lettering or looking for someone that does traditional or whatever. And then you can get really cool work done by a tattooer that maybe. Isn't in the area you're from. So, basically like Musink was like a tattoo convention mixed with a music festival.
[00:40:34] Charles: So, how did you guys get that gig or how did that kind of start out, playing at that festival.
[00:40:40] MEGG: The managers we were working with at the time, I have no idea how they got me on that gig. Granted, this was like before Instagram and you know, before any of that. So, it was just like, I couldn't really believe that we were on that gig.
[00:40:54] Charles: That's cool. That must have been something else.
[00:40:57] MEGG: It was very cool.
[00:40:58] Charles: A couple years later, it is kind of tied for most surprising, you had this 2013 Bonnaroo show where Mumford and Sons cancels?
[00:41:07] MEGG: Yes.
[00:41:08] Charles: And, Jack Johnson is a replacement.
[00:41:12] MEGG: Yes, was the greatest. Day of my life. No shame on Mumford and Sons, but I just like don't care. And I remember they were all the rage at that time. Like ever. Like I remember even one of my music professors at school was like, yeah, just get rid of the drum kit, you know, just, just have a kick like Mumford. And it was, I just remember it was so annoying. Like everyone was so obsessed with them. I was just like, oh my God. And then had the rise of like, the fedora hat with like the boots and the skinny jeans and like the open button down. It was just obnoxious.
[00:41:42] And my girlfriend, me and her were roommates, and my best friend at the time, she was like, obsessed with them. And then my band member, Hunter Porter, also a good friend of mine and another buddy of ours went and Hunter and I like, didn't care about Mumford and Sons, but my, the, my friend did and the other guy really did. And, Hunter's also from the South Bay.
[00:42:02] And so we got the news about Mumford and Sons, and we were like, cool. And Casey, my, the, my friend and the other guy were pissed. This is the whole reason we flew out to Tennessee, like livid. Like, who's gonna replace them? Like, who could possibly replace them? And they're like, surprise, Jack Johnson is coming off a four year retirement to do like an acoustic set.
[00:42:22] Charles: Oh my God.
[00:42:23] MEGG: And Hunter and I were like, yes. Like everyone laid down blankets. Dude, it was so chill. He kept, he messed up probably every song and he was like, sorry guys. Like I haven't played music. I've just been chilling in Hawaii, like living my best life. We rehearsed these songs for like an hour on the flight over here. Like, it was so cool.
[00:42:43] Charles: That's awesome. Well, MEGG, let's see. I also had, just to throw in here, 2014 you were on the TV show, The Voice, right?
[00:42:52] MEGG: Hummm.
[00:42:53] Charles: Do you want to tell us a little bit about that? You must have auditioned for it, right? Is that like an American Idol, similar kind of [00:43:00] process to get on that show.
[00:43:01] MEGG: Yes, it's very similar. So, there's multiple auditions before you get to those chairs, to what you see on tv. So, I had had one of the producers. Reach out to me because they were looking to expand the rock audience for The Voice and they're like, you've got the style we're looking for, blah, blah, blah.
[00:43:20] And I was like, sure. Like, can I do Led Zeppelin? And they were like, no. And I was like; can I do Nirvana? And they were like, no. So, I wanted to do like all you know, can I do Guns N Roses? They were like, no. So, they chose Celebrity Skin which I was like, okay, cool Courtney. Love, like, love her. That's great. So, that's later. There were a couple auditions first, before that.
[00:43:38] And then when you make it to what they call the blinds, that's when they choose the song. You're sequestered in a hotel for like a month and you film a bunch of stuff. You film being the extra and extras in other people's videos, and you film your own segment. Your family comes and you interview with Carson Daly. And then for the other like 26 days, you're just kind of like lounging by the pool and working with your voice coach on the song. You do a run through with the live band a couple times. You go through wardrobe, hair and makeup, whatever. And then the day of you're just standing backstage with the other contestants and then you go on the stage and you do the thing and it's crazy and terrifying. And then for me, just like that, I didn't get a chair, so just like that it was done
[00:44:23] Charles: Oh, Okay.
[00:44:24] MEGG: Packed my stuff and that was that.
[00:44:25] Charles: Well, it was a good month. I don't know, was it hectic or was it relaxing?
[00:44:29] MEGG: It was a little bit of both.
[00:44:31] Charles: A little bit of both.
[00:44:32] MEGG: Locked in a hotel with a bunch of artists that you don't know and everyone's like secretly competing. It was a lot. I mean, you know, I grew up in musical theater, which it just felt like that, which there's amazing parts to it, but then there's the stress. But it was fine. They take your phones and stuff, so you just kind of like chill. But yeah, it was wild. I learned a lot about myself. Geez, I was such a different person then, but I learned a lot. I was like, that was a crazy experience. I don't even know how else to describe that.
