Celebrating Local: Musicians, DJs, Socialites and Artist + MORE!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

DREAM GIRLS

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Get to know theMEEP: Jes wells and Silke Labson

“Hey, can I please take your picture for my fashion blog?!” I begged her.
She was young and beautiful, and her style was better than mine.

“Yeah, sure” she replied in the sweets tone.
I knew who she was but she never noticed me before…
After a smooth pose and quick picture she muttered “have you heard about my blog?” She must have known I was playing it cool, “umm yeah…I think…the MEEP? Right?” Her face illuminated, smiling back to me as if surprised and excited to know that I had guessed it! She reaches into her plush purse, saying “umm here, take my business card…” She pulls out a lavish double-sided card; one side simply reveals the words “theMEEP” and the other side states “Jes Wells,” (which she exclaims, “no one ever spells it right!”) along with her contacts.
At that moment I knew two things: One, my Blog was a joke compared to theirs! Two, these girls meant business!
TheMEEP is an online vanity fair and diary of SILKE LABSON (21) and JES WELLS (22), whom document their glamorous adventures in the downtown nightlife. But don’t be foolish enough to think that they’re simply dancing on beer spilt tables, in fact, they spend most of the night casually making tipsy conversations with the likes of STEVE AOKI, THE KLAXONS, DIGITALISM and rubbing elbows with, UFFIE, DJ MEHDI (Ed Bangers) or the MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS!
In the world of internet blogging and websites, it’s a no mans land. ANYTHING GOES! ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN or nothing could happen at all! Your mothers knew best when they told you “the internet is a very dangerous place!” In fact, it’s a vicious blog eat blog world…and it’s hard to survive but maybe you can learn by example! Here is an interview with the beautiful girls of theMEEP.com. Pay close attention, maybe you can recreate the same magic that they have accomplished; maybe you to can find yourself backstage at DAFT PUNK on Saturday night, and Blogging about them Sunday Morning!

SC: Jes, How did you and Silke meet? Was it BFF’s at First sight?
JES: Silke and I met when our old housemates and I were looking for our 4th roommate on Craigslist. I actually voted against her moving in because I didn't want any more chicks in the house, but I was overridden by the leaseholder guy who liked her because she had a cool car.Silke and I later bonded over our mutual hatred of him!

SC : Silke, how did you ladies conceptualize theMEEP. com?
SILKE: It actually started on accident! Jes and I were driving to LA to work on a film project with our friend Linda Ho at BPM. We had a video camera and decided to just film our road trip, which ended up being the trip from hell! --- My car broke down on the grapevine, we had to sit for two hours in a tow truck with a huge creepy tow truck driver who listened to 2pac… the entire time. Ugh it was hell! We posted this video on youtube as a joke and it ended up getting about 800 hits in the first few days. This spawned the idea for making videos about our crazy trips and backstage adventures…

SC: How did you ladies come up with the name theMEEP?

JES: We both love Beaker from The Muppets, so that's part of it. Mostly though, it is one of the more commonly used jibberish words/ noises we use when we talk to each other.

SC: Silke, are you and Jess friend’s first or business partners?

SILKE: Friends for sure! We bitch about our problems to one another and then afterwards we talk about business or vice versa… Sometimes our bitching fest will transcend into a discussion about how we should do a show about people bitching…or it just leads to new ideas. I guess in the end…our bitching is productive and can be considered business!

SC: Who was the first artist you interviewed? How did the opportunity come about?
SILKE: I believe Simon from the Klaxons was our first interview. Jes and I have a huge network of friends in the music industry so we were able to set up that interview through someone who contacted someone, who knew someone, who was brothers with someone, who worked with someone who knew the Klaxons!

SC: So who has been your favorite artist that you’ve interviewed so far?

JES: Meeting new artists is fun, but anytime I get to interview people who are my friends in real life is my favorite.
SILKE: I think recently I loved hanging out with Digitalism. They are a crack up and I love them both. I want to record them talking all night and sell it as a stand up comedy act on CD. The German accent with their ridiculous sarcasm makes me laugh!

SC: Who was your least favorite artist you’ve interview? Name one, that didn’t quite meet your idealized expectation.
JES: Hmmm.... I can't name names, but there was someone who we didn't end up filming who asked us to help him buy crack... That was pretty gross. I told him I was the wrong girl to ask but that I was sure the good people of 6th Street would be happy to help.
SILKE: yeah. That was awkward… I hope to god we don’t seem like someone who does crack or has crack. I don’t like rocks unless they are diamonds. I lied. I don’t even like diamonds.

SC: Do you usually get nervous or star struck when interviewing these big shot artist? Is their any artist in particular that has made you weak in the knees?
JES: Usually I'm not. For the most part, these performers are so totally normal that it makes it really easy for me or they're people that I've met before or am friends with already.Though... When we were filming at the Download Festival, I nearly fainted when Robert Smith walked in. His producer offered to take me to meet him, but the guy has been one of my idols since I was a little kid and I just couldn't do it. I panicked.
SILKE: Only with Our first interview! It was really nerve wrecking and I wanted to pee my pants but, I thought it might screw up the interview. So instead I had a beer. It all went well despite my constant nervous hand shaking the camera.


SC: Jes, in your wildest dreams whom would you love to interview!?
Mick Jagger. I think he'd be great to have a drink with.

SC: Silke, is theMEEP a hobby or do you desire to make a profitable career out of this? Do you want to be the next Barbra Walters of underground music?

SILKE: I never intend on being like Barbara or Oprah. Oprah says “va-jay-jay.” Ew. The Meep is definitely a business and is already helping us pay the rent or contribute to our “I really really really need these Chloe shoes” funds. haha

What’s next for theMEEP. com?
JES: Our new commercial for Nokia just launched online, and we're super stoked! You can check it out on our site.Also, we have a new intern! She won't be hosting the videos but you may see her popping up. Besides that, there will be some BIG announcements toward the end of summer, but you'll have to wait and see!

SC: The success of your blog has allowed you ladies to get backstage at the most highly anticipated shows, and see the highest ranking DJs and performers, but what single event has really stuck out to you from this whole experience? What has been the night to remember?
JES: Daft Punk Backstage! (that was slightly pre-theMEEP.)
SILKE: THE CURE!

SC:What’s the most rewarding thing out of having this website?

JES: Being able to work with my best friend…
SILKE: and working on something we both love!

Does it get any more cute than that?! You know the most important people in the world and the only person that truely matters is your best friend. Amazing!


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Check out my favorite VIDEO from theMEEP.COM...







Meep Launch Party+ Steve Aoki + Uffie from Silke on Vimeo.



Visit: WWW.THEMEEP.COM for video interviews with ALL your favorite artist!