Meiko (/ˈmiːkoʊ/) is an American singer-songwriter residing in London, England. She independently released a self-titled album on September 1, 2007. All of the tracks from the LP have been featured in major network TV shows. Her second full-length, titled The Bright Side, was released through Fantasy Records on May 15, 2012, and a single from the album, "Stuck On You", reached No. 1 on the combined Japanese AirPlay Chart and No. 1 on the International Chart in Japan.
Early life
Meiko was born in Roberta, Georgia and raised by her father.[1] Meiko first stepped in front of an audience at the age of eight, singing "White Christmas" for parishioners of a Southern Baptist church. In the years that followed, she performed everywhere from talent shows to Little League baseball parks. When she was not performing, she was practicing – spending countless hours singing into the family's clothes dryer. "Great acoustics," she insisted.[2] She soon developed an interest in writing songs and enlisted the help of her dad, who taught her how to play guitar on his Gibson six-string. When she was thirteen, he bought her a guitar of her own. A flood of songs followed. "As soon as I learned a new chord," she says, "I wrote a new song."[3] She has one sibling, designer Kelly Nishimoto.
Music career
2007–2013: Beginnings and self-titled debut studio album
At age eighteen, after a brief stop in Miami, she moved to Los Angeles, playing venues all over Southern California and writing at a prolific pace. She performed (and bartended) at Hollywood's Hotel Café, where she still performs regularly.
In early 2007, Meiko performed at the Sundance Film Festival and caught the ear of Paste Magazine editor Josh Jackson, who declared her a "big success story" waiting to happen, predicting it was "only a matter of time" before she found her way onto Nic Harcourt's influential "Morning Becomes Eclectic" radio program on KCRW.[4]
In September 2007, she toured nationally with Brett Dennen and in October, toured the U.S. as the opener for Mat Kearney.[5]
In June 2008 Meiko signed a recording deal with MySpace Records/DGC, who released her album in partnership with Lucky Ear Music (Meiko's own indie label). The Lucky Ear/MySpace/DGC release has been remixed, premastered and includes re-recorded versions and a new track, "Boys with Girlfriends". The digital album re-release was August 5, 2008.
Meiko performing in 2007.
Also in August, she toured the U.S. (Three dates in Southern California) with Joe Purdy, Chris Seefried and Jay Nash.[6] In the fall of 2008, Meiko joined another Hotel Cafe Tour – this time around the trek featured an all-female lineup. Meiko was the only artist performing all dates of the tour. From February–March 2009, Meiko performed on a string of U.S. dates in support of Joshua Radin.[7] In May 2009, she embarked on her first-ever headlining U.S. tour.[8] In June 2009, Meiko hit the road with Eric Hutchinson,[9] and in July 2009, she performed a string of shows in the UK before playing in the United States territory of Guam.[10] In October and November 2009 Meiko toured the U.S. with Jewel.[11]
Meiko's album was digitally released in Australia on October 9, 2009, and reached No. 2 on the iTunes Australia Singer-Songwriter Albums chart. The album was physically released October 23, 2009.
She signed a new recording contract with Fantasy Records/Concord Records in late 2011,[13] with her second album titled
The Bright Side released on May 15, 2012.[14]
2014–2016: Breakthrough with Dear You
Meiko released her third full-length album, titled Dear You, on October 14, 2014, through Fantasy Records/Concord Records.[15] Remixes of "Be Mine", the first single from the album, reached No. 25 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.[16]
Meiko decided to part ways with her label in early 2015, and independently released a live EP titled Live Songs From The Hotel Cafe on October 23, 2015. The 7-song release features six live versions of fan favorites recorded during various Meiko concerts at the venerable L.A. venue The Hotel Café, including the previously unreleased show-closer "You Gotta F**kin’ Tip." An additional brand new live track titled "Perfect Fit" is included as well.[17]
Meiko independently released a new album titled Moving Day on June 24, 2016.[18]
According to her website, Meiko gave birth to her first child on July 15, 2016.[19]
2018–present: Cover songs and recent developments
On January 26, 2018, Meiko released a cover of The Cranberries single "Zombie" through the independent label Chesky Records. The track will also be featured on Meiko's Playing Favorites album, due out on May 25, 2018, through Chesky Records.[20]
On March 16, 2018, Meiko released another song called "Back in the Game" through the independent label WAX Ltd.[21]
May 25, 2018 saw the release of Meiko's Playing Favorites album through independent label Chesky Records. The 12-song collection of live cover songs debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard Heat seekers Albums Chart.[22] It was released on limited-edition pink vinyl on December 14, 2018.
On December 7, 2018, Meiko released a new holiday single called "Merry Christmas Wherever You Are".[23]
Meiko independently released a new original single titled "Gimme Gimme" on April 26, 2019.[24]
She released a full new album on May 21, 2019, called In Your Dreams.[25]
She released a three-song EP on May 26, 2020, called "Weird World".[26]
Origins of name
Meiko is of Japanese heritage; her maternal grandmother from Japan died when she was eight years old.[27][28] According to Meiko, her grandmother felt a strong urge to assimilate into American culture and only spoke English to her children, never Japanese, and so, Meiko and her mother never learned much of the language or the culture. After her grandmother's death, she and her sister began to refer to one another as Meiko and Keiko, both Japanese names. However, without a Japanese speaker to help them, they mispronounced them as "mee-ko" and "kee-ko," whereas they are actually pronounced "may-ko" and "kay-ko." Though Meiko later learned they'd been pronouncing the names incorrectly, they "didn't have the heart to change it."[29]
Instruments
Meiko has played a Gibson 1951 J-50 and has played many live shows with her Gibson 1942 LG2 which "doesn't have a pickup."[30] Meiko currently plays a Gibson B-25.
^"Meiko". The Dead Hub. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
^Leaudouce Live. "Meiko Live in Guam". Meikoguam.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
^"Archives". The Dead Hub. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
^Mike Savage Artist Management (February 22, 1999). "Meiko Begins Recording New Album". Mike Savage Artist Management. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
^Mike Savage Artist Management (May 21, 2010). "More Meiko Music in Film & TV". Mike Savage Artist Management. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
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