We recently had the chance to connect with Tony Meade and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Tony, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think many creatives struggle with the idea that their artistic pursuits are part of their overall life and not a separate thing. How this manifests is the person who is really busy with things like their day job, paying bills, rearing children, etc., but yet somehow thinks they should be able to put in full time hours into their creative life without it being affected. I believe that this comes from toxic hustle culture which sees rest and self-care as luxuries and not necessities. This either results in bad art, or no art.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I have been making music in Denver for over 20 years. My music combines the melodicism of classic British rock’n’roll and modern Americana to create a timeless power pop sound. My lyrics combine romance and cynicism, hope and longing, beauty and grit; a contradiction that somehow makes sense.
I have released three solo albums and multiple singles since 2010. My Christmas album WASSAIL and singles “It’s Alright” and “A Walk In The Sun” have been featured by Denver Westword as among the best local releases of 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. A producer and engineer as well, I have recorded several projects for other Denver artists.
I am currently working on a new album coming soon, with new singles “The Contradictions of Love, and “Lazy Days” releasing in June and September 2025, respectively.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
Funny enough, I think that the biggest influence on my current work philosophy is Tim Ferriss and his first book, THE FOUR HOUR WORK WEEK. Learning about the 80/20 rule, Parkinson’s Law, the principle of batching, and the value of outsourcing really helped me to become more productive while also increasing my quality of work and enjoying the work so much more.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
At my age, I have given up more times than I can count, though I have always come back in the end. I think that is not that uncommon among creatives, especially in a culture that only values work if it is able to be monetized. In the end, it has always been the joy of the craft that brings me back. I want to make music that I want to hear, and not many other people are doing that, so it’s kind of up to me.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie in the music business is that it’s the music that matters most, or that it’s talent makes all the difference. These are only true once someone has broken through; it’s not talent that gets you there, it’s talent that KEEPS you there, but it’s everything else, such as image, connections, luck, and marketing resources that cause breakthroughs.
This is partly due to the fact that it is really difficult to get people to listen to music that they don’t already know; not impossible, but they have to be sold on the artist first. Asking people to look at a picture is easier because it takes no time, but getting people to sit down for five minutes and voluntarily listen to a new song by a new artist they’ve never heard before is a big ask.
It really comes down to the fact that people support artists, not art. They support the person, not the product. So, it’s the person that has to be sold to them first.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What false labels are you still carrying?
As a musician, I’ve done my best to shed genre labels, because those mean way more to marketers than they do to musicians. No real creative person in music is self-limiting themselves to one stylistic box, and anybody who does is generally not making anything noteworthy.
I’ve taken on the role of singer-songwriter, not rock musician, but even the former comes with baggage of the acoustic troubadour, which I do occasionally, but not most of the time. I prefer to be known as music or recording artist, because that leaves it open as to what I might create. In my earlier years, I was very much in the power-pop/garage rock world, but since then, I have released music that could be called alt-country, electro-clash, Christmas music, and so on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tonymeade.com
- Instagram: www. instagram.com/tonymeademusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonymeademusic
- Youtube: www,youtube.com/tonymeademusic
- Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/tonymeademusic
Image Credits
All photos – Credit Tony Meade
