ARO is the musical project of Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Meghan Aro. At the end of last month, she unleashed her debut single ‘Let Me Go’, an electro-alternative-pop gem that I haven’t been able to stop listening to! I knew I needed to find out more about the gifted musician behind the tune, and was thrilled when she agreed to an interview.
Chatting about the inspiration behind her debut single, how she takes an idea and turns it into a song, and what listeners can expect going forward, please give a big welcome to our new friend ARO!
Hello and welcome ARO! I’m super excited to introduce you to our audience! Firstly, a huge congrats on your debut single! I’ve been loving it over the past few days. How did you decide on ‘Let Me Go’ as the first track you wanted to introduce yourselves to the world with?
I’ve spent the past year writing my first EP and album, so I have a number of songs completed and ready for production at this point. I decided to start with ‘Let Me Go’ because it was one of the first songs I wrote that I actually liked! You know, when you’re starting out as a new artist, the first songs you write just aren’t very good, you’ve gotta keep creating bad art to get to the good art. And, when I wrote this piece, it was probably the first song I read back to myself and thought, “Maybe I will actually pursue music”. I’ve made pieces that are definitely more elevated compositionally and melodically at this point since I’ve been really focused on writing for a year, but ‘Let Me Go’ felt like an honest place to start when it came time to pick my debut single.
I read that the tune was inspired by the dark feminine archetypes represented in mythology across ancient cultures. Please tell us more!
Well, first and foremost this song was inspired by my own disorganized attachment in relationships lol. I struggle with intimacy and vulnerability. I struggle to be loved. It’s very hard for me to let people remain close to me without sabotaging it. Despite these patterns, I do have a partner I’ve been with for a while, and when I was writing this song I asked him honestly what it’s like to be in a relationship with me. And he answered honestly: “It’s like the moment right before a thunderstorm, you know it’s about to come down hard but you don’t know when or where; chaotic but beautiful.” So I wrote that down word for word and the chorus for ‘Let Me Go’ was born.
As I spent more time with this piece I was thinking about how socially we’re conditioned to reject the parts of ourselves that aren’t “good”. This song was really about me getting honest with my own demons when it comes to love, and allowing that part of me that struggles with intimacy to have a voice. What does she have to say for herself when I’m not trying to fix her? And that voice that came through reminded me of those dark feminine archetypes in mythology, who are unapologetically destructive, cruel even. And at the same time, they are powerful creators. For me, it’s a lesson about the nature of destruction and creation. One can’t exist without the other. My own destruction is the fertilizer for the art I’m now creating.
In terms of inspiration, you’ve cited the likes of Halsey, Banks, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, and King Princess as being influential on your sound. Is there anybody else that you would credit, or give a shout-out to, for helping shape your overall musical soundscape? Who did you grow up listening to?
I should definitely include Bishop Briggs in that lineup. For the pieces that I’m currently writing I’m really starting to bring in more of a bluesy pop-rock vibe as well. I’m really excited to see how my sound continues to define itself.
Growing up I went through a lot of different music phases. I had a really strong emo phase listening to a lot of pop punk, and then I moved into a phase where I refused to listen to any modern music and was only listening to 70s rock, a lot of Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty. And then later in high school and college, I was more diversified in genres, my favorite artists included Coldplay, Alanis Morissette, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, John Mayer, Ellie Goulding’s early stuff, and Florence And The Machine.
We’re always intrigued by artists’ creative processes, and how they take an idea and transform it into a finished product. Could you tell us a bit about your creative process?
I’m constantly writing. I try to write every day, even if it doesn’t turn into anything. It’s actually really important that some of it doesn’t turn into anything because it keeps the pressure low. When there’s pressure for something to be “good” I freeze up and can’t explore my ideas as freely. I keep one note in my music folder on my phone as a dumping ground for any and all inspiration that comes to me. It could be a line that popped into my head, imagery, or a very specific emotion that I want to write about. Whatever it is I jot it down in that note, so when I carve out time to write I already have some strings to pull on. I’ll write some songs with a beat that’s already produced. Others I’ll write the lyrics first and then find chords and a melody that goes with it. I try to make sure I’m working in all directions so that I don’t get too stuck in one way of thinking.
When you’re not creating music, what fills your days? What does a non-music day look like in the life of Meghan Aro?
There aren’t a lot of non-music days lol. I genuinely really love spending time with my art, whether it’s writing, singing, or playing guitar. But when I’m not doing any of that I like to spend time being active outdoors. I’m lucky enough to live in Southern California where the weather is always agreeable. I like to hike and spend time at the beach. I like reading, yoga, finding new coffee shops, live music, painting, and binging long-form TV series.
If I stole your cell phone and opened Spotify (or your streaming service of choice), who would I see under your recently played section?
Banks, Nessa Barrett, Cami Petyn, Halsey, Lauren Sanderson, PVRIS, and Verite.
OK, now it’s your turn to do the stealing! If you were allowed to “steal” one song in the world and claim it as your own, what would it be and why?
Oh, this one’s hard. It might be a tie between ‘929’ and ‘Nightmare’ by Halsey. They’re both songs that I’ve had on repeat through multiple phases over the past few years. ‘929’ is brilliant and honest and underrated. Most of it was freestyled on the spot. Most times I can’t sing through the song without crying. Last year I won tickets to a really small venue show with Halsey and it was the first time I’d heard her perform it live and I definitely ugly cried the whole time. And ‘Nightmare’ because it’s just a really big song. It’s clever and makes me ready to run through a wall. I think this was the first song that Halsey channeled a lot of anger into, which I’ve found hard for me to do as an artist. I’m looking forward to writing and releasing my first angsty song!
Thanks for chatting with us Meghan, it’s been great getting to know you a little better! What comes next for ARO?
I’m getting ready to release my next single in September. This next one is going to be about my experience with neurodivergence, so it feels really special to me. After that, I’m going to be releasing a third single, and then likely rolling out an EP after that. I’ve got a lot ready to go in the pipeline so stay tuned!
