Indie rockers Meg & Dia on their way to fame with new album ‘Something Real’
For the Utah-based indie pop band Meg & Dia, 2006 has been a big year. This summer, they were on the stage for the annual “Warped Tour,” and August was highlighted with the release of their debut record, “Something Real.”
Sisters Meg and Dia Frampton have been playing original music together since middle school; they remained involved in music projects throughout high school but without success. They took a break from writing and performing when Meg left for college – but quickly returned to their roots when they refocused their efforts in the spring of 2005.
Meg, now 21, and Dia, 19, began working together once again, and in an effort to achieve a bigger sound, the addition of a drummer and another guitarist put the finishing touches on the band. By October, they had signed on with Doghouse Records and began touring nationwide as Meg & Dia.
In addition to the recording contract, their career received another boost when a virus infected their MySpace profile. The virus led to founder Tom Anderson finding the page, listening to their music, and entering them into a contest to be the official MySpace band on the 2006 “Warped Tour” – a contest which they won. They have since made their television debut on Carson Daly’s late night show and are rounding out the year touring with Sugarcult.
Their whirlwind year is most certainly deserved. While many bands and artists nowadays are all show and no substance, Meg & Dia have set aside existing formulas and expectations and produced some really stellar music.
“Something Real” highlights the style the band brings to the table: emotional vocals and intricate harmonies, which are used effectively upon a variety of backgrounds. The driving opener “Monster” begins with a great groove created by the guitars and drums and is soon layered with powerful lyrics. Following is “Roses,” a catchy track that begins with a funky backbeat and serves as a great contrast to the previous number.
Their versatility is clear by the first verse of “Tell Mary,” the third song on the CD, when Dia’s vocals are placed on top of only Meg’s acoustic guitar; the vocals remain effective when the full band joins in for the rest of the track. “Cardigan Weather” also highlights their acoustic sound – as does the gem “Rebecca,” a song featuring only vocals and piano, buried in the middle of the album.
The track “Rebecca” is actually based on the book of the same name by Daphne Du Maurier – in fact, Meg (who leads in the songwriting process) credits a lot of her inspiration to literature. “Monster” originates from John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” while “Indiana” comes from the George Sand novel of the same name.
The closer “Setting up Sunday” provides a perfect ending to an impressive debut CD. While it may not make the Billboard charts, “Something Real” is chock-full of great music and, hopefully, a sign of great things to come.
In a recent interview with Meg, I asked her what set their music apart from other bands’ music; she cited their unique vocal harmonies and lyricism, but it came down to her good relationship with Dia, “Being sisters, somehow, we can communicate with each other—in a recording studio and on stage, there’s a hidden element that comes out from knowing each other so well.”
Meg & Dia are currently touring the nation with Sugarcult – and will continue to tour into 2007 to promote their latest album, “Something Real.”

article by Brian McMillin, Online Consultant
photo courtesy of Nick Brendreth