Meg & Dia

Meg & Dia

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	2004
Founder	Meg Frampton, Dia Frampton
Headquarters	United States
Products	Music albums, EPs

Meg & Dia is a rock group from the United States, established in 2004 by sisters Meg and Dia Frampton. Originally performing as a five-member ensemble called Cowards Courage, they launched the album Straight Out of a Story Book in Las Vegas with members Eddie Friends, Ryan Hardy, Jon Cash, and Alex Kruse. After these musicians departed, the band reverted to the name Meg & Dia and incorporated Nicholas Price, Jonathan Snyder (previously with Madison), and Carlo Gimenez into the lineup.

The duo released their first album, Our Home is Gone, in 2005, primarily featuring acoustic tracks with Meg on guitar and backing vocals and Dia as lead singer. Their sophomore effort, Something Real (2006), which included their signature song "Monster," marked their debut under Doghouse Records.

After signing with Warner Bros. Records in 2007, they issued Here, Here and Here in 2009 through Sire Records. Following the band's initial breakup, Dia Frampton embarked on a solo career signed to Universal Republic. Since 2019, Meg & Dia have resumed activity under Pure Noise Records.

Early life: The Frampton sisters

Meg received a karaoke machine for Christmas while Dia was gifted a guitar. Dia began performing vocally at community events, whereas Meg taught herself guitar by learning popular songs. Their father worked as a DJ in South Korea, providing them exposure to diverse musical genres. The Frampton family consists of siblings Meg, Dia, Jade, Rena, Nikki, and Misty; notably, Jade plays collegiate tennis at the University of Arkansas with professional ambitions.

Reflecting on their early musical journey, Meg shared: “Dia concentrated on her singing and performed at county fairs and retirement homes. I started learning songs from the radio or friends’ CDs. Writing became my emotional outlet after my first heartbreak. Our parents encouraged us to keep composing, which eventually led us to collaborate on original material.”

2005: debut Our Home Is Gone

In 2005, Meg & Dia independently released their first album, Our Home Is Gone, producing just 1,000 copies that were distributed directly by the sisters. The record showcased mostly acoustic arrangements fitting their duo format. They toured extensively, performing alongside national bands such as Limbeck, The Format, Melee, An Angle, Koufax, and Steel Train.

To enrich their sound, drummer Nicholas Price and guitarist Kenji Chan joined in 2005. Nick initially served as Meg’s car mechanic following a minor accident—an incident that inspired the EP title What Is It? A Fender Bender. The lineup was completed with bassist Ryan Groskreuetz. Tracks like "Nineteen Stars" and "Indiana" from this era were later included on Something Real, while "Timmy" was reworked into "Roses".

2006: Something Real

Meg & Dia recorded their second album, Something Real, in January 2006 with producers Stacy Jones of American Hi-Fi and Bill Leffler. Ahead of its August release, they put out the EP What Is It? A Fender Bender, which featured "Monster" and "Indiana" available on iTunes and at Tower Records. This album blended new compositions with reimagined acoustic songs from their debut; "Indiana", "Masterpiece", and "Nineteen Stars" were fully re-recorded with band arrangements, while parts of "Timmy" transformed into "Roses".

In September 2006, guitarist Kenji Chan amicably departed to pursue solo endeavors and was replaced by Canadian musician Carlo Gimenez—discovered via YouTube—restoring the quintet format.

Utilizing MySpace for promotion, Meg & Dia became the official MySpace band during the 2006 Warped Tour. This opportunity arose when technical difficulties with their MySpace page caught the attention of co-founder Tom Anderson, who entered them into a contest they ultimately won. They performed in the MySpace tent at Warped Tour that year.

The band returned to Warped Tour in 2007 on the Hurley.com stage and continued touring nationally alongside groups such as Anberlin, Jonezetta, Bayside, Say Anything, and Saves The Day.

