Meg Elsier talks spittake, creative inspirations, and her unique sound.

Introducing Meg Elsier, a rising star in the indie music scene, known for her unique blend of shoegaze and gritty guitar tones combined with intimate and sometimes abrasive vocals. Hailing from Massachusetts and now based in Nashville, Meg is on the cusp of releasing her highly anticipated debut album, spittake. In this candid Q&A, Meg delves into the inspirations behind her music, the creative process of her debut album, and the stories that shape her compelling and deeply personal tracks. Join us as we explore the mind of this New England artist, her journey through music, and what the future holds.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

I’m meg elsier, I’m a New England princess specifically from Massachusetts, and I make a kinda paradoxical type of music. Familiar yet different, soft yet abrasive. I try to blend shoegazey and melted guitar tones with crunchy, rusted ones and intimate vocals that sometimes like to yell a bit.

Congratulations on your upcoming debut album, spittake. Can you tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind it?

Thank you so much!!! It’s equally exciting and scary as fuck to release anything, but I’m having so much fun just riding with it.

I never really had the intention of making an album while recording. I think the only intention I had was more of a goal to give the music space to become whatever suited it. I wasn’t afraid for the flow of the album to be a little all over the place. It’s just a reflection of my taste in music.

I had been playing out a lot in Nashville and writing in my room so much that I truly hit a point where I outgrew the fear of being vulnerable and taking the next step. The music had only lived in my demos and live performances, which have so much flexibility and just don’t seem as precious as sitting down and thinking about what should this actually sound like.

So that was honestly the inspiration of making the album — my ass being so done with not having music to share. That, and working with Ryan McFadden (my producer). He really showed me the art of collaboration and really championed this album to be as genuinely ‘me’ as it could be.

I don’t even know where to start with describing my writing process. To be honest, I think these songs came from a clear path from my brain to my pen. I think describing a writing process or how these songs came to be is like describing a thought process or stream of consciousness.

But if you break it all down, writing the record was just life. I wasn’t writing with the intention of these songs to be wrapped up in a bow. I think that was the best way to go.

Your single “ifshitfuq” has a unique title. What’s the story behind the song and its intriguing name?

Nothing too crazy!! I remember specifically being in a rush when naming the demo, and I had the chorus “if shit got ordinary I’d move,” so I just wrote “ifshitfuqqqq”. I didn’t know what to call it after that, so it just stuck! And that kinda influenced all the other names.

oldnews, iznotreal & baby; are your latest releases. Can you share the themes and messages you wanted to convey through these tracks?

To me, they are in two different playing fields. ‘iznotreal’ was like diving into disassociation. I had been going down a science fiction/AI spiral and felt inspired and like I could escape into those worlds and maybe avoid my life for a while.

‘baby”’was a moment I had where I realized I had been in my relationship for so long that being called “Megan” felt so bizarre. It felt like when your parents said your full name and you knew something was wrong. I was “baby”. And to be honest I didn’t know how I felt about that. Losing my name to be connected with someone else. And that thought turned into me exposing all my other flaws. This is probably one of the most honest songs on the record.

‘oldnews’ is truly a song about being shit at parties. It’s the feeling you get when you’ve been telling the same story over and over to the point that strangers know the punchline and you’re too scared to risk anything to make a new one. It’s when you don’t know whether to accept responsibility or to blame someone else for it. Basically, the phrase ‘over&over&over&over’ is this song.

Overall, I was really just hoping people would recognizing that these weird uncomfortable feelings are okay to express and that you’re truly not alone in them. Or maybe that was just something I wanted to get out of it — hoping people connected, so I wouldn’t be alone.

The music video for “iznotreal” is visually striking. How was the experience of collaborating with Jacq Justice on this project?

Collaborating with Jacq is one of my favorite things to do on this planet. She’s one of the closest people to me and someone I feel so safe with. I think that trust and love really opens up a plane of ideas and worlds to play around with that maybe wouldn’t have even become a thought with someone else. Our tastes and minds and ideas really complement each other, so while the videos were a labor of love and took so much planning (the whole thing was essentially Jacq, myself, and Mary Violet Woosley), the creation of ideas, styling and all the creative aspects were incredibly easy.

You mentioned being influenced by AI books and the concept of consciousness for “iznotreal” Can you elaborate on how these themes influenced your songwriting?

‘iznotreal’ was the main song that AI influenced, but we used a lot of science fiction film score references throughout the record. Not necessarily sonically but the way those scores create an atmosphere that even if you can’t necessarily hear it, you can feel it.

