Hi! Congratulations on the release of “Tether”—how are you feeling now that it’s finally out in the world?
Thanks so much!! I’m feeling really excited knowing that “Tether” is finally out and I can now share all the songs I’ve been hiding away for such a long time!!
“Tether” takes listeners through a variety of musical genres and emotions. What was the driving force behind exploring such diverse sounds within one album?
I think the writing process of this album had a lot to do with what kind of sounds/musical genres I drew on. All the songs were an emotional response to something I was experiencing/trying to process so the lyrics and music were written at the same time. So for example “Frequency” I was so energised super hypo haha so it instantly had this high energy “Pop” feel to it that I could build on, while maybe a song like “Giving up the fight” has more of a rock sound to it, to complement the mood of me wanting to overcome an inner battle with mental illness.
You’ve mentioned that “Tether” deals with themes of self-perception and the influence of the world around you. Was there a specific moment or experience that sparked this idea for the album?
Yeah definitely, it was near the end of 2019, I had just released my album “Image and Egos” and I was reflecting on some of the life experiences that had lead to me writing that album. I started to realise so many of the songs were about how I saw my connections to others, like how safe I felt to be vulnerable and open with them, if someone was wanting the best for me/ accepting all of me or just wanted me to mould to be a kind of diluted part of myself that they could deal with.
This made me really start to think about how I had been allowing to much external commentary to influence how I saw myself and the limitations I had put on myself to be the person people expected me to be. Actually one of the songs “Catalyst” on the “Tether” album is about someone that told me “Don’t make yourself the smallest person in the room just so others feel big” and I think that sentiment really speaks to this question and to what this album is about.
When you listen back to “Tether,” which song feels the most personal or reflective of where you are in life right now?
I think I’d have to say “Wash away”.
The theme of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and into the unknown is definitely a theme that’s been resonating with me recently. I’ve been enjoying slowly releasing this album but I’ve also been working really hard on the future projects of the Meeck, 2025 is going to be a very exciting but definitely an out of the comfort zone kind of year.
The shift in sound and energy across the album’s 11 tracks is noticeable. How intentional was this change in dynamics, and how did you decide what energy each song needed?
Oh haha that’s great to hear coz it was very intentional, I wanted to start the album really soft then build up to a high intensity before slowly descending again to the end of the the album. Which is why the album starts with Tether which opens with just vocals and a guitar then builds up in sound and energy and then the album finishes with Antidote which is just vocals and a piano, bringing it back to the same tone as the opening of the album.
How did the writing process for “Tether” differ from your previous releases? Were there moments where you felt you were venturing into unfamiliar territory?
Yeah I think the biggest way “Tether” differs my previous releases is that I experimented with Tempo changes and became very obsessed with submixes, I love the idea of creating this almost alternative musical composition down below the main mix of the song.
Are there any particular songs on “Tether” that you initially struggled with, whether lyrically or sonically? How did you overcome those challenges?
Yeah for sure, the first song that comes to mind is Quivering lip. I really found it hard to get the right musical dynamics when first making its demos. There’s a lot of full musical moments aswell as times when it strips back to basically just vocals and guitar, so the struggles was bridging the moments in the song to smoothly transition from one to the other.
I over came this with a lot of experimenting with the demo’s mixes, taking music out, adding it back in, a lot of trial and error, I was pretty happy with the end result.
The album has been described as having opposing musical genres, yet it still feels cohesive. In your opinion, what is the “tether” that binds these songs together?
Haha using a “tether” pun I love that.
I think the main ways that these songs feel connected is through their lyrical themes of focussing of some aspect of the human experience but also musically they all kind of borrow/reference one another in a small way, for example Hungry is real guitar driven song but there’s these synths in the background that if you isolated them sound like they could fit in Tether, Frequency or even How it ends.
Which track on “Tether” was the most fun to create and why? Did you experiment with any new instruments or production techniques on this one?
I’d say Frequency was the most fun to create because I got to really experiment with different sounds and think outside the box of how to produce it. I got to play around with making traditional instruments such drums, guitars, vocals and make them sound more abstract.
How do you feel “Tether” represents your growth as an artist, both musically and personally, over the past few years?
I think Tether represents a growth in my confidence to trust my songwriting style and push myself more creatively. There’s aspects of this album that was definitely used as a testing ground for music ideas I have planned for future projects. Personally “Tether” represents me taking more control of my life and what I want out of it, I had spent so many years being controlled by my mental illness and this album was about my process of getting back behind the steering wheel, obviously with a lot of help, love and support from my amazing family, friends and a golden Pychologist haha
Looking at your discography, “Tether” feels like an evolution from your past work. How do you see this album fitting into your overall musical journey?
I really see “Tether” as the beginning of a new direction in my musical journey, as I said before I’m working really hard on a number of projects which I’m really excited to explore and share, but definitely wouldn’t of been possible if it wasn’t for me writing this album,Tether.
