Interview with Meg & Dia Frampton

Meg and Dia Frampton are musicians/recording artists that lead the self-titled Utah-based indie rock band, Meg & Dia.

The five-piece band, formed in 2003, features lead vocals by Dia and vocals, piano and guitar by Meg.

After releasing albums independently and through indie label Doghouse Records, Meg & Dia signed with Warner Bros. Records in 2007. There they released their third full-length album, Here, Here and Here.

In mid-2010, Meg & Dia parted ways with Warner Bros. and released the It’s Always Stormy In Tillamook EP independently at the end of last year.

We caught up with Meg and Dia as they put the finishing touches on their upcoming album to discuss their backgrounds, past, present and future career and other side projects that they are involved with.

We are pleased to present this interview with Meg and Dia Frampton.

Please note that HalfKorean.com comments/questions are in BOLD.

Background: The Basics on Meg & Dia Frampton

Where were you guys born, raised, currently reside?
Dia: We were born in Logan, Utah, raised mostly in Utah, and now reside in St. George, Utah.

How did your family end up in Utah? Was that where you father was from?
Meg: Yeah, our dad and his parents were from Utah. Our family has been in Utah for quite awhile.

How did your parents meet?
Dia: My mom took English lessons in Seoul, Korea, and my dad was an English teacher. He was not, however, her personal teacher. His friend also went over with my dad from America to teach English. His friend was my mom’s teacher. He set them up on a blind date.

Do you have any other siblings?
Dia: Yes, five sisters.

Meg: I am the oldest.

Meg, since you are the oldest of six girls did you feel any additional pressure to be a good role model and older sister?
Meg: Yeah, it doesn’t seem like much burden. Dia and I were probably the biggest hassle out of all the children. All the rest of them are so well behaved. It is kind of strange how easy they are to handle.

How close are the two of you?
Dia: Quite close. We spend a lot of time together, business-wise, and we also live together.

Meg: I think it is interesting because we are finally old enough to have known each other through different stages of our lives. We knew each other when were kids and then through our teenage turmoil years. Now, we are turning into adults and branching off. I’m starting to do jewelry and Dia is starting to focus on her singing more in different areas. We are each other’s support system. If I ever have a question on how I can transfer my jewelry from this state to that state, I’ll ask her. If she goes to an audition she’ll ask me which song to use to tryout. We have a lot of respect for each other just because we are good role models for each other. Such as, if I want to sing better because she sings so well or maybe I’ll inspire her to do something outside of music because I’m doing jewelry.

Do you speak any Korean?
Dia: I can say, “hello,” “thank you,” and “I love you.” Meg cannot speak it but can understand a conversation spoken in Korean very well. It’s kinda eerie. For example, my mom will be talking to someone on the phone for 20 minutes and then Meg will say, “Apparently our Aunt is getting new furniture and isn’t sure if she spent too much money.”

Meg: I speak a little bit and can understand pretty much everything. If I’m listening to a conversation I can totally get it. My mom doesn’t really know that I understand everything. Every once in a while I’ll pop in and I’ll say, “Hey mom, why did you say this and this about us.” She’ll just start laughing because she doesn’t think that I understand it.

What is your favorite Korean food?
Dia: All of it. I just learned how to make kimchee (김치) the other day from my mom. I really love bibimbop (비빔밥).

Meg: I really like yakimandu (야끼만두) and jajangmyeon (자장면). I like bulgogi (불고기) and cucumber kimchee (오이소박이). I also like boricha (보리차) .

Did you grow up around other mixed Koreans or people of mixed heritage?
Dia: No. Utah doesn’t have a lot of other religions/races in it although lately it is expanding into different cultures. We grew up around a lot of Mormon people, naturally. I had no Korean friends in Logan growing up and not now in St. George.

Meg: In Utah it is predominantly Mormon religion. Everybody is white/Caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes. Actually, for a long time growing up, I think it negatively affected me because I was always thinking I was different. I would never go outside because I didn’t want to get darker and wanted to stay light like everybody else. I always felt a little bit weird. I never knew anybody half (Asian). It was only once we started touring and going to places like California that it finally became cool to be half Asian, you know? I finally grew into it and liked it because it made me a little bit different. As far as growing up, it wasn’t the best growing up different than everyone else.

