Meija

It's been 10 years since Sierota left the band Echosmith in a state he described as "burned out." From industry demands to an incessant tour schedule, it was all a bit too much—the shadow side of a musical dream overwhelming the life-giving reasons for doing it in the first place. In need of a break, Sierota left what felt broken for what was unknown.

It took some time to put the pieces back together—really, to put newer pieces in place—but making music has always been at the heart of Sierota's world and for good reason. Now performing as Meija, the melodic sensibilities and exciting experimentation have always been at the heart of his creations. The killer collaborations don't hurt, either.

With the release of his latest album, There's Always Something, earlier this month, we reached out to Sierota to hear more about the process of finding his voice and what makes for a great collaboration in the first place.

Analogue: Let’s start there. I love a good portal into a conversation that makes me curious. You’re spending part of your day skating, and you said earlier that you just decided to learn one day and leaped in. Is that par for the course for you? “I’ve never done it before, so here’s the deep end”?

Jamie Sierota: Yeah, I’ve kind of always been that way, even as a kid. I decide I want to do something, and even if I don’t have the means or know how to do it, I just figure it out. I’m a big tinkerer, and I’m very curious. I just have a love for learning things, and I think that’s driven so much of what I do.

Analogue: So you’ve always been like that?

Jamie: Yeah, for sure. Like, I remember my first time recording something—it was super bare-bones, but I wanted to figure it out. I was fascinated by how records were made, and it just felt natural to dive into it. I’ve always approached things like that, whether it’s music or something else.

Analogue: How does curiosity play into your work musically now?

Jamie: It’s kind of the guiding light for me, to be honest. Whether it’s as a producer, writer, or artist, I always need to have something I want to explore or say before I can dive into a project.

For the album I’m working on right now, after going super analog with my last one—like recording everything on tape, really vintage vibes—I wanted to explore something new. So I started sampling stuff I’d recorded. It was like, “What if I took these tracks I’ve been making, but chopped them up and approached them in a totally different way?”

I was inspired by old Bill Withers records and Ethiopian jazz. I recorded hours of music with a drummer, making loops that were inspired by those sounds, and then I used those loops as the foundation for songs. That curiosity is what drives me forward.

Analogue: Some artists are really protective of their creative process, but you’ve always seemed open. Did you ever feel like you needed to guard your creative process?

Jamie: I think it depends. I’ve always loved collaborating with people. But when I first started Meija, it was born out of this need to take some time to figure things out on my own. I was experimenting a lot with sounds and trying to discover who I was as an artist. At that point, I wasn’t really guarding anything so much as I was just searching. I needed that space to develop my own voice. I think it’s natural to be a little protective when you’re in that stage, but for me, it wasn’t about keeping people out. It was more about needing time to figure things out before I felt comfortable collaborating again.

Analogue: So it wasn’t so much that you didn’t want people involved, but more that you needed that space?

Jamie: Exactly. I just needed to understand what I was trying to say. Once I had a clearer sense of what I stood for as an artist, collaboration became easier because I had that foundation. It wasn’t about being protective anymore. I knew what I wanted, so I felt more confident bringing other people into the process. But that confidence took time—hours in the studio, working on things, and eventually getting to a point where I felt like I had something real to offer.

Analogue: Can you take me through that process of figuring things out? What was that journey like?

Jamie: It was long, but I’m really glad I went through it. After I left Echosmith, which was about 10 years ago now, I honestly thought I’d never do an artist project again. I was pretty burnt out on the industry and all the touring. For a while, I thought I’d just focus on working with other artists—writing songs, producing, doing that whole thing. But after a while, I had all these ideas that kept coming up. I wasn’t writing much when I was in the band, and so when I left, I had this huge desire to create again. I started writing and recording again for fun, and it just naturally evolved from there. It was a slow process, but eventually, I realized I had enough material to release a project, and that became Meija.

Analogue: What did you think you were going to do when you first quit?

Jamie: At first, I wasn’t sure. There was a moment where I genuinely thought I might not do music at all. I was pretty disillusioned with the industry, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep going down that path. But the one thing I knew I still loved was being in the studio and making music. That had always been my favorite part—writing songs, recording, and being hands-on with the creative process. So I just started making as much music as I could with different people. I hadn’t written a song in, like, two or three years while I was with the band, so I had a lot of pent-up energy for it.

Analogue: When it comes to collaborations, do you ever think about reaching out to someone you admire, even if it feels like a long shot?

Jamie: Yeah, definitely. I’ve had situations where I thought, “It would be so cool to get this person involved.” One time, I really wanted to collaborate with this artist, and I didn’t know if it would happen, but I had a vision for the song and thought they’d be perfect for it. We had a mutual friend, so I sent them the track, and they loved it. We ended up working together, and it was amazing because it felt so natural. Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there. The worst thing that can happen is they say no.

I mean, you can’t constantly ask for things—that’s not a great look. But if there’s something you’re passionate about, something that feels right, you should definitely go for it. People are generally open to good ideas, especially if it’s coming from a genuine place, not from a place of wanting something from them. You have to approach collaborations authentically. It’s about creating something together, not just trying to get something from someone.

Analogue: Can you tell when someone is approaching you for more business reasons rather than creative ones?

Jamie: Oh, absolutely. I’ve been asked to do things where it felt more like a business move than a creative collaboration, and those are the things I usually pass on. It has to feel natural and be something I’m genuinely excited about. Otherwise, I’m not interested. You can definitely tell when someone’s approaching you more for networking reasons rather than because they’re passionate about the music.

Analogue: Is there a dream collaboration that remains elusive for you? Someone you’d love to work with but haven’t had the chance to yet?

Jamie: Oh, I have a list for sure. Some of my top choices would be David Byrne, Paul McCartney, and Paul Simon. They’re huge names, obviously, and I don’t have any direct connections to them, but they’re all songwriters I look up to. I’d die happy just hanging out with any of them, talking about music, and learning from them. They’ve all created such incredible bodies of work, and their songwriting has influenced me so much.

Analogue: You mentioned you’re most comfortable in the studio. How does that affect your desire to support your music on the road?

Jamie: Yeah, I’m definitely more of a studio person. That’s where I feel at home, and it’s where I think I can do my best work. I love playing shows, but I don’t have a huge desire to go on tour all the time. I’ve done that before, and I know how exhausting it can be. I don’t want to get stuck in that cycle. I’d rather prioritize making records and finding a balance that works for my mental health. But with the new album coming out, I’m definitely looking at playing more shows, maybe doing some shorter runs in different cities. I’ve been getting a lot of messages from fans asking when I’ll be playing live again, so I’m figuring out how to make that work while still staying true to my creative vision.

VISIT: Meija