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Amelia Meath
Amelia Meath
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Meath performing in Sylvan Esso in 2017

Amelia Randall Meath (born July 2, 1988) is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and dancer who is a member of the musical groups Sylvan Esso and Mountain Man. She is based in Durham, North Carolina.[1]

Career

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Mountain Man (2010–present)

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Meath formed folk trio Mountain Man alongside Molly Sarlé and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig in 2010, while all three were students at Bennington College.[2] They initially self-released their debut album, Made the Harbor, in 2010 via Myspace, to acclaim, with Meath at the helm as the band's manager. Leslie Feist noticed their work and invited them on an international tour as back-up singers.[3]

After a hiatus, Mountain Man's second album, Magic Ship, was released in 2018. The trio also maintains the recurring Mountain Man Sings... singles series, in which they have covered John Denver,[4] Neil Young,[5] Kacey Musgraves,[6] and more.

NPR has described the trio's music as existing in "a timeless space where three voices are all you need to be transported someplace wonderful."[7]

Sylvan Esso (2013–present)

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In 2013, Meath approached musician Nick Sanborn to ask him to remix Mountain Man's "Play It Right" track, which Meath had written. The duo realized their styles meshed and decided to form Sylvan Esso.[8] Meath is the project's vocalist, lyricist, and co-producer.

Sylvan Esso's self-titled debut album was released May 12, 2014 via Partisan Records.[9] The duo's self-titled 2014 debut paired Meath's "secretive, intimate" songwriting with Sanborn's propulsive and sticky production, and they found immediate success; they were quickly selling out clubs around the country and booking major festivals like Bonnaroo, Firefly, and Austin City Limits.[10]

Their sophomore LP, What Now, was released April 28, 2017 via Loma Vista Recordings. The album was a success. Josh Modell of The A.V. Club called the album "brilliant" and "a record so good it answers its own title question and makes you eager to ask it again."[11] What Now went on to receive a Grammy nomination in the category "Best Dance/Electronic Album".[12] They continued to tour extensively.

In November 2019, Sylvan Esso launched their limited-run WITH tour in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and Durham, NC.[13] In the expanded band, Meath and Sanborn were joined by Meg Duffy, Molly Sarlé, Daughter of Swords, Jenn Wasner, Dev Gupta, Adam Schatz, Matt McCaughan, and Joe Westerlund. A live concert documentary of the Durham show was released on YouTube on April 23, 2020, followed by the surprise release of the full-length live album, also titled WITH.[14]

Meath and Sanborn's third full-length LP, Free Love, was released September 25, 2020 via Loma Vista Recordings, to positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly described the album as "..somehow prescient and nostalgic in the same breath. It traffics in intimacy and self-preservation in the face of opening oneself up to love."[15]

Following their concert stream series FROM THE SATELLITE, on December 2, 2020, Sylvan Esso surprise-released WITH LOVE, a 10-piece "dream team" band featuring most of the players from WITH.[16]

In a 2020 interview with THEM, Meath explained Sylvan Esso's sound, "We always make records about how the world is dying. They're sad songs that sound really happy."[17]

Other work

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In 2018, she and Phil Cook cowrote and released the duet "Miles Away." Her vocals on the outro are all from the first take in the studio.[18]

In 2020, Meath performed as the guest vocalist on Local Natives' "Dark Days" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!,[19] and then wrote a new verse for the track while collaborating with the band on a new studio version. Local Natives explained: “Despite the looming anxiety of those final pre-quarantine days, that [Kimmel] felt especially cathartic for us and was made all the more poignant by having Amelia on stage with us. She not only lent us her incredible voice but she wrote a beautiful new verse that taps into the nostalgia and the longing we all feel for a different time.”[20]

In 2022, Meath and Mountain Man bandmate Sauser-Monnig formed The A's, who released their debut album, Fruit, in July 2022.[21]

Artistry

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Of her unique singing voice, Meath has explained, "I've spent a lot of time trying to strip away affectation from the way I sing. My singing voice is the negative imprint of my insides, I feel like an actual wind instrument [when I do it]. My singing voice is so personal in that it is exactly who I am, and there's a certain ringing vulnerability in that."[22]