Did you ever experience any identity issues while growing up?
Dia: No. I was actually always quite proud of being a little different.

Meg: Yes, I think I absolutely did. Not only because the difference of religion but also the difference of appearance. Everybody could tell that I was different. You could just feel that they know you are different and you can never fully belong. Actually, I think that now that I’m older I can see that as I was growing up and that I felt that during my childhood it made me want to prove myself even more and show that I’m just as good even though I’m not the same as you guys. I think that it helped me in a lot of ways.

When was the last time you have been to Korea?
Dia: Last April.

Meg: Dia and I went to Korea on a business trip with our dad. He was actually going to China and we stopped in Korea. We stopped in this little town right next to the airport. We only stayed there for a night. We didn’t get to see downtown Seoul or get to feel the vibe from the city. We stopped by some Korean restaurants that didn’t taste like the Korean restaurants in America. It didn’t seem too clean, we must have been a really bad part of Korea.

Had you been to Korea before that trip?
Meg: Yeah, but it was when we were very little and don’t remember much.

What do people who meet/see you think your ethnicity is?
Dia: Filipino, Hawaiian or somewhere from South America.

Meg: Well, nobody ever says Korean. I don’t think I have ever gotten Korean. It has usually been Mexican or Hawaiian. I got French once and that was my favorite one to get! I get Filipino sometimes, but that is mainly it. I never get any Asian ones. I guess I don’t really have the Asian eyes so that confuses people.

Meg & Dia: The Music

When did you start taking an interest in playing instruments/singing?
Dia: When I was nine. I first started singing in front of people when I would learn old Patsy Cline songs and go karaoke them at lunch time in Old Folks nursing homes.

Meg: I picked up the guitar around the time I learned to drive. I had been struggling, struggling, struggling for the first four years. I’ve been playing about eight years now. It is really interesting because today during practice I finally felt good and fluid and could keep time with the drummer and felt on my game. I was thinking how ridiculous all the levels that I’ve gone through to get there. There were times when I was so confused and it just wouldn’t work and I felt really frustrated. I would think that was stupid and why did I have to go through that. But now, I know I had to go through that to get here. As dumb as the mistakes were, if I didn’t do them I don’t think I would be playing as I do now. The thing that made me get good is that I finally started putting in the practice. For the first few years I just kind of played during practice and did songs and played around. It wasn’t until I actually did drills and doing it three hours a day is when I was getting good.

So you are constantly evolving as an artist and musician then?
Meg: Yes. I know I still have such a long way to go. I really want to move back to Austin so I can be around the Blues players and start to get into that genre. That is what I want to do next. There is always room to grow. Now, I’m finally able to play quicker stuff more fluidly but as far as ear training goes I still have a long way to go. I think that is the fun part, to always have something to learn.

When did you decide to become recording artists?
Dia: I decided I wanted to try when I was nine.

Meg: Probably once we separated from Warner Brothers. It is probably surprising that I realized this so late and recently. Even when we were recording Here, Here and Here, which was our last record on Warner Brothers, I still didn’t feel like I knew a lot. It could have been that I felt intimidated by our producer Howard Benson because he had worked with all of these great artists and I was still struggling a little bit. Once we separated from the label, recorded our own record, and had to do everything on our own, taking that extra responsibility gave me that extra bit of confidence.

Did you always want to be part of a group or did you ever think about going solo or enter separately into the music business?
Dia: All those things crossed my mind. It just worked out this way and I’m glad it did.

Meg: Even though a lot of people like just the acoustic Meg & Dia and that is how we started out we’ve always wanted to have a band. We always get, “Why don’t you guys just play acoustic because you sound good that way and we can hear your voices?” I don’t know where that came from but it was probably because a lot of the people we look up to have the full band behind them. That is just what we always wanted.

How supportive were your parents and family?
Dia: Very.

