Today we’d like to introduce you to MESO.
Hi MESO, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been a dreamer, so for as long as I can remember, I’ve had so many different interests, goals, and aspirations. On Monday, my dream walking into kindergarten would be to grow up and become a chef-dancer-teacher-extraordinaire, and on Tuesday, my new dream would be to become a cheerleader-trackstar-author who did chemistry experiments on the weekend. My only consistent dream, though, was to sing.
And I did that. A lot. I sang at every opportunity I could find, whether it be at church or at school. I was part of the Christmas production my church put on from the age of 4 all the way until I was 13, and even though it wasn’t my most desired genre, I sang classical music in my varsity high school choir and competed at the state level.
It wasn’t until I was twelve, though, that I started writing songs. I remember watching America’s Got Talent with my family and seeing Grace Vanderwaal, who was my age, audition with her own original song. I thought to myself, “If she can do it, I can too”. Up until that point, I had “written” little ditties that I just hummed to myself and strung together words with a harmony, but that was the first time I really sat down and thought about what a song actually is, and how to structure my thoughts to fit them into the arc of a song.
Writing became my new obsession. I would skip class and stay up late just to write songs. And as far as I was concerned, the only viable path to pursue this passion was to tough it out in some city after U graduated high school and write and write until I made it. Lo and behold, that wasn’t the only option, and I discovered Belmont’s songwriting undergrad program, so in 2021, I moved to Nashville and I started studying songwriting as my major.
It was the best and most perfect decision for me, and I’m so grateful I had that experience. I loved my professors, I gained such a wealth of knowledge about writing songs, and my skills were drastically honed and developed.
I graduated last summer, and here I am!!! I’m still in Nashville, and I just dropped my debut single, “olive branches” on July 3rd. I’m loving life and I’m so beyond blessed to be where I am.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As I mentioned, I graduated from Belmont last summer, and it’s every student’s hope for graduation to be a launchpad into their career. For me, that was absolutely not the case.
I had nothing going for me– or at least that was really what it felt like. I had virtually no momentum, plans, or roadmap for music, and when I tried to force myself to sit and write, I’d come up empty. I was so afraid that I’d already written all the best stuff I’d ever write. I believe in God, and all I knew was that He told me to stay in Nashville, but every morning I would wake up and wonder, “Why am I here?”.
It’s funny, though, a lot of the dreams I had as a kid have since been actualized throughout my life, even though they weren’t the big dream of writing and singing, and after college, God opened a door for me to cook at a cafe. Looking back at this last year, while I didn’t know what I was doing or what the heck was going on, God was taking me on this journey of learning how to feel my feelings. That, in turn, tapped into this well that I’ve been drawing from to write stuff now that’s better, truer, and deeper than anything I’ve written in the past. “olive branches”, the song that came out the first week of July, was the first of those songs I started writing in February when I realized my newfound capacity to feel.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I make indie alt-pop, and I’ve been told my melodies are pretty sticky and catchy. I think because even in conversation, I speak in analogies and pictures, that really comes through in my lyrics. I know how to paint a picture and build a world with my music.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I’m super grateful to my parents for allowing me to chase this dream. That’s not typical of Nigerian parents, but they always taught me to follow God’s voice in everything.
I’m also so thankful for my community in Nashville who have really rallied around me and supported me this last year. Even though I’m ten hours away from my immediate family, I never felt alone, and I know I have family in the people in my life here.
I could keep going, but lastly, I would like to thank Sam Dimitrius, my producer, who took a chance on me and continues to do so. It’s been life-changing to have someone who not only believes in the vision, but, furthermore, brings it to life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mesonotthesoup
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mesonotthesoup
- Other: https://notnoise.co/link/meso-olive-branches
