London-based singer MEI has released her EP The Hard Way Around The Sun earlier this month. The EP, consisting of five tracks, is a musical depiction of the last one and a half years. MEI has given a voice to those unprecedented, tragic times. Having caught COVID herself, the singer deals with the aftermath of the illness that knows no difference between us. The Hard Way Around The Sun is a beautiful, empowering EP that the singer wrote to give strength to herself and probably many others who are still processing the last 18 months.
The South London multidisciplinary artist is not only a vocalist and songwriter, she’s also a producer and bassist with a unique blend of R&B, rap, alternative and electronic elements combined with soul-baring lyrics. MEI creates a sound that she herself describes as, “honey for your ears, medicine for your fears”. MEI has crafted a distinctive sonic world that develops with each release, showcasing her commitment to growth and discovery.
KALTBLUT caught up with MEI ahead of her performance at London’s HowTheLightGetsIn festival next month to discuss her EP and the personal stories behind it. Read the q&a below.
KALTBLUT: Tell me about your EP The Hard Way Around The Sun.
MEI: It came out three weeks ago now, and it is about everything that’s happened in the last 18 months. It’s super personal and autobiographical. I, unfortunately, had COVID last year badly. It was very touch and go at some points, I didn’t think I was gonna survive it. It was a weird situation, it was right at the week that we had gone into lockdown for the first time. The hospital numbers were crazy, and I couldn’t get any health care, because there were no beds. When we were calling an ambulance they told us there were no beds in your local hospital, you’re young, you’re just gonna have to ride this out. And I said, ride this out? You’re just gonna leave me here to die? That’s insane! Thankfully, thank God, I am here. It took a long time to heal and then unfortunately I got Long Covid symptoms in September, I ended up being on bed rest for three months.
I was pretty distraught about that because we put some singles out in autumn because we wanted to make up for the lost time. While I was sick, I was not able to do as many live streams as everyone was doing. So, that happened and I was rushed to A&E, did loads of tests and they couldn’t determine what it was. I was on loads of medication and complete bed rest for three months. I didn’t have anything to do; I was just lying there. It was torture.
It was a hard time, but throughout the year, I was writing that up and producing it with two good friends of mine, who are also my bandmates and production duo. They’re two amazing women, so we decided let’s produce this EP together. Some of it was done via Zoom, and some of it was done in the studio before COVID happened. We were able to go back into the studio in January, we had to get tested all the time, we were jumping over so many hoops to get the project over the line.
I also, simultaneously, was going through a break-up. My therapist asked me, so what brings you to therapy? Where do I start? It was for sure an awful year and a half, but I’m pleased and grateful this music came out of the back of that. Everything throughout the EP, though it’s talking about sad stuff, I was writing to uplift me. There’s that message running through the entire project.
My role as the type of artist I wanna be is to document what’s going on. As Nina Simone rightly said many years ago: “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.”
KALTBLUT: I’m so sorry all that has happened to you, and I’m glad you got out of it okay. I think it’s great that the EP is dealing with the last year and especially the pandemic. So many people have suffered the same way you have, especially when it comes to Long Covid. I think it’s great that there’s an EP for them that they can identify with.
MEI: I was hoping that would be the case because this is not only me that’s going through this. For the first time, no matter who you are, no matter what background, financial background, race, whatever, COVID doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who you are, you can be rich and famous, you can be broke, everyone can get it and it will affect you like it affected everyone else. That one bit made me think that at least we’re all brought together on one thing. I felt that if I share this story, even though it’s mega personal, it felt right. My role as the type of artist I wanna be is to document what’s going on.
As Nina Simone rightly said many years ago: “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.”
This project is created, written, produced, performed and arranged entirely by women. I’ve always wanted to do that, but this project felt like the right moment to do that. I’ve worked with loads of great male producers who were supportive and taught me so, I’ve never had a problem with anything like that. But to be this personal and open, the space that it creates when you’re working with women and sisters just felt right.
KALTBLUT: I’ve heard that from a lot of people.
MEI: There was also the Black Lives Matter stuff that was happening simultaneously, that was another hurdle to overcome, especially if you spend time on social media. I was like I can’t do this right now, I can’t see another black square. I will throw my phone away. It was so triggering. Half my family are American, it hits home. This has been going on for years and years.
KALTBLUT: It’s been going on forever since America has been colonised by the Brits, but even before that. There was never a moment when it stopped really.
MEI: Exactly. It was highly triggering, and on top of that being unwell, seeing it all unfold and feeling powerless. I couldn’t even go and protest. I couldn’t do anything and I couldn’t cope with social media. I felt like I was doing nothing to help the problems until I realised that everyone should use the tools that are available to them. My tool is my pen. I’m a writer. I’m going to write songs about this. I’m going to touch on it in the music. So that feeling is in the EP as well. I hope it helps. I didn’t know, but it felt like that was my small way.
KALTBLUT: I felt that empowering message when I listened to the EP. But as well as empowering, there is a blend of several genres in the EP. Was that something you did organically?
