Meg & Dia

It was founded by sisters Meg and Dia Frampton before becoming a five-piece act (renamed Cowards Courage and released the CD Straight Out of a Story Book in Las Vegas) where they started, with additional members Eddie Friends, Ryan Hardy, Jon Cash and Alex Kruse.

With the departure of the latter four, Meg & Dia subsequently reverted to their root name with additional members Nicholas Price, Jonathan Snyder (formerly of Madison) and Carlo Gimenez.

Dia began singing at local county fairs and retirement centers while Meg taught herself to play songs that were on the radio.

They toured extensively in support of it, sharing stages with such national acts as Limbeck, The Format, Melee, An Angle, Koufax, and Steel Train.

[4] In January 2006 Meg and Dia recorded a second album, Something Real, with producer Stacy Jones of American Hi-Fi and Bill Leffler.

In September 2006, it was announced on the Meg & Dia MySpace page that guitarist Kenji Chan was leaving the band to focus on his solo career.

[7] Meg & Dia played at Warped Tour 2006 in the MySpace tent, which had a dirt floor in lieu of a stage.

In November 2007, Angels & Airwaves confirmed that their tour in the United States would have Meg & Dia as openers, along with The Color Fred and Ace Enders.

[citation needed] Meg & Dia made its first United Kingdom appearance at the annual Give It A Name festival in 2008.

Shortly afterward, the band played Give It A Name Introduces, a ten venue spin-off tour in England, Scotland and Wales, along with fellow American artists Four Year Strong, Mayday Parade and The Color Fred.

[17] Over the summer, the band continued recording for their studio album, and in August, toured the United States to promote Something Real.

The tour consisted of 16 dates, with opening acts by alternative rockers Jonezetta, Dropping Daylight, and occasionally Danger Radio.

[need quotation to verify] They From February to April 2009, the band participated in the Take Action 2009 tour,[20] accompanying headliners Cute Is What We Aim For and opening acts Anarbor, Every Avenue, and Breathe Carolina.

Musically, the album differs from previous efforts, as a result of experimentation with new instruments (strings, synths, harmonica and alternative percussion) and the inclusion of guest vocals (Tom Higgenson on "Bored Of Your Love").

Tonally, the album includes more mature themes such as religion ("Black Wedding") and politics ("Are There Giants Too, In The Dance?").

[citation needed] From October 17 to November 29, the band toured the United States with Never Shout Never, Now, Now Every Children, and Carter Hulsey.

For the first 500 people that ordered a physical copy from their website, a password and link was emailed to receive the secret song "Down The Open Road."

Meg and Dia toured from November 9 – December 4 across the continental United States with Joey Ryan and The Spring Standards.

On December 20, the band released the EP "Be Careful, I Love You, Stay In Touch", featuring songs that didn't make it on "Cocoon."

[1] On April 1, 2019, the official Meg & Dia social media pages announced that they would be reforming to play the Vans Warped Tour.

She cites as influences Modest Mouse, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Joni Mitchell, The Avett Brothers, Rocky Votolato, Ben Folds, Etta James, Death Cab for Cutie, The Cranberries, and Cursive.

[33] During live performances, Dia plays percussion instruments, such as the cowbell and tambourine, and occasionally a Casio Privia keyboard.

She explained, "It was something very raw, and to be honest, something that I was slightly embarrassed to put up because of the quality but I did anyways, for any of our listeners who would care to hear something not hot off the production belt, but something more organic and 'home made.'

Dia was a contestant (and eventual runner-up) on the first season of The Voice on NBC, introduced as a children's story author.

On May 14, 2014 Dia announced her new music project Archis,[37] a collaboration with film composer Joseph Trapanese and subsequently revealed their first single "Blood".

Recently Meg has provided intro solos for some of the band's songs during live performances such as Roses and Monster.

Drumming influences: John Bonham, Chad Smith, José Pasillas, Jimmy Chamberlin, Dave Grohl, Joe Morello, Stewart Copeland, Steve Jordan, Matt Chamberlain, Joseph Modeliste.

The band toured for the better part of four years, including Hellogoodbye's first East Coast stint, until they amicably broke up in September 2006.

Meg & Dia found Jonathan through Eric Finkel who worked for Doghouse Records, their label at the time.

He states influences as Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Benson, David Sanborn, Hiram Bullock and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Dia (left) and Meg (right)
Dia (left) and Meg (right) at Carling Academy Birmingham on May 2, 2008
Jonathan and Meg
Carlo at the Roseland Ballroom