Meath is a dancer, and movement has proven to be a staple in Sylvan Esso's visuals. INDYWeek described Sylvan Esso's videos as "healing" and "gratifying", noting, "[Sylvan Esso's videos] celebrate the way physicality connects us to our bodies and our bodies connect us to our communities at a time when that feels more precious than ever."[23]

She is known for her high-energy performances and unique on-stage wear, which includes a large collection of Buffalo London sneakers.[24]

Personal life

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Meath grew up in Cambridge, MA. She originally attended Bennington College in Vermont[25] intending to major in dance[citation needed], before discovering music was the thing she loved most. She relocated to Durham, North Carolina from New York when she was 24.[26] Her father is Jonathan Meath, a television producer best known for his work on the children's game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? and for portraying Santa Claus in various media and events. [27] She is bisexual.[28]

Meath is a big video game fan; Sylvan Esso's name is taken from the video game Swords and Sworcery,[29] and the duo also released an Animal Crossing version of their "Ferris Wheel" music video.[30]

She and Nick Sanborn are now married and have a recording studio in Chapel Hill.[31]

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Amelia Randall Meath is an American musician, songwriter, , and dancer best known as the vocalist and co-founder of the electro-pop duo alongside Nick Sanborn, as well as a founding member of the folk harmony trio . Born in 1988, Meath grew up in and initially pursued before discovering her passion for music during her college years. Meath formed in 2009 while studying at in , where she and fellow students Molly Sarlé and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig bonded over shared interests in and Appalachian-style harmonies after Meath overheard Sarlé singing in their dormitory. The trio's self-released debut album, Made the Harbor (2010), garnered critical acclaim from outlets including and , leading to tours with artists such as Feist, , and across the US, , and Australia. In 2010, during a tour stop, Meath met Sanborn, who was performing as his electronic solo project Made of Oak; their collaboration began when Meath asked him to back her song "Play It Right" with beats, evolving into by 2011. The duo's self-titled debut album, released in 2014 via , peaked at number 39 on the and number 7 on the Independent Albums chart, with singles like "" earning praise from as one of the year's top tracks. Subsequent albums including What Now (2017), Free Love (2020), and No Rules Sandy (2022) have solidified 's reputation for blending organic vocals with electronic production, while Meath has performed on shows like Starring . In September 2025, the duo released the single "WDID", their first new music in three years. Relocating from to , in 2014, Meath and Sanborn established the recording studio Betty's on a wooded property in 2018, fostering collaborations with various artists and a local music community. Beyond her primary projects, Meath has released solo work, such as the 2021 single "Neon Blue" with producer , and co-formed the experimental duo The A's with Sauser-Monnig in 2022, releasing the album .

Early life and education

Family background

Amelia Randall Meath was born on July 2, 1988, in . She is the daughter of , a prominent known for his work on children's programming, including the game show Where in the World Is ?. Meath spent her early childhood in , where her family's environment fostered an early interest in and the . One of her earliest memories involves listening to The Who's "" as a while riding in a with her father, who regularly took her to the local Strawberries record store every two weeks to select cassette tapes—one chosen by him and one by her—which they would then play repeatedly at home. These experiences introduced her to a wide range of and encouraged creative engagement with sound from a young age, shaping her vocal and artistic inclinations through familial influences rather than formal training.

College years

Amelia Meath enrolled at in , initially intending to major in , drawn by the institution's emphasis on education. She initially pursued but discovered her passion for during her college years. During her studies, Meath shifted her focus to , immersing herself in vocal and composition classes while participating in campus performances that highlighted her growing interest in folk and experimental sounds. This transition was influenced by the collaborative environment at Bennington, where she began exploring songwriting and harmonizing with peers in informal settings, such as house gatherings in North Bennington. Meath's key college experiences included early songwriting sessions and group activities that fostered her skills in vocal arrangements and live , laying the groundwork for her future musical endeavors; she even stayed on campus during summers to work at the college library, deepening her connection to the community. She graduated from Bennington in 2010 with a focus on music.

