Toronto’s Best New Rock Band: Introducing Meathead
After the band’s debut show at the Horseshoe Tavern, I caught up with Toronto’s most exciting up & coming rock band: Meathead. Their frontman, Tim and I bring you inside as the band settles down after releasing their sensational debut EP, There’s Nothing Here Worth Saving. We talk post-punk inspiration, dreams for the future, and the dedication and craft behind the curtain of a project years in the making.
Don’t let the name fool you, for whatever foolishness may meet the eye, there is an equally bright streak of cleverness right behind it.
Sadie: What’s your ultimate dream as a band or as an artist?
Tim: The year is 2150. A young boy asks his father what song is playing on their Apple Samsung Refrigerator Washing Machine Holographic Television Smart Home Hub Plus in partnership with Amazon Disney BetMGM and the father proceeds to regale the boy with the tale of how the world’s greatest rock band, “Meathead”, saved Earth from the enslavement of an ancient alien society using the power of suspended chords and friendship.
Sadie: The last time I saw you play was back in 2017 (I think the band might have even had a different name back then). What’s been your biggest change or evolution with your music 8 years later?
Tim: I would say the biggest change is that we’re 8 years older, which sounds like a joke, but it isn’t really. We’ve gained 8 years of experience, 8 years of confidence, 8 years of maturation. Meathead is the culmination of all the practice and knowledge we’ve gained from playing in previous bands. Not only are we better musicians, performers, and songwriters than we were 8 years ago, but we’ve also gained a lot of life experience, which I think makes for interesting art.
Sadie: What was your favourite part about writing and recording There’s Nothing Here Worth Saving?
Tim: Writing and recording new music is always a rewarding and memorable experience. Our favourite part of writing and recording There’s Nothing Here Worth Saving was getting to work on these songs as a group. Our last EP was written and recorded by David and I before Ethan and Danica had joined the band. This time around everyone contributed their ideas and unique inputs throughout the production process, and I think this led to a more well-rounded, interesting, and diverse tracklist.
Sadie: Did some songs come easier than others?
Tim: All of the songs came together pretty quickly once we got into the studio to record. We tend to be a very prepared group so we had put in a lot of work writing, practicing, and honing in on all the little details before it actually came time to record. That being said, we did have some trouble translating the raw and explosive energy of Superbad 2 from a live setting to the recorded version. But with some overdrive, reverb, and expertise from our talented producer, Simon Outhit, we eventually worked out the kinks and produced a killer final product.
Sadie: Where do/did you draw inspiration for this EP? Who are your biggest musical influences?
Tim: We draw inspiration from bands throughout the eras of punk music and rock in general. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found myself gravitating more toward the mature subject matter and raw intensity of emo music and its related sub-genres. At the time of writing There’s Nothing Here Worth Saving, I was listening to a lot of Hot Mulligan, Free Throw, Cap’n Jazz, and Title Fight.
Sadie: Doggone It, People Like Me was the first single. Was there a specific motivation for putting that one out first?
Tim: We felt that Doggone It was the most natural bridge between the sound of our previous EP and There’s Nothing Here Worth Saving.
Sadie: You wrote that Lawn Work Got Me Nowhere was one of your heaviest and most emotionally vulnerable songs you’ve put out so far. Is that honesty and rawness something you feel like will be easier to pursue now that you’ve crossed that threshold?
Tim: Yes and no. I think the more I write from a place of vulnerability and honesty, the easier it will be to open up, allowing my art to be more true to self. On the other hand, songwriting is a form of journaling for me, so releasing a song is like putting a page of my diary on display for the world to read. It’s scary, and I don’t think I’ll ever feel completely comfortable when releasing new music. But I think that means I’m doing something right. The discomfort excites me. It means I’m creating something of value.
Sadie: 2025 was a big year for the band. After playing the Horseshoe and Sneaky Dees, what’s your next dream venue to play?
Tim: The moon and Bampot Tea House. (Or both at the same time!)
Sadie: You guys like covering iconic pop women like Chappel Roan and SZA. What is the band’s secret guilty-pleasure favourite song to cover?
Tim: Kill Bill by SZA, but there is no guilt. In an alternate reality, Meathead is strictly a pop-girlie cover band.
Sadie: You guys played an unreleased track at the show! Any special projects in the works we should be anticipating?
Tim: We’re working on new music right now! We’re still in the early stages of writing, but can already tell that these new songs are going to be future fan favourites. I think as the band progresses, we’re getting a clearer picture of what this current version of Meathead sounds like, and as we grow more comfortable writing with each other, we’re able to experiment and create our most honest and complete pieces of work to date. We don’t have a timeline for these new releases yet, but I can say with certainty that there will be new music this year, so keep an eye out!
Sadie: What is one thing you’d want people to know about you as a band?
Tim: Meathead is more than just a band; it’s a state of being. You too can be a Meathead by regularly reciting and truly embodying the following refrain: “I am the Meat; the Meat is I.”