Interview with Meg Smith

Disco Dystopia by Meg Smith Cover Art. Photography by Danica. Image via On Record.

Meg Smith is a self-made artist, born to be the world’s next superstar. I had the honor and privilege of sitting down with the singer to discuss her career - past, present, and future. Our conversation occurred just on the heels of her latest release, “God Damn Baby,” and the announcement of her upcoming album, Disco Dystopia, out November 7th. Read this insightful interview with Meg Smith to learn more about the new project, her upcoming tour, and more.

1. You just announced your new album, Disco Dystopia. That title evokes such a unique atmosphere in my mind. What is the inspiration behind the name?

Meg: “It started with one of the songs on the album. It was one of the first songs I wrote for it. I think when I was going into this process, I didn't really know how to balance wanting to write fun pop music and then feeling really weird about the state of the world. I'm a very political person, and I'm feeling very upset about a lot of things. To me, my job is to write fun pop music. So, I'm like, ‘how do I balance those things in a way that feels like authentic and fun and not too heavy, but also not too joking.’”

“So, I think I had written it in my notes app - something about a dystopian disco, and how it represented how I feel about the current moment. I'm trying to emphasize community and being around the people I care about. I am trying to create a community around music, because that's what gets us through tough times, especially right now.”

Meg went on to share what that community looks like in her space.

“When I went on the Zolita tour last year, I really felt embraced by the queer community. These shows and some of these cities created a rare place for queer people to be fully themselves. Not any judgment at all. It was a room of queer people and people who support queer people. I even had someone after the shows come up to me and be like, ‘This is the first queer event I've ever been to, and I just came out.’ And it's a really special thing - it's community that will save us from all the horrible things in the world. It could feel really daunting, but creating community, being with the people you care about, organizing, protesting, all of that stuff, that's what's gonna get us through.”

“So, with Disco Dystopia, one part of me is like trying to organize and donate and protest - even bringing my parents to protests. Then, at the same time, at night, I'm like, “all I want to do is go dancing with my friends.' Because you need those moments of joy to get you through all of the frustration that we're feeling.”

Meg continued by sharing the story of her first writing session with her friend Taylor and songwriter Lauv.

“So, I went into the session with my friends Taylor and Lauv. It was my first time working with [Lauv], so I was kind of nervous. But I was talking about how on the night of the election, my band and I were at this queer punk bar in Orlando, and I had CNN on my phone, watching the election results come in. We didn't really know what to do with ourselves, so we just started taking shots and playing drinking games. It was this weird balance of being like, ‘Oh my God, everything feels so bleak,’ and ‘All we can do in this current moment is get drunk together and laugh, you know?’ So when I was looking back on all the songs, I was like, ‘This really represents it.’ There are songs like ‘Girls Just Wanna Be Famous’ and ‘Dive Bar Opera' that are so silly and fun. And then a lot of the other songs have this like undercurrent of stress with them.

“I wrote ‘Girls Just Wanna Be Famous' and 'Dive Bar Opera' first, and almost immediately after that, wrote 'Disco Dystopia.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, cool. This feels like a way that I can write the fun pop songs that I love making while not ignoring the world.”

Meg explained that the songs are not political in nature, as that is not her strong suit when it comes to writing. But her continuing to make fun music is a political statement in itself because she is not letting the corruption and terror take away her joy. Because that is what they want, and she won’t let them win.

2. In the true Meg Smith fashion, this album is guaranteed to have unforgettable bangers with cheeky lines. What song was your favorite to write and record, and why?

Meg: “‘Girls Just Wanna Be Famous’ was really, really fun. The verses are about my mom, so it was really cool to write about her. And honestly, it was really fun not to write about myself. I think sometimes, as a writer, as someone who creates work about yourself and your life, you can become exhausted with yourself. At a certain point, I'm like, ‘Oh, my God, I just need to not think about myself for like five minutes. So that was really fun to write.”

“Also, ‘God Damn Baby’ was so fun. So easy. And just that one in particular, it's just true pop music to me. It was so fun to be like, ‘ let's just make the catchiest song we can.”

3. Speaking of “God Damn Baby,” it is your latest single. Can you tell me a little about the background of the song and how it fits on the album?

Meg: “Totally! It's weirdly like a sister song to ‘Joni,’ which I've been singing for a long time on tour, and I love that song so much. I was thinking about friendship breakups, as I do so often. I'd written it in my notes app, where I was thinking about how I felt when I was basically ghosted by a friend of mine who I had for years. It leaves you with a lot of questions and being very confused. And also wanting closure, or that I wanted her to know how she made me feel. And when someone just disappears out of your life, there's no opportunity to do that. You can't knock on their door and be like, ‘This is how you made me feel.’ So, yeah, I was thinking about that and I was like, ‘How do you come to terms with someone who just sort of left?’ And one of the things I found solace in was that I could walk away knowing that I didn't intentionally hurt anyone. I am a person, and I make mistakes, and I've definitely hurt people by making mistakes. But I've never ghosted someone like that. I've never tried to hurt someone like that. And at the end of the night, I can sleep well, knowing that, while I am an imperfect person, I've never abandoned someone like that. And that brings me peace, you know, knowing that.”

