Stereo Six: Divine Sweater Lead Singer Meghan Kelleher Dives into Her Fave Records

The title A Time For Everything is a nice little hint of what you get on Divine Sweater’s new record. Coming on September 13th via Better Company Records, the album is a collection of vibrant indie-pop despite the seriousness of some of the subject matter. You may have caught a preview of the album with the release of “Deep Side” earlier this year, which went viral on TikTok. The world can be a harsh place with good times and hard times, and this album acknowledges all those experiences.

More specifically, A Time For Everything documents the many stages of life. From death to renewal, it chronicles the changes that occur while our world shifts. In the last few years, each member of the band has struggled with grief and loss. Many loved ones have left them, and many funerals have been attended. Death and change are inevitable components of life, and you have to find a way to grapple with both. The album features reflections on mortality and having the strength to rest yourself and emerge from crises stronger emotionally. That fearless honesty is becoming one of the defining characteristics of Divine Sweater as a band.

Joining us today for an edition of Stereo Six is lead singer Meghan Kelleher, who shares six albums that influenced the making of A Time For Everything.

1. The Clean – Boodle Boodle Boodle (1981, Flying Nun Records)

“Our album A Time for Everything is all about changing your life. When we started writing this album, I was living a version of my life that felt completely inauthentic and in direct conflict with the person I knew I was supposed to be. After a series of unexpected personal losses, I realized I needed to stop wasting time and immediately transform my day-to-day life before it was too late. I took some big risks, quit my job, moved to New York, and promised myself that every decision I made moving forward would be aligned with my growth as a musician. ‘Anything Could Happen’ by The Clean was such an important catalyst during this period of intense change.

“‘Anything Could Happen’ became like a daily mantra for me during this time. In the months leading up to the move, and in the challenging months that followed, I listened to this song multiple times a day. Walking down the street, driving in my car, riding the subway, getting ready for bed. I would sing along in my head or out loud. ‘Anything could happen and it could be right now / and the choice is yours to make it worthwhile.’

“Being a musician is really challenging because every day is so up and down. You face a ton of failure and have to wrestle with countless lost opportunities. It’s impossible not to compare your trajectory to others, and it’s easy to feel like you’re not making progress toward your next goal. ‘Anything Could Happen’ has a magic that fills me up every time I hear it, making me believe that good news and new opportunities are right around the corner.”

2. Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas (1990, 4AD)

“Cocteau Twins are one of Divine Sweater’s greatest influences, and Heaven or Las Vegas has been a powerful source of inspiration for us over the past few years. Heaven or Las Vegas is its own little world to get lost in. No matter how many times I listen to the album, I always discover some new melody, harmony, or sound that I missed on previous listens. The album creates a cohesive, all-encompassing vibe from start to finish, but it never leaves you bored or complacent. It’s just a perfect album.

“One huge takeaway from Heaven or Las Vegas that specifically influenced A Time for Everything is the emotive power of layered vocal harmonies. Listening to any Cocteau Twins song is a disorienting experience because there are a million different melodies playing off each other at all times. Even when you can’t quite make out the lyrics, you know exactly what feeling you’re supposed to feel because every word is delivered so intensely. I’m in awe of Elizabeth Fraser’s ability to build up such a powerful, emotional storm of vocals on every song she performs.”

Artwork for the albums Divine Sweater lists in this Stereo Six

3. Talk Talk – The Colour of Spring (1986, EMI Records)

“‘Baby, life’s what you make it!’ This album is a powerhouse, and ‘Life’s What You Make It’ could be the theme song of this album cycle. ‘Life’s What You Make It’ came into my life at the exact moment I needed it, right as I was building up the courage to make some transformative changes. It serves as a sharp reminder that you can’t sit around and wait for things to happen to you. You need to go out and make them happen, even though the journey is scary and hard.

“This is my go-to song whenever I’m feeling dejected and intimidated, both as a musician and as a person. The album is full of killer grooves, gorgeous melodies, and disarmingly uplifting advice on how to pick yourself up and keep moving forward.”

4. The Cranberries – Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? (1993, Island Records)

“I come from a big Irish family of musicians and performers. So The Cranberries have been one of my core musical influences throughout my entire life. Growing up, I watched my relatives perform live music in bars, at Irish sessions, and at community events. To this day, every family gathering eventually evolves into a giant jam session where we all sing covers of our favourite songs. As a kid, I learned how to perform by singing along with my relatives to classic Cranberries songs like ‘Linger,’ ‘Dreams,’ and ‘Zombie.’

“The Cranberries have influenced every song I’ve written. If you’ve ever listened to a Divine Sweater song, you can probably tell that right away. Dolores O’Riordan’s gut-wrenching voice inspires me to sing from the heart and never sugar-coat a sad story. Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? is overflowing with loss, disappointment, and longing, which are all major themes driving our new album as well.”

5. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska (1982, Columbia Records)

“Our new album, A Time for Everything, focuses on transformation, but most of that transformation was driven by personal loss. Over the past few years, my bandmates and I have lost several loved ones. There is this really powerful passage I kept hearing at funerals called ‘A Time for Everything.’ The passage is meant to remind mourners that death is just another stage of life, an inevitable tragedy that every person will eventually face. It also serves as a reminder that life has many seasons, and we are meant to change alongside those seasons. We aren’t supposed to stay the same.

“‘Atlantic City’ (from Nebraska) was an important song for me during this challenging period of unavoidable change. It captures loss and grief so beautifully within a larger story of love. The iconic lines about death and rebirth in the chorus of ‘Atlantic City’ sum up my outlook on mortality so perfectly: ‘Everything dies, baby, that’s a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back.’”

Divine Sweater ‘A Time for Everything’ album artwork

6. (Curveball) Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak (1976, Vertigo Records)

“Divine Sweater is a band driven by the power of unwavering friendship. The five of us are best friends committed to a shared dream and a love of music. Our guitarist Sean Seaver and drummer Chris Southiere have been playing in bands together since high school. Similarly, our bassist Alex Goldberg and keyboardist Steve Lin have also been best friends and bandmates since high school. Any success we’ve had as a band has been a direct result of our friendship.

“A few years ago, we became obsessed with ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ and even walked out on stage to it at a few shows. For our last tour, we were testing out new covers and jokingly suggested covering ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ because we were so into it at the time. We got very carried away at a band practice and ended up creating an entirely new version of the song. It has been a core song in our live set ever since.

“Before we play ‘The Boys Are Back In Town,’ I always take a moment to introduce ‘the boys’ and hype them up for the crowd. This is usually a very silly part of our set. But playing ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ always feels like a celebration of four of my best friends.”