Meg: Well, my dad is an entrepreneur. He didn’t even finish college and doesn’t really believe in formal education. Sure he thinks it is beneficial but he has always been that guy that starts a business from the ground up and does it all on his own. He loves having passion about your work. I think he had a dream to be a professional basketball player and that didn’t work out for him and has been his one big regret. So when he saw that mine and Dia’s dream was to be in a band very early on, there was no question. There was no “You need to go to school” or “You need to get a real job.” It was always 110% support from him and my mom. They’ve always been there, still to this day. They are the first ones to see our YouTube videos. They are the ones who fronted up the money when we made our first record. They are always supportive when we leave on tour. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a no when it comes to the band.

How would you describe the sound and style of your music?
Meg: There are a lot of harmonies and are two female vocalists singing it. We have a lot of rock n’ roll songs and then there are some slower folk/country songs. We try to be more on the side of The Cardigans and that type of pop music than something modern/hip like Avril Lavigne. We are more indie sounding and our vocals are kind of weird and not like your typical love songs. I guess we don’t play inside of a box really.

What are some influences to your sound and style?
Dia: Tom Petty and great literature.

Meg: When we were first signed to Dog House Records, they said they signed us because we didn’t sound like we had any influences. They said with us it was so confusing because we kind of sounded like we didn’t know what we were doing because we didn’t have any influence. I couldn’t really tell you who my favorite band or who we try to emulate. I liked Taking Back Sunday, Saves The Day, Dashboard Confessional and those bands when I was in high school. We also got a lot of influence from what our dad listened to when we were younger like the Beatles, Eric Clapton, Eagles and Boston. Stuff like that.

Who are some musicians/recording artists that you listen to?
Dia: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Tori Amos, Modest Mouse, Dawes, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Dr. Dog.

Meg: I listen to talk radio. Music-wise I like to listen to music live in a blues bar where they are jamming the blues. I don’t really have a favorite band to listen to. I just like that kind of stuff. When I’m in Austin, I can walk in and feel the energy. I don’t really feel that anywhere else. Sometimes I like to listen to pop/top 40 dance music in my car. That’s my guilty pleasure.

I believe that most of the songwriting and music is created by the two of you and the group members. What inspires your music and lyrics?
Dia: Not most, all of it is created by us. Our newest album coming out this year is mostly about our life experiences: love, friendship, traveling, life on the road, loss.

How was the experience of being signed to Warner Brothers Records from 2007-10?
Dia: Very insightful.

Meg: When we first got signed it was one of the most exciting days of my life. I didn’t really know anything about it other than Warner Brothers was the company that makes all the big movies, so I was just excited to be a part of that. There were great things that came out of that like we made a great music video, had amazing producers and had a bus on tour. But, I didn’t really see a lot of growth. I think we had the whole attitude of “Let’s ride the wave and let the label do it for us” and that was the bad thing. Now that we are off the label and we don’t have all of that money flying everywhere it is humbling and brings us back to where we started. We work harder now because we know it is all our responsibility and we make all of our own decisions. We are the ones who have to decide if it is good enough because there is nobody else to tell us.

Do you think that when you were on Warner Brothers that your creativity was held back at all?
Meg: Well, contrary to what most people say, we had a lot of creative freedom. We wrote all the songs and they liked them weird which was surprising to me. But there were times when a record label person would come in and tell us, “Why don’t you do this Jamaican style” or the producer would say, “We are going to make the title of this song the first line of the chorus.” I like to make weird song titles and they would tell me, “No you can’t do that.” There would be little tiny things like that. We still had the opportunity to be creative and let ourselves come through. The reason why we are more creative and open now is not so much them telling us we can’t do something but just their presence at all like having a big producer around to be your second opinion or having a label guy come in and listen and tell you to change things here and there or being afraid of what they are going to say. Now that extra person is not there so it is just free range and all us.

Would you consider signing with another label or do you plan to stay independent for the time being?
Dia: We’ll wait and see what comes along but right now we are quite content.