2007

On February 19, 2007, Meg & Dia secured a contract with Warner Bros. Records. Their track "Roses" was included on the soundtrack for the TMNT movie. In September of the same year, they contributed backing vocals to The Rocket Summer's debut single "Yahoo! Who's Next?". The music video for "Monster" earned a nomination for the mtvU Viral Woodie Award in 2007, advancing to the final stage. Meg & Dia concluded the year by touring alongside The Spill Canvas, PlayRadioPlay!, and Treaty of Paris.

The group actively supported organizations such as To Write Love on Her Arms and peta2, participating in an anti-fur campaign and sponsoring a fashion contest hosted by peta2.

Their composition "The Mighty R-E-A-L" was adopted as the official anthem for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.

2008–2009: Touring, Here, here and here

In November 2007, Angels & Airwaves announced that Meg & Dia would open for their U.S. tour along with The Color Fred and Ace Enders, which took place from January 30 to March 15. Shortly after completing this tour, the band commenced recording their album Here, Here and Here in Los Angeles on March 17.

Meg & Dia made their UK debut at the 2008 Give It A Name festival, performing in both London and Sheffield during May. They subsequently participated in the Give It A Name Introduces tour across England, Scotland, and Wales, sharing the stage with American groups Four Year Strong, Mayday Parade, and The Color Fred.

Throughout summer 2008, they balanced recording sessions with a U.S. tour promoting Something Real, completing a 16-date itinerary supported by Jonezetta, Dropping Daylight, and occasionally Danger Radio. In September, they toured Europe alongside Melee, performing in cities including Vienna, Amsterdam, and Munich before returning to the UK in October. The European press responded favorably to their performances.

Between February and April 2009, Meg & Dia joined the Take Action 2009, sharing billing with headliners Cute Is What We Aim For and supporting acts such as Anarbor and Breathe Carolina. A share of ticket proceeds was donated to charitable organizations.

Released on April 21, Here, here and here was available in CD, CD+DVD, and vinyl editions. This marked their first album following their signing with Warner Bros. (through Sire Records) and showcased their current lineup. The record featured new instrumental elements including strings, synthesizers, harmonica, and alternative percussion, along with guest vocals by Tom Higgenson on "Bored Of Your Love". The lyrical content reflected more mature themes like religion ("Black Wedding") and politics ("Are There Giants Too, In The Dance?"). Unlike their earlier literature-inspired album Something Real, only "Hug Me" clearly references a novel (Brave New World), while several tracks were influenced by Dia's recent breakup ("Going Away"). The title track contains an allusion to Mozart’s creative methodology.

The lead single "What If" was released on January 27, followed by "Black Wedding" a week later. The music video for "Black Wedding" premiered exclusively on MTV platforms on April 14.

Meg, Dia, and Nick appeared on an episode of BETA Records TV to promote Here, Here and Here, delivering an acoustic rendition of "Going Away". They also took part in the 2009 edition of the Warped Tour, marking their third time on this festival circuit.

On October 16, they unveiled a new track titled "5 Reasons," inspired by a personal family discussion. From October 17 through November 29, Meg & Dia toured across the U.S. with support from Never Shout Never, Now, Now Every Children, and Carter Hulsey; members of the band also appeared in Never Shout Never's music video for "What is Love?". From November 8 to November 29, they were joined on tour by Dashboard Confessional.

2010–2012: Independent era, Stormy, Cocoon, and split

In July 2010, Meg & Dia parted ways with Warner Bros. Records and became unsigned artists. They proceeded to create a new independent record with producer Charlie Vela.

Their EP It's Always Stormy in Tillamook was launched on November 2, 2010. Early purchasers of physical copies gained access to the hidden track "Down The Open Road." The group toured across the United States from November 9 through December 4, accompanied by Joey Ryan and The Spring Standards.

On April 5, 2011, Meg & Dia unveiled their fourth studio album, Cocoon, which featured a total of 11 songs.

Dia Frampton achieved notable recognition as the runner-up on The Voice on June 29, 2011, finishing second behind Javier Colon. She subsequently released her solo debut album, Red, on December 6.

The band released the EP Be Careful, I Love You, Stay In Touch on December 20, containing tracks that were outtakes from Cocoon. This EP was initially available exclusively to active forum participants through dropcards.com.