“You have to live with your actions, you know what I mean? So while we're all going to make mistakes, I can live with my actions, and I can sleep well at night, knowing that I did what I could. I know that she has to fall asleep at night, knowing that she left. So there's some power in that. It doesn't feel like revenge. It feels more like, ‘All right, I'm good with how I acted.’ And you can find a sort of sense of power in that.”

To listen to “God Damn Baby,” click here.

4. What makes this project different from your previous work?

Meg: “It gets a little darker at times, for sure. I wouldn't call it a darker project by any means, but I did have fun playing with sort of darker, boomier, and bassier sounds. For example, we referenced a lot of Daft Punk in some of the songs, which was really fun for me. And I think, every project I release, I just become more unapologetic in how I write, and more comfortable writing lyrics that feel kind of embarrassing. Just sort of being like, ‘This is how I feel! Whoops!’ and not feeling ashamed of any feelings that I have. I mean, something silly, like ‘Girls Just Wanna Be Famous.’ It feels cheeky, but yeah, girls just want to be famous! I don't know what to tell you?!”

“Or ‘Disco Dystopia.’ The verses of that song are about being at this bar and not really knowing what to do with yourself. [The album] just feels very authentic. I feel like with each project, I've become a little bit more comfortable in my own skin, and I think part of that is growing up and getting older. It's fun to express that in music.

I told Meg that it has been wonderful to watch her evolve over the years as Pop Passion Blog has worked with her since 2022.

Meg: “I’m glad it comes across because I definitely feel like each show I do or each tour I do, each song I release, I become a little bit more comfortable in my own skin. And I'm a little bit less like I'm trying to be something, and I just am.”

5. “Girls Just Wanna Be Famous” is one of my favorite songs by you. Could you share the story behind it and what the songwriting process was like?

Meg: "It's inspired by my mom! I'd written that title in my phone, and I came into the session knowing I wanted to write a song called ‘Girls Just Wanna Be Famous’ because it just felt like so fun. And also, for a while now, I've wanted to write a song about my mom in a way that wasn't weird and cheesy. I was like, ‘How do I write about people without it being a really emotional ballad or something?’ She grew up in a small town in San Bernardino called Colton, California. She just knew from a young age she wanted to get out of there. Especially if you're living in a teeny town that's so close to L.A. You're like, ‘oh, my God, get me out of here, get me to L.A.’ There was a dance school, so she became just an incredible dancer, and that was her ticket out of Colton. In her senior year of high school, she went out on the road and was dancing with Disney on Parade, a traveling Disney dance show. Dance was her passion, and it was a way that she was able to find freedom from her life."

"And I think on the flip side, she had two sisters who both stayed [in San Bernardino] and married men who were in the military and had a very traditional life. I think, I don't really want to speak for them completely, but I think in some ways, [the lifestyle] didn't make them happy. And so she felt this sort of liberation by chasing her dreams. My mom didn't get married until she was, I think, at least 40. So, she had a very unconventional life, and she never became some big star or anything. But she was able to make a career as an artist. And because of that, she was and is very, very supportive of me and my sister and our artistic pursuits, which isn't always common. So I feel very lucky to have that."

Meg continued to explain how her mother’s story turned into a pop anthem.

“So I was thinking about her and her journey and how hard she worked to get to be able to have a career as a dancer. And the kind of parallels between her and my story. I think so many young women find an artistic passion and become obsessed with it, and that’s it – ‘Girls Just Wanna Be Famous’. I mean, it's such a silly, funny song, but then on the flip side of it, it’s women's empowerment.”

“Girls Just Wanna Be Famous” is not only a fun pop song, but also about female empowerment.

“I think fame has been one of the few ways that women throughout history have been able to obtain a sense of power. So I find it all really interesting, because it's both powerful to be a famous woman, but it can also be very fucked up at the same time. I think women just want to be seen and want to be heard… to be taken seriously — and fame can offer a lot of that. So I think that's why so many women try to take that. And then also [the song is] just like a fun, silly song that I want to dance to."

