Interviews

Meresha – Look How Far

By starrymag | December 15, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I make Alien Pop. So far, I’m the first one. It’s like pop, but it’s sort of from out of this world. Think Lorde or Björk mixed with some Dua Lipa, though many folks say I don’t sound like anyone else.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I once rescued a bunch of albums, CDs and cassettes that were about to be thrown out including some Jimi Hendrix, Parliament Funkadelic and more. I’ve performed Queen and Led Zeppelin songs live early on, including during a gig I did with Adam Lambert and Third Eye Blind. A producer who helped coach me on “Look How Far” worked a lot with Prince in this studio and I’ve gone deeper into his huge catalog. The first gigs I saw live were Black Eyed Peas and Paramore, who were both amazing. I like creative folks like arca and UK electronic music wizards like James Blake and FKA Twigs. There are too many influences, though, to mention them all.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Look How Far.”

A) On one level “Look How Far” is about moving on to a new love. On another level it’s about all of us taking a minute to “Look How Far” we’ve come despite many hurdles.

Hear the full “Look How Far” album on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/4bHyxz0m1csBnNZD1Ta1Jt or any other music service using links on Meresha.com

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I think people can find something in their own story which connects with the chorus. It is worth celebrating the small moments of success while you can. The song has a bit of a retro vibe that has been brought into the present, which people seem to really like.

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

We were going to film a big studio video for the song with a full crew. COVID got in the way. We postponed the shoot a few times, but then we got locked down and couldn’t officially have so many people working on a set. That’s 2020 for musicians.

Instead, I decided to make a take with just me having fun dancing with futuristic backgrounds befitting Alien Pop. Seems it help people escape a bit and celebrate in an otherwise crazy year.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) My song writing doesn’t follow one pattern. Sometimes I hear some music or other sounds first. Sometimes a chorus or verse that feels like it means something more. I tend to let songs develop both lyrically and musically. The process is usually not that fast, and has lasted even years in some cases.

Q) What are some themes you explore on this new album Look How Far?

A) Look How Far marks the end of a chapter. Songs on Look How Far have been featured on MTV, in Billboard charts, on Ariana Grande’s personal playlist and have been used by some big brands.

Generally, I hope the music helps people escape from the everyday, inviting them to “Enter the Dreamland.” Songs like “Jungle Potion” and “Stardust” take us on different adventures while my ballads like “My Love Has Come” or “Hold” are more intimate and personal.

Q) What song(s) off the album hold a special place in your heart and why?

A) The album has the original version of “New Revolution” and a groovy remix. The lyrics include “It’s a New Revolution. We’re bringing back the past”. This is what we have to do now. People have grown distant from each other. We’ve got to bring back past when we respected each other and worked together towards common goals. I’m hopeful this will be possible.

Q) How did you shake off a long day in the studio for this album?

A) If it’s not too late, I’ll put my big headphones on and go for a run. Outside of COVID times, you would probably find me in a club doing some freaky dancing. Sometimes I perform a set myself, before joining in the fun.

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from checking out Look How Far?

A) I’ve been blessed to have some fans who have been with me for years. I think Look How Far is great for them to re-enter my world if they have strayed. For new fans, it’s like a Meresha primer. I’ve got a lot more music coming and I hope it’s a good introduction for them ahead of new adventures.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I’ve played small clubs where I could literally see and connect with each person and also played huge shows with 10,000s where I could get into the group vibe.

Last year I played some private shows for Citibank at Gov Ball, which is New York City’s biggest festival. Lots of bands I like played there, too. Hope to get back there, though maybe as a headliner next time.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Doing something with Jacob Collier or James Blake would be cool. It would also be great to do something with Frank Ocean, arca, FKA Twigs or Aphex Twin. There are a bunch of artists I would love to work with.

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) Recently got into Rosalía and Moses Sumney. Rosalía is from Spain, where I lived for a while. Her flamenco-influenced sound is cool and I got into it before she blew up after collabs with Travis Scott and J Balvin. Moses Sumney has a delicious smooth sound that helps you get into another dimension.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Someone added me to a private Brazilian Twitter DM group today. So, I crashed it and with some help from Google Translate met the folks. They were all huge music fans, some of them already knew me, some not. It was not that much different from talking to a group of concert goers after a gig. Hope to do that live again soon, but it was fun to surprise them today.

Q) Anything else going on fans should know about?

A) I have a contest going on now where fans can win a $250 Amazon gift card, a signed CD and a Merch pack. Anyone in the US, Canada, UK, France or Germany can participate using this link. It’s easy to enter and there are many ways to increase your chances:

http://tnspk.co/qemqsg

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Everybody has so many choices on how they spend their time. If someone takes the time to listen to my music, and possibly add it to the soundtrack of their lives, that is a huge honor. When I see people I have not met sharing my music with their friends online, it is amazing. Maybe it then enters someone else’s personal soundtrack.

All links to Meresha’s music Meresha.com

❥ Spotify: pxle.me/hNqY8-9K

❥ APPLE MUSIC: pxle.me/gYhyRGDL

❥ iTUNES: go.Meresha.com/applemusic/cDVB

❥ AMAZON: pxle.me/YE68tlCW

❥ AMAZON MUSIC: pxle.me/sCfUls6H

❥ PANDORA: pxle.me/SrmoGOOl

❥ TIDAL: pxle.me/YC30jxbq

❥ YOUTUBE MUSIC: pxle.me/qtvq5Tcm

❥ YOUTUBE: pxle.me/Nbob6S2O

❥ DEEZER: pxle.me/yfOatTLc

❥ NAPSTER: pxle.me/binQuQN8