Band Of The Week // MEET ME @ THE ALTAR
Bringing an intersectionality and fresh perspective into the pop-punk world, Meet Me @ The Altar are the band that the world needs right now.
The pop-punk scene isn’t traditionally known for being the most diverse nor progressive, but these stereotypes are beginning to break apart and be challenged by a new generation of artists coming in through the door. Meet Me @ The Altar are certainly one of these artists to sit up and pay attention to. Comprised of vocalist Edith Johnson, guitarist Téa Campbell and drummer Ada Juarez, they’re bringing their perspectives of being women of colour into the forefront and speaking out for communities who didn’t use to hold a big space within the scene. They’re simultaneously unique and collective, offering a voice to groups who were not so prominent but have always existed and supported the genre, but still falling in line with the rhythmic guitars and driven DIY ethic which we love about pop-punk. Speaking about their influence, the band shares:
People are so supportive of us on social media. It’s really cool to see all of the comments and DMs of people who don’t even necessarily listen to punk rock, but they’re just cheering us on. It’s super exciting to feel like our music is bringing together people that wouldn’t have been brought together otherwise. We feel lucky to be in this position. In general, we try to be the best role models we could be for our fans.
They share their first statement single of this year with Hit Like A Girl, a fiery track that will rouse your blood and charge you up with electrifying riffs. Exploring the resiliency of women, the band found inspiration for the track by asking their fans on social media about what being a women means to them before transforming the words of empowerment into this statement track.
Feeling inspired by the strides that the band are taking, we caught up with them to chat more about their experiences and breaking ground in the music industry.
What’s a motto you live by?
We strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. There have been so many situations in our lives where in the moment it seemed liked a really bad thing but ended up being necessary for a really good thing to happen. Things always work out in the end.
If your sound had a colour, what colour would it be?
Our sound would probably look like a sunset, so lots of orange, yellow, and pink. Our songs are really bright sounding so bright colors just make sense.
If you could set Hit Like A Girl to a TV show or movie, what would it be the soundtrack for?
Hit Like A Girl would be PERFECT for Supergirl. Men underestimate her until they realize how hard she can hit and Hit Like A Girl is basically that in a literal sense. Any show or movie involving women being a boss in whatever they do should have Hit Like A Girl on its soundtrack!
What’s been the most unexpected thing you’ve experienced within the pop punk industry so far, given its dominance by white males?
The most unexpected thing we’ve experienced within the pop punk industry so far is hard to say. As smart young women, we expected every unexpected thing we’ve experienced. Especially the disappointing unexpected things. Almost every white male band we’ve played with at a local show looked at us like we were crazy, which we expected. We often get mistaken for fan girls, and have been told to “get out of the venue” because “doors aren’t open yet”, which we accepted!
You mention wishing to become the representation that you didn’t have while growing up, what message do you hope to send to younger fans?
To our younger fans – you have way more power and potential than you think. Pick up that instrument or paint brush or baseball bat or ANYTHING that you have been unsure about picking up and go out there and achieve your dreams! You can truly do whatever you want and you won’t know it until you try.
What else do you think can be done to diversify the genre?
To diversify the genre, we need to be more open to listening to something new! Pop punk doesn’t have to always be white guys crying about their ex girlfriends or their towns. It can be about anything you want it to be.
Who are some figures you look up to for inspiration?
Individually we are inspired by a variety of people, but the most influential have been Hayley Williams, P!NK, Demi Lovato, and Kelly Clarkson.
What helped you to find your own confidence and own your selves and your music?
What helped us find our own confidence and true selves is the motivation we felt from being the first of our own kind. Because of this, there were no rules and no matter what we did, we wouldn’t have technically “fit in” anyways, so we might as well be the most authentic as possible, and be unapologetically us. For some reason, that gave us confidence. It was almost like being the first of our own kind benefited us when it came to musical boundaries and expectations.
And finally, slightly cliché, but what does music mean to you?
Music means a lot to us. It’s a way to express and release our emotions. We love how music that sounds super fun and exciting can also carry a message that is relative to real life situations. Music is an escape but also can be an easier way to confront and dissect your demons and troubles. It’s beautiful, and means the world to us!