Career

Mountain Man

Mountain Man is an American folk trio formed in 2009 by Amelia Randall Meath, Molly Erin Sarlé, and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig while they were students at in . The group originated when Meath, living in a , heard Sarlé singing a tender folk tune called "Dog Song" in the common room and was drawn to her voice; soon after, Sauser-Monnig joined after Meath and Sarlé discovered her distinctive tone during a casual gathering, leading to spontaneous three-part harmonies that defined their sound. Meath, who graduated in 2010, contributed significantly as a co-founder, on several tracks, and songwriter, infusing the group's music with playful sweetness and emotional depth in their arrangements. The trio self-released their debut , Made the Harbor, in July 2010, recording it simply in an attic with minimal instrumentation—primarily and —to highlight their unadorned, Appalachian-inspired vocal harmonies. The received widespread critical acclaim for its intimate, timeless folk aesthetic, earning a 7.9 rating from , which praised the "lovely bell-toned voices" and rustic charm that evoked early American traditions without nostalgia. featured the group early on, noting their "bare, unadulterated sound" as a refreshing return to pure vocal folk. After an eight-year hiatus during which Meath balanced commitments with her electronic duo , reconvened to release their second , Magic Ship, on September 21, 2018, through . Self-produced by the trio and engineered and mixed by Nick Sanborn at Meath's home studio in , the incorporated subtle additions like and light percussion while preserving their core harmonic focus; it included 11 original songs co-written by the members, plus covers of traditional and folk tunes. Critics lauded its evolution, with awarding it a 7.6 and highlighting the matured introspection in tracks like "Ranges," where Meath's songwriting explored themes of friendship and transience. The group has remained active into the , emphasizing live performances that foster close-knit dynamics among the longtime friends, often performing in intimate settings to maintain their hushed, communal energy. Notable activities include a 2019 Tiny Desk Concert showcasing their live chemistry, a 2020 live album Look at Me Don't Look at Me capturing a performance from November 2018, and a series of cover singles such as Sings John Denver (2019, featuring "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Around and Around") and Sings Neil Young (2020, with "Through My Sails"). These releases and occasional streaming shows through 2020 sustained their connection with fans amid the pandemic, with Meath's songwriting and versatile vocals continuing to anchor the trio's evolving folk repertoire.

Sylvan Esso

Sylvan Esso is an electronic pop duo formed by Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn in 2011. The pair first met in 2010 in when Sanborn, performing under his solo project Made of Oak, opened for Meath's folk trio at a ; they became friends and later collaborated when Sanborn created an electronic of Mountain Man's song "Play It Right," which inspired their joint project. This chance encounter evolved into , blending Meath's vocals with Sanborn's electronic production to create a distinctive sound. The duo's debut self-titled album, Sylvan Esso, was released on May 12, 2014, via Partisan Records, marking their breakthrough with the single "Coffee," which gained widespread acclaim for its infectious energy and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. The album received critical praise for its innovative fusion of live vocals and electronic beats, establishing the duo as rising stars in indie pop. Their follow-up, What Now, arrived on April 28, 2017, through Loma Vista Recordings and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album in 2018. In 2020, Sylvan Esso released Free Love on September 25, also via Loma Vista, which explored themes of emotional vulnerability and was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2022 Grammys; the same year, they issued the live album WITH on April 24, capturing performances from their collaborative WITH tour featuring guest musicians. On September 30, 2025, released their first new music in three years with the single "WDID" on their independent Psychic Hotline, coinciding with the duo's decision to remove their entire catalog from in protest of the platform's practices. No full album or tour has been announced as of late 2025, though the release signals a return to active production. Within the duo, Meath serves as the primary , crafting introspective and narrative-driven words that often draw from personal experiences, while providing lead vocals that add emotional depth to the electronic arrangements. She is also actively involved in creative decisions, contributing to songwriting, production, and the overall artistic direction alongside Sanborn. Meath has balanced commitments with occasional tours, maintaining the duo's momentum through focused collaborations.