6. You brought in two new artists for the remix. Why did you pick MARIS & Molly Grace?

Meg: “Oh, my God. I just knew. I just knew. Right after we finished the song, I knew I wanted Molly and MARIS on it. I remember talking to my A&R and being like, ‘If we can do a remix, I want them.’ And she said, ‘Maybe, let's see how it goes.’ And then months and months and months later, I was just like, ‘Fuck it, I'm going to DM them.’ And both of them were super down, which I was not expecting. I thought it would take me some time to find someone who was down to be a part of this. But they were so down, and they were so cool. Within 48 hours, they'd both written verses and sent me vocals. Molly was on tour at the time, so she was writing her verse in the tour van. It was the epitome of ‘Girls Just Wanna Be Famous.’ They were like, ‘You need a verse? Done.’ And it was immediate. A week and a half later, I flew to LA and we shot the visualizer together, and it came together very quickly. It was so cool working with them. They're both such nice people and also such hard workers - so creative. It was just awesome. It was so cool. And that was my first time meeting Molly, as well. So now we've hung out a little bit more, and I'm so pumped to go on tour with her. She's just genuinely the nicest person and such an incredible singer as well, so I'm really excited.”

7. Speaking of the tour with Molly Grace this fall. How excited are you?

Meg: “So pumped! I’m in pop star boot camp, as we all know. I'm doing so much prep for it, which has been really fun. I only quit my nannying job a few months ago, so this is the first time I've been able to totally devote myself to it. And I definitely have gotten a little overboard with, like, learning the saxophone… That's like a thing I may be doing…”

Yes, Meg Smith is learning the saxophone for one bit on tour, and it’s not going as well as she planned. Jump to question 11 for more details.

“It's like this phase of tour prep for me has been a lot about letting myself be bad at things, because it's the only way I’ll get better. In the first few dance classes I took, I felt so bad. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I don't know how to dance. It was really, really tough. And then learning the saxophone. I play guitar, and that's completely different. They don't inform each other at all. The saxophone is a completely different world. I had never even held a saxophone before four weeks ago. But I've just been like, ‘Fuck it.’ I don’t know, just the idea of, like, being able to get on stage and rip a sax solo and start dancing. That is crazy, and I just really want to do that, you know? So, yeah! The tour prep has been stressful, but also really fun. I can't wait to be on the road with [Molly]. I am really pumped about these shows. Just seeing people comment which shows they are going to and stuff. It's such a different experience when you get to actually talk to the people who are listening to your music versus just seeing a number. It's so rewarding.”

So, are there any fun surprises or anything you can share about the setlist?

“Molly and I might be doing ‘Girls Just Wanna Be Famous’ together. Rumor has it... which I'm really pumped about. I have a lot of fun putting together this setlist. I mean, the saxophone is gonna be crazy if I can pull it off. It's gonna be nuts.. And then I've been working with a movement coach, so there are lots of fun movements. The main goal is just to have people dance. That's what I'm here to do. So I think, I think we'll do a good job.”

8. You recently signed with an indie label, Artist House. What was this process like?

Meg: “It was good! It was funny, honestly. All of my 2024 was a lot of meetings with labels and getting rejected. So it was a really tough year of not trusting the music industry. I’m sure you've heard from a lot of the artists you talk to; it's a very confusing experience. It's a lot like dating. You're going into these meetings, and people really build you up. They tell you how much they love you, and they say they want to sign you. And then you never hear from them again. It's crazy.”

“I had one label-head after a meeting hugged me and said, ‘Meg, I love you, I can't wait to work with you.’ And then four days later, they said, ‘Your music isn't right.’ And I was like, ‘awesome.’ It's really weird. I understand that it's a business and they’re trying to make money, like, I get that. But you feel really, like you’re not taken seriously, you know?”

Meg Smith worked hard and networked efficiently, and it paid off.

“So it was such an incredible change of pace when I started talking to Artist House and Anna, who's my A&R. [She’s] honestly one of the few people in the industry who has always kept her word with me. When I met her, she was working at a publishing company. One day, she called me on the phone and she said, ‘Hey, I just want to let you know why we haven't been able to sign you to this publishing company. It's because I quit. And I wanted to let you know that I wasn't ghosting you.’ I was like, ‘No one's ever done that.’ I was just so used to getting ghosted by people in the industry. So I just felt it was really cool of her. And on that phone call, which was about over a year ago, she said, ‘I still really want to find a way to work with you.’ And some months later, she started working at Artist House. She super kept her word. I was talking to them, and they're different in that it's a label headed by songwriters and is very songwriter-forward, which is not typical. So, they're genuinely invested in how good the songs are first. Obviously, the marketing is important, but it's the songs first, marketing second, versus most labels having it the other way around. And so, it's been really cool.”

“It's nice to have a team of people around you who really take your ideas seriously and are down for all my silly ideas and music videos, and stuff. It's been really rewarding and, yeah, it's been great.”