Meg: I really wouldn’t want to. That is so funny to me that I wouldn’t want to now. When we first started that was my ultimate goal. Before we had even written a song, I had written out a list of all the labels that I wanted to be on and send my demos to. Now, I wouldn’t want to touch one with a 10-foot pole. I don’t think we really need one anymore. We do our own marketing. We fund our own tours and make our own records. We get to keep all of the things and reap what we sow. That is really gratifying. I think if we ever sat down with another label it would have to be a perfect fit. Second we would have to really discuss and not go into the situation blind like we did before. What are you going to do for us and what are we expected to do for you and make sure it is a good situation before we jump into that again.

Has there been a particular track and/or album from your discography that you are most proud of?
Dia: “Bandits” off our new record or “My Ugly Mouth” from our EP It’s always stormy in Tillamook.

Meg: Cant it be one that nobody as heard yet? My favorite song is the one I wrote “Said and Done.” I don’t even know if it is going to go on the new record. I want it to but I don’t know what everybody’s opinion is. I like it because it’s so pure and innocent. It is kind of recorded like something from the 50s with the scratchy record player in the back and the vocals are retro. There is no other instrumentation going on. It is just acoustic guitar with simple chorus, one vocal line and no harmony. It is just really see-through and is just pure. The melody is good enough to hold on its own and doesn’t need a whole bunch of jazz. It is like really good black coffee.

You guys recently released the It’s Always Stormy in Tillamook EP this past November. How was the response from your fans?
Dia: Generally very good. Our fans are the sweetest people and very supportive.

Meg: It was really positive. The first week we sold 500 online by ourselves. It is still selling pretty well and being downloaded. The reaction has been pretty good. We were one of those bands that if you haven’t heard from them for awhile we got a lot of the “You guys are still around? We thought you guys were dead.” Stuff like that. I think everybody was really excited about it. We can tell as a band that it is growing and that something is happening and we are working hard.

You guys briefly mentioned it earlier, so you do have another full length album coming soon?
Meg: Yes, it should be coming out in April. All of the songs are done. We just have to get all of the artwork and everything ready. We are thinking of calling it maybe Yesterday and Tomorrow or Be Careful, I Love You, Have Fun.

Are there any artists out there that you would like to collaborate with that you haven’t already?
Dia: Tom Petty.

Meg: Probably anybody in Death Cab For Cutie. Maybe Fiona Apple or Regina Spektor.

What do you think of the current state of the music industry?
Dia: Very sad. People don’t listen to albums anymore, they listen to singles. People don’t buy and support music anymore, they download. I just had over a handful of friends get laid off at a major record label in California. It was very sad to see them all lose their jobs, those who worked so hard for the artists.

Meg: I know all the big labels are going under. I know that everyone is on iTunes and music is getting stolen. Those are negative things and people are worried. Even though all this stuff is going down, I think that our band is doing really well. We are using the technology to benefit us rather than whine about it. Now we can use marketing tools to get in touch with fans online and in different countries.

What are your thoughts on Asian American musicians/recording artists and the break through that they’ve had in recent years (including yourselves)?
Dia: I’m happy to hear about it all!

Meg: I think it is fantastic. I would love to see more. But, I’m not really one to stand behind a race or heritage. I’m Korean because my mom is Korean but I’ve only been to Korea once in my life. I’ve been judged my whole childhood being different so I just think people are people. But that is really cool.

Have you ever listened to any Korean pop music?
Dia: No, although my mom has old tapes she plays sometimes.

Meg: Wasn’t there a band called H.O.T.? I listened to some of their songs before.

Have you performed in Korea and, if not, would you want to?
Dia: No, but I would absolutely love to.

Meg: We tell our manager everyday to get us over there. But, he tells us that is really hard. I don’t know if that is true but we need to go over there. We would love to perform in Korea.

Do you know of any fans in Korea?
Dia: I don’t know.

Meg: No. We get people from Japan, Australia and the Philippines but not Korea.

Where do you prefer to play: large or small venues/shows?
Meg: That is such a hard question because there is something to be said in either scenario. In the intimate shows you can hear every inflection in your voice; you can make personal comments to somebody whose face you can see in the crowd. The vibe you get is really great and you can have the opportunity to touch somebody, not physically, but emotionally. The payoff is really big. Our music is kind of set up to sound better in that environment. But, at the same time, when we play a huge show like on the Angels & Airwaves Tour in an amphitheater it is such a rush. That is when you feel like you are in some kind of crazy TV show, like it is almost larger than life. I think I have had four or five definite moments of being on stage and it just doesn’t feel like you could get any higher than that. So, I think I would have to say the bigger shows even though it is so hard to make that decision.