Other projects

In 2018, Meath collaborated with musician Phil Cook on the duet "Miles Away," a bluesy track co-written by the pair and featured on Cook's album People Are My Drug. The song explores themes of emotional distance in relationships, blending soulful vocals with gentle instrumentation. Meath contributed guest vocals to Local Natives' reimagined version of "Dark Days" in 2020, originally from their 2016 album Sunlit Youth. This updated track, released as a single under the feature "feat. Sylvan Esso," incorporates her layered harmonies to enhance the song's introspective mood about uncertainty and resilience. In 2021, Meath released the solo single "Neon Blue," co-written and produced with and issued via the Psychic Hotline label she co-founded with Sanborn. The track features her ethereal vocals over a hypnotic rhythm, exploring themes of quiet introspection. In 2022, Meath formed the duo The A's alongside fellow member Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, releasing their debut Fruit on July 15 via the Psychic Hotline label co-founded by Meath and her partner Nick Sanborn. The ten-track collection draws from traditional folk, cosmic country, and experimental elements, featuring reinterpretations of old-time songs alongside originals performed on unconventional instruments like and gravel, with themes of whimsy, , and communal joy. Critics praised its humorous yet poignant vocal interplay and genre-spanning creativity, noting it as a fresh evolution of Meath's folk roots. Meath has contributed to several film soundtracks, often through songs co-written and performed with . For (2015), she provided vocals for "Play It Right," an early track that underscores the film's themes of isolation and survival. In (2020), a of "PARAD(w/m)E"—co-written by Meath, Sanborn, and —appears, capturing the movie's emotional exploration of and connection. Her work extended to (2021), where the song "Coffee," co-authored by Meath and Sanborn, features in the soundtrack, complementing the film's intimate portrayal of cross-cultural romance. On September 30, 2025, Meath participated in an interview published in Jacobin magazine with Nick Sanborn, detailing Sylvan Esso's decision to remove their music from Spotify amid critiques of the streaming industry's exploitative economics and its impact on artists' livelihoods. The piece advocates for more equitable platforms and reflects on the personal and professional liberation from such corporate dependencies. In 2025, Meath lent background vocals to the EP Rhinestones by Collections of Colonies of Bees, a free three-song release of covers from the band's earlier work Celebrities, featuring collaborations with musicians like Jeremy Ylvisaker and Ben Lester on pedal steel. This project highlights her versatility in reinterpreting roots music within experimental contexts.

Artistry

Musical influences

Amelia Meath's early musical influences were rooted in folk traditions, particularly evident in her work with the trio Mountain Man, which she formed during her college years. The group's covers of classic folk songs, such as John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" released in 2019 and Neil Young's "Through My Sails" performed in 2020, highlight her affinity for acoustic storytelling and harmonious arrangements drawn from American folk heritage. These interpretations reflect Meath's immersion in folk music, which she has described as a significant influence despite not growing up around it, instead discovering it through collaborative environments. In her electronic pop project , Meath's influences expanded to include soundtracks and broader pop elements, blending organic vocals with synthetic beats. The band's name itself derives from the sylvan sprites in the 2011 video game Super Brothers Sword & Sworcery EP, whose ethereal, narrative-driven inspired their fusion of folk-like melodies and electronic production. This influence manifests in Meath's songwriting, where she incorporates playful, immersive textures reminiscent of the game's ambient scores. Meath's background in has profoundly shaped the rhythmic and kinetic aspects of her compositions, emphasizing movement as a core element of . Having grown up dancing, she draws on its physicality to craft songs that evoke bodily response, such as instructing listeners to "get up, get down" in tracks like "" or incorporating choreographed elements in performances of "Numb" from Sylvan Esso's 2020 album . As Meath has noted, "the physicality of music is something that inspires the artist," influencing her approach to rhythm and thematic choices around freedom and connection. Broader artistic influences stem from her family environment and college experiences, where exposure to media production and peer collaborations broadened her creative palette. Her father, television producer , provided early immersion in storytelling through visual media, complementing her musical pursuits. At , Meath formed with peers Molly Sarlé and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, whose shared interest in folk experimentation fostered her vocal harmonies and songwriting style. Meath's influences have evolved over time, incorporating diverse genres as seen in her reflections on formative records up to the mid-2020s. In a 2023 interview, she cited new wave acts like Nervus Rex for sparking her record-collecting passion at age 12, Lauryn Hill's for its songwriting depth, Animal Collective's for experimental phrasing, Bonnie Raitt's Nick of Time as a childhood staple shaping her folk identity, and for versatility. These continue to inform her thematic choices in recent releases, such as the 2025 single "WDID," which blends pop introspection with electronic drive.