“I get it. The industry is struggling. They need to make money, and I get that. But it's so weird. No one’s investing in artists anymore. And so the artists who are able to have careers are the ones who can put their own money into it. So there's so much great art that we're not seeing and hearing because the artists can't pay thousands of dollars to promote it, and it's just not fair. So I've been really lucky with that. I think that's what it is. I just feel very lucky that I’ve found people who genuinely invest in music. It's so rare now.”

9. Who are your biggest influences in music and why?

Meg: “Oh, my God, right now? My favorite band is called Electric Light Orchestra, so they have been a big influence on me. What else? I mean, obviously, I went to Primavera in Barcelona, and I saw Sabrina [Carpenter], Chappell [Roan], and Charli [XCX], and I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ They are literally the three Powerpuff Girls. It was so inspiring and so cool.”

“But I'm also friends with so many cool artists that really inspired me. My best friend, Carlos in New York, makes trip hop ambient music that's mixed with Lana Del Rey. It's so different from my music. But I love it and it's so inspiring because they're so willing to take risks in their music, which I love.”

“Oh, my God, my friend Bentley in New York as well. Speaking of great pop music, he just makes fucking sick pop songs, and it is so fun to watch on stage. I literally went to a show in New York a few weeks ago, and after the show, I immediately texted him, ‘What is your vocal setup? Because your vocals sounded incredible. Who are you taking singing lessons from? You just sound so good. He's incredible.”

“Obviously, Molly and MARIS. I think they're so crazy good. There are a lot of really cool artists right now. Yeah. It's, like, a good time for indie music.”

10. If you could collab with one artist, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Meg: “Oh my God? Dead or alive? Maybe I'll do one alive and one dead. Honestly, alive, it'll probably be Jeff Lynne from Electric Light Orchestra, 'cause that would be crazy.”

“Dead? This feels like ‘duh’, but George Harrison. Duh, a Beatle. Like sue me for liking the Beatles.”

11. How’s learning the saxophone going?

“I think the scary thing is that it literally changes day by day. I have been practicing almost every single day for at least 30 minutes. I'm fully committed to the saxophone right now. Yesterday, I felt really good. The day before that, I felt horrible. It really, really changes. And what’s hard now is because I'm living at home for a bit, so my parents have been there. So my dad walked by the other day. He's like, ‘Do you want some advice?’ I'm like, ‘You don’t even play saxophone.’ It really changes day by day. The good thing is, I'm at a point now where I have learned the full solo, so it's just about making it sound good… which is the hardest part.”

Why did you choose to learn it, out of all instruments?

“That’s a good question. So, when I was prepping for this tour, one of the things I was really bummed about was that I'm not able to bring my friend, Stefan, on tour with me, who I have always toured with. He is an insane saxophone player. And he'll play guitar for the whole set, and then, ‘Jesus Christ In a Miniskirt,’ he'll surprise everyone with the saxophone and play the solo live. He wrote the solo and played it on the recording. And I am just really lucky that I am friends with this insane saxophone player. And it's funny. I'm the only pop artist he plays with, too. He's a jazz guy. All the fancy jazz people in New York call him when they need a saxophone player, and then, he does tours with me.”

Meg is saving tour, one instrument at a time.

“So, yeah, I was thinking about it and I was like, ‘What am I gonna do without Stefan on this tour?’ And one of my friends made a joke and said, ‘You could learn it.’ And I was like, ‘Wait, I could learn it.’ So I called Stefan [about four months before the first show in October] and I asked, ‘If you gave me saxophone lessons, and if I practiced every single day, could I learn a solo?” And he said, ‘Maybe. I don't know.’ And I was like, ‘Good enough for me.’”

“So I immediately bought a saxophone, and we had our first saxophone lesson about two days later. And here we are… and now it's taken over my life. I have nightmares about this hot pink saxophone.. Yeah, I don’t know. We're gonna see.”

What has he said about your progress?

Meg: “What has he said about it? I think it's one of those things where my first three weeks of learning, I improved really quickly, and now I plateaued... It's an issue. The last lesson we had was probably two weeks ago, and he was like, ‘You will be able to play something by the show. Will it be perfect? No.’ I've already been getting comments from saxophone players who are like, ‘actually, you should be…’ and I'm like, ‘okay, the goal is not to become a saxophone player. The goal is to play this one thing pretty well.’ So, something will be played. Will it be incredible? Probably not. Will it be like, really fun? Yes. So, that's where we're at."

Want to hear the outcome of this saxophone journey? Click here to purchase tickets. Meg will only be at the October show dates!

Pre-Add/Pre-Save Disco Dystopia now. Album out on November 7th!

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A special thank you to Meg Smith, Simone Furhman, and On Record.

*Meg Smith "Blush" Tour Dates Flyer via On Record.

Interviewed and Written By Karlee Skipper

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*copyright not intended. Fair use act, section 107.