Meiko 'self-titled' album

I am excited to introduce you to Meiko, a singer-songwriter out of Los Angeles, CA. Meiko will be releasing her self-titled debut on August 5th digitally through MySpace Records. Also, for a limited time you'll be able to score a free acoustic EP with your purchase on iTunes. The album will then be released physically on September 9.

Heartbreak has never sounded as lush or felt as wrenchingly familiar as it does on the breathtakingly beautiful debut from Meiko (mee-ko). On her self-titled album, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter is at once tough, tender and funny on songs that explore loss and loneliness but remain hopeful. "I don't write love songs," she says. "I write frustrated love songs."

A Georgia native, Meiko got her start at the famed Hotel Café in Hollywood, where she was a waitress and performer before local and national buzz allowed her to put aside her drink tray for good. "I retired from the waitressing field earlier this year," she muses. "Getting up in the morning and writing songs is my new profession."

Listen to her songs in a single setting and it's clear that she's very good at her job. A songwriter with a keen eye and vivid narrative gift, Meiko collects jagged moments and devastating conversational flashes and turns them into deceptively simple tunes with hushed, gentle tones and stunning detailed imagery.

Many of the songs on her Lucky Ear/MySpace Records/DGC debut were sharpened on the Hotel Café stage, and then recorded over the course of two years, often in wine-fueled late night sessions. "I had no money to record, so I wound up calling in lots of favors, usually recording at 3AM when the studio wasn't being used by other bands."

Self-released by Meiko late last year, the disc was the No. 1 Folk Album on iTunes with more than 200,000 downloads. She also earned regular play from LA tastemaker KCRW and key placements on prime-time television, including a prominent spot on the season premiere of Emmy-winning TV show "Grey's Anatomy."

Intense label interest followed and Meiko eventually signed with MySpace Records and DGC (Lucky Ear is her own indie label), sensing their commitment to nourishing her as an artist. "I feel like I'll be given the creative freedom I need to flourish", she says, "rather than be pressured to put out music I'm not comfortable with."

Months after its initial release, the album has been remixed, remastered and includes re-recorded versions of fan favorites along with a brand-new track/lead single: "Boys with Girlfriends," a jaunty send-up of the dangers of befriending gents with jealous girlfiends. Among the album's many highlights is "How Lucky We Are," a sumptuous folk-pop confection; "Under My Bed," which showcases the versatility and strength of Meiko's stunning voice as she considers the souvenirs left behind by a former flame; and the spare and compelling "Reasons To Love You."

And though her music is inspired as much by Sade and Cocteau Twins as by Patty Griffin and Nina Simone, Meiko credits her father as being the most important influence in her life. She grew up in Roberta, GA (population 808) in a log cabin (really) built by her dad. Her folk-pop sensibility is a mix of his favorites, which included classic rock staples from the likes of The Eagles and The Allman Brothers. "He had this beautiful old Gibson guitar," she recalls, "and he played and sang for me ever since I was a baby. Of course, back then I didn't realize that he was playing covers, so I was pretty surprised years later when I heard some band named Led Zeppelin playing my father's song--'Stairway To Heaven'--on the radio."

After high school, Meiko moved to Los Angeles, started attending open mic nights and cut her teeth on the Hotel Café stage. She got the chance to open for Patty Griffin, whose album Living With Ghosts changed her life. "When my boss at the Hotel Café asked me to play
that gig, I swear I almost lost it. I mean, sharing the bill with Patty Griffin
was a huge deal to me."

Next up for her is a summer tour--the first of several road jaunts in support of the upcoming album.

"I wanna get my music to as many people that will listen," she says. "Most important of all, I wanna reach the headphones of that girl in that tiny town, like me way back when, and letting her know that there's a whole other world out there."

tour dates
She'll also be on tour with Joe Purdy and (hopefully) coming to a city near you!:

Aug 11 2008 3rd & Lindsley Nashville, Tennessee
Aug 12 2008 Schubas Chicago, Illinois
Aug 13 2008 Off Broadway St. Louis, Missouri
Aug 14 2008 High Noon Saloon Madison, Wisconsin
Aug 16 2008 Redstone Room (19+ over) Davenport, Iowa
Aug 17 2008 Varsity Theatre Minneapolis, Minnesota
Aug 18 2008 Vaudeville Mews (21+ over) Des Moines, Iowa
Aug 20 2008 Mick's Music & Bar Omaha, Nebraska
Aug 21 2008 The Soiled Dove Underground (21+ over) Denver, Colorado
Aug 22 2008 Velour Provo, Utah
Aug 23 2008 tbd Boise, Idaho
Aug 24 2008 Imbibe Portland, Oregon
Aug 25 2008 Nectar Seattle, Washington
Aug 26 2008 Red Devil Lounge (21+ over) San Francisco, California
Aug 27 2008 Anthology San Diego, California
Aug 29 2008 The Roxy Los Angeles, California
Aug 30 2008 Saint Rocke (21+ over) Hermosa Beach, California
Sep 3 2008 Hendrix College (FREE SHOW! ALL AGES!)

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Meiko - self-titled