SARAH METH
Where bedroom songwriting meets London’s underground
Sarah Meth. Photo by Micah Bierman / TMN.
We spoke with singer/songwriter Sarah Meth during SXSW 2026 on a balmy Texas morning, weather that, she noted, was far from typical for the London-based artist. We discussed her evolving style, creative influences, and the importance of collaboration. She also reflected on her journey from uploading early tracks on SoundCloud to becoming part of London’s buzzy Windmill scene.
AUSTIN | Interview and photos by Micah Bierman
At the age of 16, Meth began recording music in her bedroom, gradually attracting the attention of future collaborators and bandmates through online demos. She credits much of her musical passion to singing in choir, which taught her how to train her musical ear, create collaboratively, and visual music in a new manner.
“I've always made music since I was a kid. It's just how I've made sense of the world”
While her influences have shifted and her sound has evolved, nearly a decade later she still approaches music with the same honesty as her sixteen-year-old self, creating intimate and vulnerable worlds from the quiet rooms of her London flat.
“A lot of my sound is actually down to a lack of resources in the sense that I just use mainly my acoustic guitar and my laptop where I produce and I've kind of found a sound that merges the two.”
Despite these changes, one source of inspiration that has remained constant in Meth’s creative approach is the legendary singer and pianist Nina Simone – an affection so deep that she even tattooed her name in tribute.
“I still feel all the things I felt when I listened to her music that I did when I was 16 and I probably will in like 10, 20 years from now and I think that's really beautiful because it feels like sometimes her music understands me in ways no one else does yet me and her have lived completely different lives in different, like, decades.”
She finds an equal amount of inspiration in her friends and musicians surrounding her in London’s rapidly growing underground scene. This community, home to bands like Little Grandad and My New Band Believe, is defined by its angsty edge and strong collaborative spirit.
“It’s a melting pot of so many different kinds of sounds and experiences… people really love what each other are doing, so there’s an openness creatively of getting involved in each other’s stuff.”
Sarah Meth. Photo by Micah Bierman / TMN.
Meth herself often contributes to other artists’ projects, reflecting her belief in giving back to the same creative scene that supports her. For Meth, these co-producers, bandmates and friends are essential to her pursuit of music.
This supportive community has allowed Meth to creatively explore, shaping a songwriting style that begins with small moments of inspiration: fragments of melody or lyrics that find her while navigating daily life.
“They just come to me a lot when I'm walking around like on the train or like it's just a moment of feeling inspired and feeling like a kind of necessity to jot something down“
As we concluded, Meth returned to the same theme that has guided her career thus far: being part of a community that will drive creativity but without the pressure of perfection.
“ I would say find your people, find your community, and the way to do that is to just put yourself out there and not worry about being perfect.”
Watch the full interview with Sarah Meth below.
