Meadows

MYLES TIESSEN

Meadows frontman Isiah Schellenberg and I are waiting on tenterhooks in front of a closed Good Will Social Club. Due to a lack of planning, we didn’t realize it would be shuttered that frigid midweek night in December. The two of us took to our phones and as Schellenberg contacted his bandmates to break the news, I searched Google to find other bars or cafes with the lights on.

Once the rest of the band arrived and joined us in frozen solidarity, we discussed our options over the noisy cars speeding beside us on Portage Avenue. The decision was made to go to the Handsome Daughter, a few blocks away.

Drummer Justin Byggdin offered everyone a ride and as we drove, the band joked about secret parking spots and bassist Mirella Villa talked at length about the music Byggdin had on the radio. The short drive offered a reprieve from the bitter weather and allowed for the first glimpse into the inner dynamics of a Winnipeg-based trio.

Finally settled in a dark corner of the self-proclaimed dive bar, Meadows was quick to praise the band’s chemistry and their love for the music they are making. Although involved in similar music social circles, the three band members had never played together before joining forces to create Meadows. “It definitely clicked for the three of us after basically two minutes [of playing together],” says Byggdin.

Among symbiotic jam sessions and a love for early period Coldplay (still up for debate about the level of sincerity in that comment), Meadows transformed from rough demos on Schellenberg’s iPhone to a group of like-minded friends testing their collaborative limits. “With Meadows, I feel one hundred percent free to express myself and try new things,” says Villa. “I feel like this is a healthy experience.”

The indie band had a prolific 2021 with a number of singles that coalesced with the outstanding wild flower EP. Their slowcore tendencies offer the listener an effortless balance of accessibility and musical experimentation.

“I always joke and call what we make ‘walking music,’” says Schellenberg, referencing those desired, essential moments of clarity and inner peace. “I wanted to make [the music] sound cold — I put it out in the summer, and I was thinking, ‘I want people to listen to this when it gets cold outside’.”

Most of Meadows’ music features Schellenberg crooning through a thick blanket of vocal delay, sounding like a lost explorer in the heart of a deep cavern. There is an elusiveness to the uncluttered production; whether it be the hollow keyboard or the sparse drumming, Meadows allows for a haunting amount of space in their songs. It’s the kind of music that has a unique ability to tap deep into unacknowledged emotions at play in your psyche.

Stylus: Let’s talk a bit about wild flower; that’s a collection of singles you released previously . Tell me about how that EP came to life .

Isiah Schellenberg: I put out three songs before wild flower. I wanted to get into recording again because I hadn’t done that in a while. It was a weird summer [with COVID restrictions]. I thought I would just focus on that — I think that was the start where I was trying to focus on the melodies a little bit more [than my previous projects].

MEADOWS AT HOUSE OF WONDERS PHOTO PROVIDED BY MEADOWS

Stylus: So then, were you the only one working on those songs, or was the rest of the band involved?

IS: Ya. I would just go to the space at the Good Will, and then I started to record on my phone for the first two EPs. I was pretty stubborn and thought, “I’m not gonna use my laptop [to mix or record].” Then I realized how cool and easy it is to use and then with wild flower…. I’m sorry, what was the question? I got off track.

Justin Byggdin: It was about recording alone or something.

IS: Oh yeah, I was kind of ‘MIA’ during that [recording session]. Then Mirella came and sang on the song “turn,” then my friend Max played the keys on “evelyn.”

Stylus: So you mentioned that you’ve been putting greater focus on melodies for Meadows music . How much effort then do you put in the lyrics or production?

IS: I think the lyrics get the point across but are also vague enough where you don’t really know exactly [what they mean]. It’s not like I wrote a song that contains me and my friend’s entire conversation; it’s just little bits and pieces.

Stylus: Yeah, they feel kind of broken up or sporadic .

JB: Yeah, that’s what I love about Isiah’s lyrics — I think with regards to production, we have a pretty clear idea of not clouding up the songs or making the songs sound like there is too much going on. After all, there are only three of us. We definitely enjoy adding in spare parts like synths or tape loops, but at the core, there is still a lot of room in the songs.

IS: And we never really stray too far away from us jamming together.

Mirella Villa: When it comes to singing or melodies, I would say even just this year, I’ve really started to sing more. It can be scary or vulnerable, but with Isiah, I feel like our voices match, and it can be very easy for me and safer to sing backup vocals. It can be a great pleasure because I’m always learning more and [trying to match] Isiah’s voice — I feel like that’s what I add to Meadows’ stuff. Just a new voice into the mix, which is cool, and I feel like it helps to elevate it a bit. So like with this band, I feel like not only do we have good chemistry together, but that support helps me feel comfortable to try new things.

Stylus: I think all this comes through in the music . You can clearly hear when people are inspired and excited to play as a band .

MV: Ya! You get to hear different parts of each other and different ideas.

JB: I think we are a very ‘yes’ kind of crew — and that is a reassurance. At the end of the day, when you are having a creative jam or rehearsal, there is a reassurance there that you can feel safe in your sound as a band and confident about it. If you take the time to listen to our songs and go for a walk with headphones or a drive, you will hear that we are confident with what we are doing.