Do you plan on touring quite a bit in 2011?
Dia: I hope so.

Meg: Yes. Before the album comes out, we have a small tour that we are headlining and another charity tour. We are going to try to do SXSW also.

What are your goals for 2011 and in the near future?
Dia: Tour as much as possible.

Meg: We are just trying to push, push, and push. Try to gain new fans, build an online presence, tour, and be better musicians. I always have a goal of improving personally. Like I said, I want to get into blues music. I really want to work on my jewelry company and get that going. The biggest goal is to create awareness, just more of it.

How involved are you guys with your website and social networking sites?
Meg: We are very involved. We are close with all the message boardees. I’m pretty good with technical stuff like Facebook and updating things but our drummer is really computer savvy so he knows how to do all of that stuff. The way I participate is the creative artistic side so I’ll have my ideas on how the emails should look and I also write and if there is something that has to get out there then I’ll write it up and make it pop and send it over to our drummer who sends the email out. We almost do that more that more than we play music which is kind of sad. But, it is what you have to do these days.

Any advice you would give to someone pursuing a career in the music industry?
Dia: Persevere.

Meg: I really like the quote, “Before you begin, know where you are ending.” I believe it is something like that. Make very specific goals and just do everything you can to get there. Like, if your goal is to get signed by a record label then send out 100 demos to 100 record labels. I also think that a lot of people don’t have success because they are too scared to try because maybe they will fail. The people that succeed are the ones who constantly putting themselves out there, trying out for everything, talking to everybody and always getting yourself out there. The more you put yourself out there eventually something is going to bite.

Dia, do you have any other projects in the works outside of music?
Dia: I’m writing a children’s book, but that’s about it.

How far along is the book?
Dia: Complete. I’m on the 5th redraft.

Meg, I understand you have a jewelry line, Chandler the Robot, that you started recently. When did you start to sell your jewelry?
Meg: I started this year. So, it is really new.

How long have you been making jewelry?
Meg: I just picked it up recently. I was living in Austin and we were on break from tour. One day I just decided to go into this jewelry school that I saw. It was this old orange house. I walked inside and it is the same kind of vibe that you would get when you go into an old practice studio. There were these old rusty machines and all the girls there were dressed like hippies and everything was so weird, creative and open. I just fell in love with the environment first. Then the teacher brought out this torch and we started melting metal and I fell in love instantly. I’ve always been artistic and I like to draw and I’m into fashion too. Those things combined are what lead me to jewelry. I like doing jewelry because I don’t just do the pearl pendant or put a stone in some kind of setting and then have that be it. I like to make jewelry that is really artistic and unique. Chandler the Robot was the first design I ever made and it had never been my intention to start a business or sell it. But my dad, being the entrepreneur that he is, said “You should put it on your band website and see if any of your fans might buy it.” I sold about 12 that night and then I was thinking maybe I have something here. It has been a really great way for me to still be creative when we are not on the road and have another avenue to be creative. I also think that I can get closer to fans this way because they read my blog and they actually help me make my blog better. We have all these really great discussions that are not just empty discussions on there. I just love it and everything about it.

Have your customers been Meg & Dia fans?
Meg: So far the customers have been mainly fans.

What inspires your creations?
Meg: I’ve actually done a lot that are inspired by books. That is how our band started out; we used to write songs about books. I made a piece called “Hank’s Gift” and it’s about Atlas Shrugged, that book. I did another one that I called “The Great Gatsby.” Also, I used to like the show Friends so that is actually what “Chandler” is named after, the character from Friends. Then I made “Ross the Robot” and “Joey the Robot.” I kind of draw inspiration from everywhere. The other day I was eating breakfast and I saw an iron sculpture of an ostrich outside of a breakfast place. I was just staring at it and this gentleman was standing by me and asked me what I was looking at. I told him I was looking at the size of the neck of the ostrich and how it would be awesome on the fringe of some boots on one of my sculptures. So, I’m always incorporating everything I see to something I can potentially use. That is how it is with music too.