[00:44:59] Charles: I know we're coming up on time, MEGG. Is there anything you'd like to add or like where people can find you, or wanna plug. I know you talked about an EP or album coming out later or touring. Now, when you say tour, does that mean like around California and the Southwest, or would you make it out this way towards Chicago?
[00:45:20] MEGG: Gosh, I don't know what that looks like. I think definitely doing the west coast again for sure. Maybe going through Arizona and Colorado. I think there's a couple spots in Florida that I've been asked to play, so we might go there. Definitely Nashville. I mean, Chicago would be so fun.
[00:45:40] Again, I have big ideas girl, and then I bring it to my friends. And again, lots of favors of like, how can I make this happen? So, we'll see. I've never planned a tour before, but I would love to make that happen. I think the goal is to play more shows outside of California, so we'll see. If I come through Chicago, I'll definitely let you guys know for sure.
[00:46:01] Charles: Yeah. That would be great. Doug, did you have anything you wanted to add for MEGG before we wrap up?
[00:46:07] DougF: Yeah, you said that early on you discovered that you wanted to have a career in music because you applied for that school that you talked about, and I was just wondering, what do you think was the triggering moment was it a specific concert that you saw a specific artist that inspired you to the point where you said, yeah, this is what I wanna do the rest of my life.
[00:46:30] MEGG: You know, my parents said that I was like humming and singing before I started talking. And at any restaurant, if there was live music, I would be like three years old on stage with the band, just dancing around and they knew pretty quickly that I was definitely destined to perform and entertain. And then when I was like five or six, we found a community theater and I started doing musicals when I was like six.
[00:46:57] So, being on stage like right away, I pretty much new. And then in terms of wanting to do the artist stuff, Britney Spears like really rocked my world. That was like really it for me. And then Spice Girls after that, and then Paramore and No Doubt after that. So, I don't really think there was one thing that was the turning point. It's really just been something that has lived inside of me since, since I can remember. I've got like a karaoke machine, a shitty karaoke machine, like I don't know, when I was like seven and I was singing, I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, and it's raining men every night.
[00:47:32] So, it was just like never a question for me, in terms of what I wanted to do. But, I think, yeah, going to the live shows, listening to Britney Spears, watching Spice World and watching these regular girls then be like superstars. I think that really solidified it for me in elementary school.
[00:47:49] DougF: Nice. And, I'm looking at a picture for The End, and is that little girl you with your bottle,
[00:47:56] MEGG: Such an attitude. Yes. That little shit is me.
[00:48:02] DougF: You look very determined there.
[00:48:04] MEGG: Yeah. She's a determined lady.
[00:48:06] Charles: Yeah, MEGG, at the end of that, documentary, you're singing a Spice Girl song, right? As a little girl with a microphone, and you fling off your robe or whatever it was you had on.
[00:48:17] MEGG: Her leather Jacket. Yes.
[00:48:19] Charles: Or Yeah, jacket. Yeah. So, it goes way back, right?
[00:48:22] MEGG: It does. Yes. I feel very, very lucky and grateful that my parents were, you know, 'cause you can't, it's, it's tricky to not have support. And the fact that my parents really fostered that passion at a young age is, not lost on me how rare that is. And so I'm, I'm very grateful for that.
[00:48:40] Charles: Yeah. Well, where can people find you, MEGG? I know I listened to all of your stuff, well, between YouTube and Band Camp.
[00:48:48] MEGG: Yes.
[00:48:49] Charles: You have a website where people can find you.
[00:48:51] MEGG: Yes. My website is www.MEGGMEGGmusic.com and then everything is MEGG music. So, Instagram at MEGG Music TikTok, MEGG music, YouTube official MEGG music, SoundCloud, MEGG Music, Bandcamp, all of that. We just released a music video for The End so if you're interested in watching that, go to YouTube. We've got two shows in LA. I'm Playing Breaking sound on April 17th at Break Room 86. I haven't announced that yet, but that will be happening soon. And then also playing Redwood Bar, in downtown LA on the 22nd. And then playing Warp Tour, the Long Beach dates July 26th and 27. And then stay tuned for new music in May, hopefully. And otherwise, I think that's everything on me.
[00:49:45] Charles: All right. Well, this has been really fun and interesting and I've really enjoyed it. And, appreciate your time and thanks again for coming on, Seeing Them Live and, we'll stay tuned and, and see what's next for MEGG.
[00:49:59]
MEGG:
Thank you, Doug. Thank you, Charles. This was so much fun you guys. I appreciate it.