Meme Love

“I just want to have fun. I love doing music – it is my passion in life. When I’m creating music I’m so happy, and when I’m not it’s the worst thing ever. All I want is to be able to do music because it makes me feel alive. And I want to make other people happy with my music as well.”
Meme Love doesn’t look like a woman on a mission – she’s too pretty, too polite and too prepossessing to be hiding an inner drive. But beneath that sweet-as-candy exterior lies a steely determination to unleash her luscious pop creations on a wider audience.
&nbsp You know that sensation when you wake up with a song in your head that you can’t shake for the rest of the day? Well, imagine that song being so perfectly-formed that all you want to do is go back to sleep and enjoy it all over again. That’s the feeling Meme’s music evokes – as blissful as the shimmering sea on a hot, sunny day; as faultless as a field of fresh snow.
&nbsp “I always had an openness to music – I wanted to appreciate, and learn about, all different types of music. At school I learned cello, and then a bit of clarinet. After school I went to college and did A Level music and got my grade eight on the cello. During that time I played with some world music and folk bands. After A-levels I did an HND in music production, because I’d decided I’d maybe like to be an engineer. But that’s where I discovered my performing side. I was in a band as part of one of the modules, and I started to sing. That was the first time I’d really sung. While at college I joined an electro band. It was a good experience – Rob da Bank was interested in us and we released a couple of independent singles. After my production course I did a popular music degree, which I loved as it really made me think about pop music.”
&nbsp Perhaps because of this wide-ranging musical background, she is able to bring together divergent influences with apparent ease, to create an effortless fusion of classical and folk elements, with sparkling pop melodies and honey-soaked vocals. Such is her talent that comparisons with the likes of Dusty Springfield and Carole King are more than mere hyperbole. Of all the names you could mention, however, the one that springs most easily to mind is the undisputed queen of alternative pop, Kate Bush. “‘Hounds Of Love’ is such an inspirational song,” says Meme, the admiration obvious in her voice.
&nbsp “I analyse music a lot. I’ll break it down into really small parts and work out what makes a good song: why does it sound like that, or why does it make me feel like that. That’s how I get influenced – by songs that interest me. It might be a really little thing in a song that I find interesting, but then I’ll take that idea and try to apply it to one of my songs.
&nbsp “I ponder over ideas a lot. I might see something written down, or somebody might say something, and I’ll think ‘Oooh, that could be good for a song’. And I’ll go away and think about it, and suddenly it will all make sense in my head and I’ll know what I’m going to write about. If I haven’t got a pen and paper to hand I write ideas for lyrics in the notes section on my phone. I also record melodies into my phone. For example the melody for ‘Something Amazing’ randomly came to me at work, so I went downstairs into the kitchen where nobody was and recorded it into my phone really, really quietly. Sometimes if I’m walking along and a melody pops into my head, I’ll sing into my phone really discretely so that nobody thinks I’m crazy.”
&nbsp Although she has a band the process of writing is very personal. “I do all the writing… but I do like everyone to feel as though they’re all part of something. I like to give the rest of the band some creative freedom, so if they want to change a little something in the arrangement they can.”
&nbsp In fact, though, such is her love of instruments, and fascination with the sounds they can make, that she actually plays everything herself on her demos. “I play piano and cello, I play violin like a cello when I’m doing the recordings, but nobody needs to know! I’ve got a glockenspiel, a melodica, guitar, and I play a bit of bass… I’ve got a harmonica as well, and I can play it a bit, but I don’t really know enough about it to play it properly. Er… I think that’s all the instruments I’ve got. And my dad’s given me a mandolin and a balalaika, which I'm excited to learn how to play. If I ever go on holiday, or if someone else goes on holiday, I get them to bring me back a little musical instrument. I love thinking about new instruments and sounds and how I can incorporate them into my music. I want to have a go at everything! I would love to record an album all on my own. I think I have the capacity to do something a bit more experimental, later on down the line.”
&nbsp That’s in the future, though; for now her focus is firmly on the glorious pop songs that have become her hallmark since concentrating on her solo career a year ago. “At the minute pop is where it’s at for me. I want to create simple, straightforward, beautiful pop songs. My aim is to make people happy and at the end of the day I want to have fun with it too – I don’t want to take everything really seriously.”
&nbsp Make of it what you will; the simple truth is that Meme’s music will bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.