Appointed one of BBC Music Introducing in the North East’s “Tips for 2021”, Meg Ward has grown into a respectful, promising artist. Meg has developed her unique sound, aiming to evoke feeling through her driving bassline and synth-heavy compositions. These productions have been backed by heavyweights such as HAAi and Patrick Topping, plus radio plays courtesy of Jaguar, Annie Mac, Danny Howard and Nemone.
Meg has made an imprint on the underground scene with high energy and a huge personality at every performance. Her residency at Newcastle upon Tyne’s favourite underground event’ ILL Behaviour’ catapulted her into the growing scene of Newcastle’s emerging talent.
Ahead of her performance at Rise Festival in the French Alps in December, and off the back of her latest release, “Troubles”, on Fatboy Slim’s Southern Fried imprint, we invited Meg Ward to join us for an immersive interview:
Hey Meg, thanks so much for joining us. Where are you talking to us from today, and what have you been up to for the last couple of weeks?
Hello! Thanks for having me. I’m at my home in East London, with my cat. I got back from a few days in Tenerife this week, where I was DJing for Patrick Topping’s label and party ‘Trick’. I stayed out a few extra days for some much-needed rest after a busy summer.
You recently released your second single on Fatboy Slim’s Southern Fried imprint. What can you tell us about how these releases came about?
I was super excited about it! I’ve been a big fan of the releases on Southern Fried since its launch. I supported FBS on tour at his Cardiff date. It was incredible to meet him and his team, and it sparked inspiration for me to send over some records to them for potential release on Southern Fried.
What has it been like working with Fatboy Slim and his team?
It has been great; it is the best label team I’ve worked with. I can tell they care so much about the records. They have a huge love of music and are certainly passionate about building up new artists.
You’re performing at Rise Festival in the French Alps in December. What are you looking forward to most about the festival?
I am! I’ve done a few skiing festivals over the past few years, but this is my first time at Rise Festival. Parties in the Alps are always so much fun; everyone goes crazy (I think it’s the mountain air), so I’m most excited about playing my music to some like-minded people.
Being such a unique experience, do you have anything special up your sleeve for your Rise Festival set?
I’ll be getting weird with it for sure: I guess you’ll have to come see for yourself.
Talk us through your creative process. Do you have any weird pre-studio rituals or specific production techniques?
My creative process is a bit sporadic and chaotic. I tend to find inspiration to write from experiences, meaning I use writing music as a diary entry. I have ideas come to me at the most random times, so I have to stop what I’m doing and write something in that moment. From when I can’t get to my computer for whatever reason, I have a lot of voice notes on my phone that have me trying to say lyrics or humming a melody.
What advice would you give other artists to help promote themselves effectively?
Especially on social media, my main goal is to remain authentic. Followers / Fans love to see a person behind the music that they can connect with and build trust for. If you are being yourself, you will attract a fanbase that aligns with you naturally. Don’t be afraid to talk to the camera, open up and speak your truth (as well as sharing your music).
Lastly, what can fans expect from you over the rest of 2023 and into 2024?
The next year or so, you’re going to see a shift in the music I’m releasing. I have a lot of music ready to release and am going to be self-releasing a lot of it. The creative freedom of doing this has really opened up my music creation, and I have been making some of the most exciting and interesting stuff I’ve ever made.
You can catch Meg Ward alongside the likes of Bicep, Chris Stussy, LF SYSTEM, Oden & Fatzo (Live), Sonny Fodera and more at Rise Festival from 9th to 16th December. For more info and tickets, visit http://www.rise-festival.com.
Meg Ward
https://www.facebook.com/megwardDJ
https://www.instagram.com/meggyward
https://twitter.com/meggyward
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2mD3jEYpdABPmYGMkwIp8s
https://soundcloud.com/meggyward
Rise Festival
https://www.rise-festival.com
https://www.instagram.com/rise_festival
https://www.facebook.com/risefestivalofficial