meg elsier is an indie-rock singer, songwriter, and visual artist based in Nashville. One of the most exciting new voices in the indie-rock scene, meg juxtaposes sweet vocals and opulent melodies with grungy guitars and weighty production. Keen wit and self-awareness shine through her lyrics, seamlessly weaving into the fabric of her ethereal shoegaze sound. In late 2023, meg made her introduction with the release of her debut single, “ifshitfuq.” The track was added to Spotify playlists like Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds: Indie, and Fresh Finds: Rock, and was later included on Spotify’s indie editors’ Best Songs of 2023 playlist. She continued to build excitement with singles like “iznotreal,” “baby,” “forlyleinsanfrancisco,” and “oldnews,” which captured the attention of tastemakers like DIY Magazine, DORK, and Grimy Goods. After unveiling new layers of her artistry with each single, meg is now preparing to reveal her full-length album, spittake, out June 28th. Growing up half-Korean in a New England town, meg never quite felt like she belonged. “I think the main challenge that weighed on me when I was younger was that I never felt like I fit in anywhere I went. I was made fun of for being too white in Korean school, and I was made fun of for being too Korean at my normal school,” she says. “But, I think it was also a huge factor in how I came to find my identity and accept that I don’t have to fit myself into one box.” In her journey towards understanding herself and her identity, music became an essential outlet for meg. Whether mourning the loss of her hamster or feeling upset about a Legend of Zelda character dying, meg found the best way to ease the pain was through songwriting. Keen to have more colors to paint with, she soon picked up the guitar and started playing piano as well. While meg knew she had an undeniable desire to pursue music from a young age, she was also plagued by stage fright. In an attempt to overcome it, she pushed herself to join her high school’s jazz band and musical theater productions. Eventually, she found the confidence to audition for and attend the acclaimed Berklee School of Music, but admits that her nerves didn’t truly subside until she moved to Nashville. There, surrounded by fellow musicians trying to pave their own ways, she came into herself as an artist, writing songs that felt authentic to her, while connecting with other musicians with whom she felt confident performing. “Music has always been something that’s so intimate for me. It was something I had always done by myself in my bedroom, so I was nervous to be vulnerable with people and show them what I actually sounded like. Eventually, it was both the built up frustration and my own confidence in the music I was making that made me push myself to share my music with an audience,” meg explains. “It hit a point where it was like Alice in Wonderland where she ate the cookie that made her grow and break the house.” Now, meg has become well-known for her frenetic and emotionally intense live shows. Her performances foster an intimate connection with audiences, stirring up a sense of shared experience while exploring new emotional territory together.