Are you the sole person making the jewelry?
Meg: I make all of the polymer clay ones by hand. It takes me a few hours to make each one. With the robots, I was having some of them manufactured in Asia but that didn’t really work out. So now I’m making them all by hand. I’m always busy. In between practice I’m up in my room finishing these robots. I’m actually making some right now! I like to bring them on tour and have them at the merchandise table.

What are your goals for “Chandler the Robot?”
Meg: I want to spread the word. I’m going to be a vendor on the Warped Tour this summer. We’ve been playing as a band for three summers. I had talked to my manger and he said let’s get you on there as a vendor. I’m kind of like part of the Warped Tour family and they said they would set me up and I’m going to use the Meg & Dia tent. I will be having Chandler the Robot there from August 6-12.

Random on Meg & Dia

What are your current relationship status and do you have any dating preferences?
Dia: I’m single. When I was younger it used to be the usual girl stuff: A wide shoulder area with a nice chest, big blue eyes, a good smile, nice teeth. It was all physical and all silly. Now that I’m older my preferences has changed drastically: Good with handling money, treats their parents well, is sensitive, is decently clean, reads often, treats the waitstaff well when we go out to a restaurant, and opens doors for me.

Meg: I’m in a relationship. I like guys with blonde hair and blue or green eyes. I want to have something different than me.

Do you have any hobbies or interests that you do to relax?
Dia: Cooking, writing, song writing, kick boxing, walking my dog.

Meg: I’m constantly making jewelry or writing music. Other than that, I love to watch awesome TV shows like Mad Men or Six Feet Under. I love eating out at little mom and pop places and also reading by fireplaces.

Anybody in particular that you respect/look up to?
Dia: My mother because she puts up with a lot and never complains.

Meg: I look up to Ayn Rand, the author of Atlas Shrugged. I think that she was brilliant and I base a lot of my life decisions off of her philosophy that she writes about. I think it takes a lot of courage for a woman to stand up and say anything important. I admire that.

Do you drink soju?
Dia: Oh yes.

Meg: I am more of a sake person. Our guitar player drinks that all the time though. He gets red like Korean people. My face gets red too but his gets full on and he’s Filipino.

Do you get online often and what are some of your favorite websites?
Dia: Yes… but mostly just to look up the world news or dresses on Anthropologie. Ha.

Meg: I like going to Etsy.com which is this crafty, girlie thing. But, mostly I’m just doing stuff for the band. I am on my blog all day long and our band Facebook page. I spend a lot of time on Hotmail just going back and forth with managers and band members. We’re really funny. Even if we are in the same house we’ll still video chat with each other like from the basement up to our rooms. We are totally Internet dependent.

I know that you find out about HalfKorean.com through your manager after I had contacted him. What did you think about HalfKorean.com when you first saw it?
Dia: I think it’s great anytime people can get together and celebrate their culture and who they are whether it’s actually because they are part Korean, or just because they like Korean barbecue!

Meg: I think it is great for a website that can cater to that group of people. It is encouraging to have other people that are working hard like you. That is inspiring.

Any words that you would like to pass on to the community?
Dia: Not necessarily… read more Charles Dickens because he’s great.

Meg: When I went to California to buy some materials for my jewelry, this older Italian man said to me as I was leaving, in this really weird accent, “Have a good day, have a good life.” I walked outside and thought it was the weirdest thing. But, I think I like that. So that is kind of like my motto. Appreciate the moment and still keep your future goals in focus simultaneously. Have a good day, have a good life.

Thank you to Meg and Dia for doing this interview with us in the middle of their busy schedule. We would also like to thank their manager Mike Kaminsky of KMGMT Artist Management for helping set up our interview.

You can find out more about Meg & Dia via their official website, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Also, make sure to check out Meg’s Chandler the Robot jewelry line.

Interview by: David Lee Sanders

Posted: 3/9/2011

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