[See You Next Tuesday (SYNT)]: Can you introduce yourself and give a brief background of yourself? 

[Meera]: Hey! My name is Meera Thomas. I am 19 years old, and I am currently living in Toronto. I am in my second year of architecture at the University of Toronto and am also pursuing a minor in music. I was born in California and have since lived in places all over the world such as Paris and Abu Dhabi. I am a bisexual, half-Indian woman from a second generation immigrant family background.

[SYNT]: What are your main creative outlets? 

[Meera]: My main creative outlets are visual art and music. As an architecture student, art is part of my daily life. I am constantly tapping into my creativity in order to accomplish my architectural goals and ideas. I have been immersed in art for the entirety of my life, and have used it as a coping mechanism for many mental health issues that I struggle with. Music has also helped me overcome a lot of internal and external battles I have been faced with. By channeling all my emotions into my lyrics and music, I am transforming hardships into something tangible and beautiful.

[SYNT]: What sparked your interest in music and pushed you to release music? 

[Meera]: My musical career started when I was 3 years old and my dad put my in private piano lessons with a VERY intense Russian piano teacher. Since then, I have completed my Grade 7 Royal Conservatory of Music examination and have embarked on countless other musical endeavors. In highschool, I was a member of the concert band, jazz band, and stage band where I played trombone, piano, and sang as a vocalist. Additionally, I started a rock band with three of my band friends and we performed at several popular venues in Ottawa and wrote original music. In grade 10, my boyfriend at the time broke up with me and I was devastated. So, in true singer-songwriter fashion, I wrote a breakup song about him called “I Can’t Hate You.” I played the track for my friends and family and they insisted that I release it, so I did. Since then, I have released two other original songs and am currently working towards putting out an album.

[SYNT]: Where do you find inspiration? 

[Meera]: Inspiration for my music comes from every aspect of my life. I try to romanticize every moment because there is art and beauty in everything, as long as you are actively searching for it. I would say that love and relationships are my biggest inspiration because I find that the complexity and chaos that comes with those things often make really great songs.

[SYNT]: How has sharing your art, and music shaped who you are and influenced your life? 

[Meera]: Sharing my music has always been a very daunting thing for me. It is terrifying knowing that anyone in the world can now listen and make judgements about art that I poured my heart and soul into. However, sharing my music has really helped me in becoming more confident in my musical abilities and has actually encouraged me to keep writing and putting more tracks out. I write about very real and personal events that have occurred in my life, so in a way, sharing my music is almost like sharing a piece of myself.

[SYNT]: Has COVID impacted your motivation and creativity?

[Meera]: The pandemic caused a major halt to my musical career. It made it impossible for me to perform live shows as well as meeting with other musicians to collaborate. I found it very isolating and creatively debilitating. However, the amount of time I spent alone resulted in a lot more time to create music which was beneficial, I guess.

[SYNT]: Where would you like to see yourself be in the next few years?

[Meera]: In the next few years, I will hopefully be continuing my career in architecture, while simultaneously maintaining my passion for music. I hope to still have that creative spark for music and ultimately, I hope to god that I will get to perform live again.