Q&A: Meija Talks Debut Album ‘Do Ya?’ Looking At Life, Death & Everything in Between
NO STRANGER TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY — Meija launched his career at age 15 in the band Echosmith. They defined the early 2010s by creating hits such as the triple-platinum “Cool Kids.” Now, Meija’s debut album, Do Ya? digs deeper by delving into some heavy themes of life, death, and the in-between. The transcendent melodies and hooks make the album addicting to listen to. Experimentation with sound perfectly complements the beautiful lyrics that express a message that eases the listener into adulthood. Together, listeners and Meija navigate the transition through the album.
While he has an abundance of experience writing for other artists, much of that is on a time crunch, while the timeline for Do Ya? was looser, allowing sounds to be perfected. The six weeks Meija spent creating the majority of the album and collaborating with other artists “felt like a jam session.” The album is full of experimentation and unique sounds, making it clear that Meija took his time during the process.
Do Ya? forces you to get up and dance — read below to learn about the process behind making it so, how becoming a parent has affected his sound, and some of the inspirations behind the record.
LUNA: I read that Do Ya? was inspired by the [2021] The Beatles documentary — in what way? Is there a certain song/album or The Beatles era that was the most influential to you?
MEIJA: I spent a decent amount of time [during] 2020–21 digging into my record collection and listened to both John and Paul’s early solo records a lot. I got this idea in my head that I wanted to make a record the same way they did. I wanted to record it live with a band and put things to tape. It was really cool timing because The Beatles doc came out a week before I started recording, so it really got me excited to start the process.
LUNA: Musically, who else do you look up to as an artist? Are there certain artists you’ve worked with who have changed your view on making music?
MEIJA: Paul Simon, David Byrne, and Peter Gabriel are some of my favorite songwriters. I’m also constantly inspired by artists I work with. Collaboration is a really big part of my creative process. Even though I end up writing a lot of the Meija music by myself, I find that spending time on other projects refuels that creative energy.
LUNA: What was the biggest lesson you learned from being a part of Echosmith and then transitioning into being a solo artist?
MEIJA: That season in my life informed a lot of how I do this project. We had success really young and there was a lot of pressure around the whole situation. There were a lot of outside voices, and that was hard to navigate. At the height of our success, I was personally really struggling. I was barely home, I hadn’t written a song in two years (which was why I was even in a band), and being in a family band becomes an inherently messy dynamic. I quit the band because I wanted to do things differently. I had to start over, but it’s felt so much better building something new on my own terms.
LUNA: How do you think being a parent has affected your music?
MEIJA: [It] definitely [has]! It affects my perspective on everything. It forces you to look at the world in a completely different way. Every day, his [my son’s] main goal is trying to find the funnest thing possible to do. Kid’s just living in the moment, and it’s amazing to see. Things feel so much better when I try and bring some of that into the work.
LUNA: How has the writing process changed from writing for others versus writing for yourself and for your own album?
MEIJA: The timeline is a lot looser for my project. When I’m writing with an artist, we sometimes only have a day or two to finish our idea. Some of the songs on this record were started years ago. I can really let ideas take their time to come to fruition.
LUNA: What was your favorite part about making this record?
MEIJA: I brought in a lot of outside musicians to help make it. It felt like a big six-week jam session with friends. It was the most fun I’ve ever had making a project. I felt really empowered by the people around me to just go and make the thing I wanted to make, and I’m really proud of the end result.
LUNA: What type of audience are you trying to reach with your music?
MEIJA: I love how the same songs can connect with so many different people. People sometimes take a totally different meaning than what I intended and I actually love that. A lot of the lyrical theme’s I explored on this record came from a place of curiosity. I’m asking a lot of questions. That’s why I wanted to call it Do Ya? — I’m not really trying to present some big idea; I’m just inviting people to question the things we think we know.
LUNA: Do you have plans to go on tour? What's on the horizon?
MEIJA: Nothing set right now. I spend most of my time in the studio and my main focus is to make as much music as possible. I do love playing live and when the right thing comes up I’ll be happy to go out on the road again.
LUNA: Do you have anything else that you want listeners to know about you or this record?
MEIJA: This is the record that I always wanted to make. It was such a fulfilling process and a joy to make. I hope people can hear that in the music. Sure, a lot of the songs are existential, but I’ve also found peace in letting go of the idea that I need to know everything.
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