On October 29, 2012, Meg Frampton declared the official dissolution of Meg & Dia to pursue her solo career and further education. She confirmed that she and Nick Price, along with Dia Frampton and Carlo Gimenez, would continue their musical endeavors independently under different names.

2019: Reunion and fifth studio release

Meg & Dia announced their reunion on April 1, 2019, revealing plans to perform at the Vans Warped Tour. They unexpectedly released their fifth full-length album, happysad, on July 26 under Pure Noise Records.

On November 1, the band revealed a forthcoming Christmas album titled December, Darling, which includes both traditional and original compositions and was released on November 15. The title track "December, Darling" was also issued as a single on November 1.

Dia Frampton

Dia Leif Frampton (born October 2, 1987) served as the lead vocalist of the band. She completed high school ahead of schedule and relocated with her sister to Salt Lake City to further their musical ambitions. Influenced by acts such as Modest Mouse, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Joni Mitchell, Dia performed live while playing percussion and occasionally keyboards. She frequently shared unpolished "song diaries" via her MySpace page, fostering a genuine connection with her audience.

Dia appeared as a featured artist on "Where Are You Now?" by The Summer Set from their 2009 release Love Like This. She gained widespread attention as the runner-up in the inaugural season of NBC’s The Voice, joining coach Blake Shelton’s team. Her renditions of "Heartless" and "Losing My Religion" achieved significant iTunes chart success. Her original song "Inventing Shadows" reached number one on iTunes and debuted at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, selling 137,000 digital copies in its first week. By July 2011, digital sales of her releases from The Voice had totaled approximately 480,000 downloads.

After the competition, Dia toured as an opening act for Blake Shelton’s Well Lit & Amplified tour and also headlined her own shows with Andrew Allen opening. Her single "The Broken Ones" was released on November 15, 2011, followed by her solo album Red on December 6 of the same year. Dia either wrote or co-wrote every track on Red, collaborating with Mark Foster and Isom Innis from Foster the People, her sister Meg Frampton, as well as Isabella Summers of Florence and the Machine.

In 2014, Dia initiated a new project called Archis, partnering with film composer Joseph Trapanese to release their debut single "Blood". Additionally, she competed in season seven of Korea’s talent competition SuperStar K7.

Meg Frampton

Meg Frampton (born April 3, 1985) contributed guitar and backing vocals to the group. She is an alumna of Dixie High School in St. George, Utah, and later attended the University of Utah. Meg was the primary songwriter for the band and also engages in writing novels. During performances, she alternated among a Vintage White Fender American Telecaster, a sunburst Gibson ES-335 Dot, and a white Gibson Les Paul Custom; she has additionally played a black Gibson Les Paul Studio. Presently, she performs with a glittery-gold Gretsch guitar during tours with Dia Frampton and Blake Shelton, alongside using a Taylor 814ce acoustic for acoustic sets. Meg's stage attire frequently included cap sleeve dresses, and on major tours, she wore a black sequin dress paired with silver sequin heels. She took lead vocals and keyboard duties on "Rebecca" and played intro solos on tracks such as "Roses" and "Monster." Meg departed from the band in June 2012 due to personal and artistic considerations. She was succeeded by Jimmy Welsh, previously of the Boston-based band Small Talk. Additionally, Meg collaborated with Nick on a side project named The Khaki Scouts.

Nicholas Price

Nicholas Price (born May 27, 1984) served as the drummer for the band. Raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, he began playing drums at age 14 and was part of the University of Utah’s Drumline in 2004. His drumming style is influenced by artists such as John Bonham, Chad Smith, José Pasillas, Jimmy Chamberlin, Dave Grohl, Joe Morello, Stewart Copeland, Steve Jordan, Matt Chamberlain, and Joseph Modeliste.

Jonathan Snyder

Jonathan Snyder (born July 29, 1986) handled bass guitar duties. Originating from Bergen County, New Jersey, he started playing bass at age 13 in a local pop punk group called Duckhunt that later evolved into Madison before disbanding in 2006. Jonathan was recruited by Meg & Dia through Eric Finkel of Doghouse Records after Nick reached out to him to join the lineup. Onstage, Jonathan exclusively played Fender Jazz Bass and Gibson Grabber Bass instruments amplified by a Mesa/Boogie 400+ amp.

