The first time I heard New York fuzz-pop duo, Me Not You, I felt like I was transported back to the mid-nineties where most of my favorite bands were thriving. Many bands may try to emulate that feeling but Me Not You executes it so flawlessly that it was impossible for me to not fall madly in love with them.
Comprised of Nikki Taylor and Eric Zeiler – formerly of synthpop outfit Little Daylight – Me Not You specialize in playful, fuzzed-out guitar riffs and atmospheric sensibilities that pack a punch to the listener’s anxieties as they continue to push the boundaries between genres and expectations.
After releasing their debut EP, Reckoning 1, last September, the duo have released the next chapter in the Me Not You story with Reckoning 2, out now!
We recently had the opportunity to ask the band a few questions on all that nostalgia they’ve been compared to, being an independent entity, tour plans and what we can expect to hear on Reckoning 2!
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You guys have such a nostalgic sound. You’ve been compared to the likes of 90’s grunge/alternative greats such as Garbage, Hole, and Smashing Pumpkins – which we may have played a part in! Sorry, but also not sorry! What influences your sound overall? Did you initially set out to create such a nostalgia-driven theme to your music or did it all just happen organically?
Yeah, it’s funny…the bands that we often get compared to are not actually ones that we’ve been hugely influenced by or anything. Maybe I should be embarrassed to say this, but neither of us really even heard much of Garbage before we started Me Not You and EVERYONE started comparing us to them. It could be something about my voice that’s similar to Shirley’s, or maybe we have some shared influences. But, needless to say, after the comparisons started coming in we both checked out Garbage’s records and we’re both fans now. (Editor’s note: Mission accomplished!)
In terms of the nostalgia, it’s definitely not something we ever aim for overtly. For us, when a song feels right, it hits us at our emotional core. We hope it does the same for others. We usually write from the ground up, and don’t really ever think about what we want a song to be or sound like it or feel like. Honestly, it’s a completely organic process.
Some may not know this, but you guys were a part of Little Daylight, which disbanded in 2016. What made you both decide to branch out on your own and create something different than the signature synthpop LD was most known for?
Little Daylight was a trio (me, Eric, and our friend Matt). We had a great run with a bunch of singles, an EP, and an album…and tons of touring. All over the course of less than 2 years. We got back in the studio in 2015 to make the second Little Daylight LP. We were trying lots of different types of sounds, exploring new things lyrically and really just trying to figure out what Little Daylight meant to the three of us. Over the course of that time in the studio, it kind of became clear that we weren’t all feeling things the same way anymore. Matt had started to get into some other stuff, musically and otherwise (he’s now a chef!) and eventually the time came when we decided to put the Little Daylight project to rest.
Eric and I spent some time together trying to figure out what we wanted to do next. We traveled out to LA to clear our heads and do some writing for a month or so, and then came back to NYC with a urge to start something new. We dove into writing and producing, just the two of us, and put together the songs that ended up on Reckoning 1. It felt great to be doing things independently and just keeping it really tight in terms of everything being done by the two of us – even down to mixing the music on the new EP. The time may come when we look to collaborate with others again, but for now we’re stoked to be working just the two of us.
Unlike your situation with Little Daylight, you guys are independent with no label help. What are your favorite parts of the DIY life? What are your least favorites? Is there anything you wish you could change about being an independent band or the industry in general?
Honestly, and this might sound like a cliche, we love doing things independently. Being able to write at our own pace and put out music whenever and however we want is a dream. There are obviously great aspects to being on a label (namely, budgets to help with music videos and tours and things like that), but for us, right now, this is really working. And I truly believe that there’s never been a better time to be an independent band than right now.
Reckoning 1 was gritty and more alternative-driven, but Reckoning 2 feels like a lovely mixture of everything listeners loved about the first EP but with more electro-pop elements, especially with “Chemical Cure.” Can you tell us more about what went on during the recording process of both EPs and how each one evolved into their own little stories?
Yeah, as I sort of implied before, we don’t really take a top-down approach to songwriting or producing. Looking back at Reckoning 1 with some hindsight (albeit only six months of it!), we were probably reacting to the way we made music in Little Daylight, where everything was pretty slick and refined. Starting off Me Not You, both Eric and I were really excited about playing guitar and working with fuzz pedals, delays, flangers, and that kind of stuff. So we’d grab a guitar when writing a song rather than some other instrument maybe. That being said, tons of synths ended up on the EP (but not before hitting a few fuzz pedals!), but guitar tended to be a bit more of the focus. And many of the lyrics (especially “Bulletproof” and “Second Chances”) captured what were were feeling transitioning from the end of Little Daylight into Me Not You.
We started writing the songs for Reckoning 2 before Reckoning 1 had even come out, so it could almost be considered part of the same project. Our approach wasn’t really very different, except maybe we opened up the confines of what a song could be a little more. There are two really short songs on Reckoning 2 (“Talking to Myself” and “Eventually”) as well as a few longer ones. A couple of the songs don’t even have choruses really. I guess all I can say is that we dug deeper with this one and reached further within ourselves when writing the lyrics.
A few of the songs on Reckoning 2 began without guitars at all. “Chemical Cure,” as you mentioned, is much more of an electronic piece than an alt-rock one. We built the drum machine beat and the synths and arpeggiator as the foundation of the song, and then added the guitars in the chorus. And both “Eventually” and “Everafter” began with synth parts that inspired the chords and lyrics and everything that came from there. There’s not a lot of rhyme or reason to how we do things in the studio. There’s a great Thom Yorke quote about how each time he’s in the studio with Radiohead making a new album it’s like the first time. They need to completely re-discover how to make music. We kind of feel the same way, even if we tried to recreate an idea, we’d likely fail. Each day is different, and we just have to trust our instincts and tendencies and hope things take shape in a way that we like. If they don’t, we scrap it and start over the next day.
You recently toured the US with Gary Numan. Describe what that experience was like and what you both hope to accomplish in 2018 tour-wise.
That tour was unbelievable. Gary and the guys in his crew were great to hang with and super awesome with us. The fans were passionate and really connected with our music. The crowds were big and we sold tons of merch. So, really, it was just a fantastic experience, and it felt great for us to take these songs that we wrote in our little apartment studio and play them on big stages in front of sold out crowds. Wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
In terms of 2018, we’re figuring out our tour plans soon. We’d love to go back to every place we played in the fall, and hit new ones as well. Would be great to open up for someone again, or even headline some of the cities. We’ll see!
I’m more of an albums type of girl but EPs are currency right now in the music world. Are you considering a full-length or are you just going to stick to the EP format for a little while longer?
We’re album people too! We’ve just been starting to talk about this. We have enjoyed distilling things down to 20 minute EPs so far, but we’re definitely itching to make a full-length. Time will tell. The one thing I know for sure is that we’re going to be putting out a ton of music this year.
List your top five favorite albums of all time for us!
Oohhhh… this is a toughie.
Top 5: Loveless, OK Computer, Rumours, Body Talk, Doolittle
Recent faves: Yeezus, 22, A Million, Blonde, Modern Vampires of the City
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