I think I was feeling pretty numb and out of it, and that it was easier to connect with a computer trying to grow and learn than any person. Also, I received 7— yes, 7 —books about AI and self- learning programs that were constantly growing and learning, something I wasn’t doing at the time.

Lyrically each line has a computer meaning and a human meaning. I liked the idea of an AI feeling human and a human feeling like a computer. I love to play with ways to confuse the listener and make them question the reliability of the narrator, or me. Because I lie to myself a lot. LOL.

You’re based in Nashville but originally from New England. How have these different environments influenced your music?

I think the relationship between where I grew up in MA and the south is actually so incredibly interesting. I think a lot of New England kids cosplay very stereotypical southern culture (for sure kids in my high school). Like full on country music, tractors, big ass trucks. I wonder if that was why Nashville seemed so familiar to me as soon as I got here.

I remember being in high school and college and finding that sound like “Nashville Skyline” by Bob Dylan, and spiraling down Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, etc. I think it influenced me a lot. Sonically and lyrically, I fell in love with how much emotion you can portray with simplicity. But also having these more gritty tones that I think really represent that northeast spirit.

“forlyleinsanfrancisco” is a track you’ve highlighted as a favourite. What makes this song special to you?

‘forlyleinsanfrancisco’ is the song that helped me become confident and not afraid of NOT sounding pretty. I went to college for music and I’ve taken voice lessons. I feel like you get taught how to sound ‘correct’, whatever that means, and this song just completely ripped that up. This song is my favorite to perform and I feel like I’m living out that ‘kid in their bedroom screaming into a hairbrush microphone’ moment. Also, I feel like the audience really connects with the high energy of this song and gets really into it.

I also love the fact that this is such a high energy, fun and light song with such slightly disturbing and dark lyrics. Its kinda like smiling while gritting your teeth.

Your music often explores deep and introspective themes. How do you approach writing lyrics, and what inspires you to delve into these subjects?

My lyrics tend to be very stream-of-consciousness. It’s kinda just vocalizing and interpreting what’s going on in my head the best way I can. It’s really hard for me to catch a thought — like even now I’m struggling to even answer this question — so when I get a one-liner or a phrase that I think really represents what's going on and what I’m feeling, the flood gates open and it kinda becomes thinking out loud.

As for the subject matter, I never sit down and think, “I’m gonna write a song about AI,” or a specific topic. It truly all comes from lived experience. ‘forlyleinsanfrancisco’ was all about a trip I took to SF and the feelings it brought up. ‘oldnews’ was about a party I performed very poorly at socially. I think my favorite thing is to take the small moments that everyone goes through and put words to those experiences that maybe were hard to describe.

The indie music scene is known for its tight-knit community. How has your experience been connecting with other artists and fans in this genre?

I think there’s something so special about the indie diy scene not only in Nashville, but everywhere. I truly feel it is full of humans who are just so passionate about music and all they want to do is support and champion good art. It’s so inspiring to see people and bands do something completely new and it feels like you’re getting a side of them you haven’t experienced before. It’s a beautiful, vulnerable community full of fans and creatives just trying to make something new and real.

As for fans of indie music, you can’t meet people more dedicated. They really respect and appreciate the effort and love that the artists put into making music and bringing it to the world. The way fans follow and support artists from the ground up is astonishing and truly a huge reason why independent artists can make music, and why they want to.

What do you love right now?

My tomato plants.

Bikini + trucker hat + lake.

A Lambrusca.

Getting a package in the mail.

What do you hate right now?

Cicadas smacking into my face when I’m running.

Dead vape.

Commercials even though you still pay for the subscriptions.

The pile of clothes in my room I can’t seem to pick up.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

Probably Excitable Boy by Warren Zevon. I remember being in my dad’s car and loving the melody of “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” (but truly every song is a banger) and that feeling never going away. It gives me this overwhelming sense of nostalgia and a connection with my dad that I really like. And probably For Emma, Forever Ago because I was on Tumblr and me and my best friend were in love and obsessed.

What are your plans and aspirations for the future after the release of spittake?

I just want to play for as many people as I can wherever I can. I want to dip my toes into really everything! 100% making another record and getting more involved with it. Making more videos, maybe scoring something one day, maybe writing a musical when I’m 60 years old, who knows? After making spittake, something that was so scary to me is now I just crave trying new things and stepping into anything that inspires me.

Are there any upcoming tours or projects we should look out for?

Yes! We’re going on tour! We’ll be opening up for the incredible Finom in November. Also there will absolutely be more music and records in the future. (Wink wink nod nod)

Start Listening To: Meg Elsier