MEI: Since I’ve started this project, I knew that I wanted to make music that sounded different. I’ve always thought what is the point of creating music that sounds exactly like music that’s already out? I love straight-ahead traditional R&B, I grew up with it. It sounds great there. I am a fan of those people. But, why do I need to also do it when they’re already doing it?
I just wanted to always make music that touched on all the genres that have been a part of my upbringing and have been a part of my journey as a musician. Everything from Afrobeat to Grime to Garage. Especially growing up in South London, you have all these like different sub-genres on your doorstep. And jazz and gospel music, because I grew up in church and so I wanted to be able to represent my full musical identity within my music so that it doesn’t align with typical R&B.
I had to come to terms with that and tell myself that if I do this with my music, it will be harder to break, it will take longer, but you made that decision.
In the UK, of course, there’s a huge culture and I wanted to be part of that movement that goes global. I want people to get a feel and essence of who we are, we don’t have the same culture as black Americans
KALTBLUT: I think in the long run this will be more sustainable. I find that now there are a lot of artists reclaiming their identity and roots, whether that’s singing in their native language or just using more local sounds.
MEI: I try to sing, as much as possible, in a London accent as long as it sounds good on the recording. There are certain ways that we say words that sound very ugly when we sing them. (laughs) When I’m editing the vocals and I hear it I’m like, no, we’re not gonna take that.
I’ve always tried not to sound like an American singer, because I’m from London, so I’m gonna try to sound like that. Throughout the time that I’ve made music, I’ve tried to tap into the black British identity. Especially in the entertainment industry, there are still people that are not aware that there are that many black people in the UK. It’s quite strange. Black Britishness has only really become a thing in the last ten years outside of the UK. In the UK, of course, there’s a huge culture and I wanted to be part of that movement that goes global. I want people to get a feel and essence of who we are, we don’t have the same culture as black Americans.
KALTBLUT: I think even compared to some British people the culture is different considering how prominent the class system is in the UK. People from different class backgrounds are all living completely different lives.
MEI: I’ve always believed that that is our biggest problem here. Race is a massive problem globally, and it’s a problem here. But classism here is even worse. The disparity between the classes is exactly as you said, how working-class people live, compared to middle class compared to upper-class. It’s insane. I have a working-class background. I went to a school where there was like every type of background, race, faith and financial background. It was mixed. I’m grateful for that because it taught me how to be able to navigate in any space. Not just being comfortable with people that are also from South London and who took like me. It taught me to be able to walk into a room of people who come from different backgrounds and be able to hold my own, be confident enough to speak and be articulate. But not everyone gets that education. So, then how do you get into those jobs where you get into a predominately white workspace. How do you come across well? You’re set up to fail already.
KALTBLUT: You’re right. I’ve never seen such an obvious class division as in the UK. But, another thing that I wanted to mention is your visuals and your artwork, it’s stunning. Did you come up with a concept? Or was there more of a collaboration?
MEI: It was a collaboration because I worked with an incredible artist called Lily Resta. She’s a good friend of mine and she asked me where are we going with the artwork for this project? She has done the artworks for my last three EPs. I knew that she was right for this project as well. And I told her the title, which was The Hard Way Around The Sun and how I spent a lot of time thinking about time because I couldn’t go anywhere, I couldn’t do anything. The days were so slow.
I was thinking about what a crazy year it’s been. I thought, even though it’s been nuts, we’re still orbiting the sun the same way we did the last year and the year before that. It’s just a different route this time. That’s where the name came from. Lily and I had a conversation where I told her all this, we created mood boards and I felt the music was giving me Afrofuturism in a way. So, I did some research and found some artworks that were created in that world of art, so we put all of that together. Lily is a collage artist and I wanted to get her side into the artwork as well.
KALTBLUT: It’s stunning, the lyric video for “Let Dusk Welcome Me” is beautiful, too. So, as you probably already know, KALTBLUT has partnered up with the Festival HowTheLightGetsIn, where you’ll be performing too. Are you excited? And are you looking forward to any of the acts?
MEI: I’m super excited. It’s a really interesting festival to play at, especially because there are so many amazing people like the speakers, for example. It’s a completely different festival from anything I ever played. So I’m super, super excited especially after the year I just had, it’s gonna be cool to hear from amazing people who know way more than me.
It’s also the first time I’m going to perform my new EP live. I did a festival last weekend, but it was a DJ set. This will be the first time I’ll be performing MEI music since the end of 2019. I’m nervous, but I’m excited. This is the beginning of getting back out there and performing two EPs that I’ve never performed. I’m excited to see how people interact with the songs in a live setting, as opposed to just digitally.
As to who I’m most excited to see, it’s probably Chinwe. I’m really liking her new EP Scar Tissue.
Buy/Stream MEI’s EP The Hard Way Around the Sun here.
Cover photo by Rommario McLeary-Campbell
MEI’s socials:
Instagram: @1am_mei
Twitter: @1am_mei
Facebook: @1ammei
TikTok: @1am_mei
KALTBLUT has partnered up with the London Festival HowTheLightGetsIn. With over 100 debates, talks, live music and comedy all available across the weekend, make sure you grab your tickets for @HTLGIFestival – all taking place on 18th ans 19th September! Get tickets and explore the full line up here.