Performance style

Amelia Meath's vocal delivery is characterized by a raw, emotive quality that emphasizes harmony and simplicity, particularly evident in her work with . In the folk trio, her singing contributes to a bare, unadulterated sound built primarily on three-part vocal harmonies with minimal , such as occasional acoustic guitar strums, creating an intimate and timeless Appalachian-style feel. This stripped-back approach highlights the purity of the voices, allowing Meath's emotive phrasing to convey vulnerability and joy without ornate production. In contrast, her performances with showcase high-energy live shows infused with dynamic dance elements drawn from her physical training and expressive background. Meath often gyrates, glides, and pumps her fists across the stage, commanding audience participation and turning concerts into communal dance experiences, as seen in her all-black jumpsuit and platform footwear during early tours. Her movements blend fluid robotics with enthusiastic kicks and twists, maintaining vocal precision amid the electronic beats. This energetic stage presence fosters an angelic yet infectious aura, drawing crowds into a bubbly vibe even after long hiatuses from touring. Visually, Meath's performances feature consistent motifs like her extensive collection of Buffalo London platform sneakers, which she wears onstage in various designs including glitter, roses, and patterns, owning around 25 pairs as a signature element of her whimsical style. plays a key role in Sylvan Esso's aesthetic, translating from —such as the solo, empowering dances in "" and community movements in ""—to live tours where Meath's physicality amplifies the spectacle. Meath adapts her style fluidly across projects: the intimate, harmony-driven folk settings of contrast sharply with the electronic, high-octane spectacles of , where her vocals shift from delicate introspection to bold, rhythmic assertions. In recent years, her performances have evolved to incorporate broader collaborative elements and thematic explorations of movement, as in the "No Rules" tour era, emphasizing unscripted joy and physical freedom without rigid structures. This progression underscores a deepening integration of and emotion, evident in 2023 shows and continuing into festival appearances like the 2025 Cascade Equinox.

Personal life

Relationships

Amelia Meath publicly identified as in June 2020 during , sharing the announcement on as part of a broader reflection on visibility in a heteronormative society. She had come out to her family at age 14 and to close friends in her mid-20s, but delayed public disclosure due to concerns about irrelevance given her identity and marriage to a man. In interviews, Meath has discussed how her bisexuality informs her songwriting, such as in the track "" from Sylvan Esso's 2020 album , which explores falling in love with a , and earlier in "The Glow" from 2017's What Now that reference crushes across genders. Meath's romantic partnership with Sanborn, her collaborator, began around 2013, several years after they first met in Milwaukee in 2010 and formed the duo in 2011, evolving from a professional collaboration into a personal relationship. The couple married in 2016, an arrangement they described as an "open secret" until more publicly acknowledging it in 2020 amid discussions of their third album. Their marriage has deeply influenced their creative process, with Meath noting that life and work are "all one thing," allowing for intimate co-production while fostering "small arguments" that drive innovation in their music. Meath has addressed the potential for her to invisibilize her bisexual identity, particularly as a femme-presenting , emphasizing the need to vocalize her queerness to counter societal erasure and connect with LGBTQ+ fans. Post-2020, the couple has navigated shared life events like building a home studio outside , where they live and run the record label Psychic Hotline, blending their personal residence with professional endeavors in a way that enhances their duo's dynamic without strict boundaries. No public details on beyond general life expansions, such as studio purchases, have been documented.

Interests and residence

Amelia Meath resides in , on a wooded 10.5-acre property that includes her home and the known as Betty's, which she co-owns with her musical partner Nick Sanborn. Betty's features two recording rooms alongside a five-bedroom house designed to accommodate artists and their families during creative sessions, fostering an inclusive environment for collaboration. Meath has a longstanding passion for video games, which has influenced her creative life; the name "Sylvan Esso" draws directly from the sylvan sprites in the indie game Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, a title she has cited as a favorite for its atmospheric and inspirational qualities. Her interests extend to culinary explorations, particularly unconventional appetizers, as shared in a 2023 interview where she described enjoying quirky dishes like cheese-stuffed dates and experimental bar snacks during travels in . Meath also maintains an ongoing practice in , rooted in her high school training at a visual arts and academy, which she credits for nurturing her artistic expression beyond music. In 2025, Meath balances her touring schedule with home-based activities in the Chapel Hill-Durham area, where Betty's serves as a hub for community involvement by hosting musicians and promoting local creative networks. This setup allows her to recharge creatively at home after performances, integrating her personal hobbies with supportive regional ties.

References

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