Carlo Gimenez

Carlo Gimenez (born September 1, 1982) was the lead guitarist. Born in Vancouver, Canada to Filipino parents, Carlo began playing guitar at nine years old. His musical influences include Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Benson, David Sanborn, Hiram Bullock, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Nick discovered Carlo’s impressive guitar performances on YouTube and invited him to become part of the band. Onstage Carlo generally used a Gibson Les Paul guitar. He rejoined the group during their reunion starting in 2019.

Personnel

• Mike Kaminsky – Manager
• Jake Katz – Front of House Engineer

Band members

Role	Year
	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2012	2019	2020	2021
Lead vocals, keyboards	Dia Frampton
Rhythm guitar, backing vocals	Meg Frampton
Lead guitar	Meg Frampton		Kenji Chan		Carlo Gimenez				Meg Frampton
Bass		Ryan Groskreutz		Aaron McMurray	Jonathan Snyder			Carlo Gimenez Meg Frampton	Meg Frampton
Drums		Nick Price					Matty Best (touring)	Grant Whitson (touring)	Grant Whitson (touring)

Timeline

Influences

Meg and Dia have acknowledged literature as a profound source of inspiration shaping their songwriting and creative vision. Numerous songs are directly influenced by literary works: "Monster" draws from the character Cathy Ames in East of Eden by John Steinbeck; "Indiana" takes its name from Indiana by George Sand; "Rebecca" is inspired by the novel Rebecca authored by Daphne du Maurier; and "Tell Mary" is rooted in Mary by Vladimir Nabokov. The song "Hug Me" incorporates themes from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.

The composition "Courage Robert" pays homage to the renowned pianist and composer Robert Schumann, while "Here, Here and Here" features allusions to Mozart.

Albums

Release Date	Album Title	Record Label
August 12, 2005	Our Home Is Gone	Independent
August 8, 2006	Something Real	Doghouse Records & Warner Bros.
April 21, 2009	Here, Here and Here	Doghouse Records & Warner Bros. (distributed through Sire Records)
April 5, 2011	Cocoon	Independent
July 26, 2019	happysad	Pure Noise Records
November 15, 2019	December, Darling	Pure Noise Records
December 1, 2024	Mosaic	Independent

EPs

Release Date	Title
July 8, 2006	What Is It? A Fender Bender
October 3, 2006	Warped Tour Sessions
June 29, 2007	If You're Poor, Find Something to Sue Somebody For...
July 10, 2009	Hurley Live Sessions 2009
November 2, 2010	It's Always Stormy in Tillamook
December 10, 2011	Be Careful, I Love You, Stay In Touch.

Compilations

• Participated with "Joey Had A Smoke" on A Santa Cause 2
• Featured "Roses" on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles O.S.T.
• Contributed "Monster" to Warped Tour 2007 Tour Compilation
• Included "Going Away" on Warped Tour 2009 Tour Compilation
• Added "Monster" for Take Action! Vol. 6
• Offered "Roses" for Take Action! Vol. 7
• Presented "Halloween" for Take Action! Vol. 8
• Provided acoustic renditions of "Roses," "Lessons In NJ," and "Masterpiece" on Purevolume.com Lost Sessions

Singles

• 2006: "Monster"
• 2007: "Roses"
• 2008: "What if"
• 2009: "Black Wedding"
• 2019: "December, Darling"
• 2024: "Smoke City"

Music videos

Year	Title	Director
2006	"Monster"	Travis Kopach
2007	"Roses"	Lex Halaby
2009	"Black Wedding"	Aaron Platt
2011	"My Ugly Mouth"	Bryan Schlam
2019	"American Spirit"	Saman Kesh & Justin Hopkins
	"Teenagers"	OMG EVERYWHERE LA
	"December, Darling"	Joseph Yao
	"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
	"Lights Blown Out"