By Shannon Kirsch, Special to OnMilwaukee   Published Jul 01, 2016 at 7:03 PM

The Emerging Artists Series at Summerfest gives lesser-known artists the opportunity to play their music for a large audience at one of the world's largest music festivals. One of these lucky artists is the Madison-based band Seasaw, which is performing on Sunday, July 3 at 2 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage. Seasaw’s brand of folk pop reflects a wide range of musical influences, from Beirut to Calexico to Fleet Foxes to Noah and the Whale, and more.

Before they take the Summerfest stage, Seasaw’s Meg Golz and Eve Wilczewski spoke to OnMilwaukee about long distance relationships, their new album and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

OnMilwaukee: How did you two meet? I see on your website that fate brought you two together.

Eve: Meg and I both attended the same high school, and we were both in the same orchestra program. I knew her older siblings and probably crossed Meg's path many times, but never actually met her until after college because of our age difference. Our timing was off until I had graduated college and Meg had graduated high school. Little did I know, not getting hired to teach full-time was the luckiest thing that could have happened. Seasaw would never have existed if I had gotten what I thought I wanted.

Meg: While I was determining where I wanted to eventually attend school for my Bachelor's degree, I took some time off to attend community college in Freeport, Ill., where Eve had her first part-time teaching job. We both were working at an Italian pizzeria (Cannova's) and spent a lot of time chatting and laughing and telling jokes. We probably spent more time having fun instead of doing our jobs, but it was the true beginning of our friendship. That initial time period of getting to know each other led us to finding a common turf of musicians we enjoyed listening to, and we decided on a whim to make music together, covering some of our mutual favorites

Tell me a little about how you got started. I understand that you both lived in separate cities for a number of years. How did you make that work?

Eve: I always say, half-joking, that Meg bullied me into performing – in a very loving way. I honestly would never have had the courage to sing in public without her confident insistence. She is the brave one, the catalyst that started us down this path that I'm grateful for every day.

Through these years we have grown organically through long distance music making. Not long after we met, Meg moved away, and we were two and a half hours apart. That physical and temporal barrier gave us what we needed to grow personally and musically in a way that made us ready for this new album. We started to realize that we had the same goals and the same passion to commit to this project. Now, for the first time in years, we are in the same city, Madison, and we are focused on Seasaw. Everything has led us to this point and has prepared us to push ourselves to new places together.

Meg: I had to ask Eve to play music with me many times before she decided to. I'm glad I was persistent. I knew she had a special talent, and I wanted to collaborate with someone who had such a unique and beautiful point of view.

Working on the project with such a long distance between us was a challenge. Thankfully we had technology to keep us in touch when we couldn't visit in person, but we tried to make an effort to practice in person as much as we could. We recorded our first two albums long-distance, in addition to countless shows around the Midwest, often driving two cars to get somewhere. When it came time to create the third record, Eve moved to Madison. I am so thankful she made that sacrifice, because without it, we would not have been able to produce what we have. Also, it's the best feeling in the world to walk five minutes and be at your best friend's doorstep.

Why did you decide to name yourselves Seasaw?

Eve: Seasaw is about the duality of the band, our personalities, our working style and our sound. Meg and I are opposites in most ways, and the tension of that push and pull is what gives us power. We have had to overcome and use our differences to our advantage in our friendship and as musicians. Describing the tension of opposing forces is where the name Seasaw was born: the tides of the sea, the motion of a saw and the ups and downs of a teeter totter.

Meg: While we are opposites, we are in sync in a lot of ways too, and that's how I see the name relating in another way. We get into a great rhythm while we're working together, much as the waves have a rhythm, a back and forth saw motion will fall into a rhythm, et cetera.

How would you describe your sound?

Eve: Powerfolk-pop. I just decided to create a new genre name.

Meg: I'd second that. We have some folk instrumentation, but pop instrumentation as well. A lot of our sound is fueled by our powerful personalities and point of view.

Your new album, "Too Much of a Good Thing," is going to be released soon. Could you talk more about why you chose to cover the theme of change on your new album?

Eve: Personally and musically, we have gone through a metamorphosis. It's been beautiful, exhilarating, painful and terrifying at times which is what makes this album's theme of change specifically meaningful in this moment in our lives. As a band, we have come to value change in our music as well – song to song, album to album. We are attracted to diverse sounds and movement, and with this album, we are intentionally bringing that to our listeners.

Meg: I also think the theme of change came very naturally. We, as songwriters, have written the songs on this album over the last few years. These songs reflect the things happening in our lives at certain moments, and the changes that we've gone through. When we went to select the songs for the album, they all naturally had this same theme.

What musicians do you admire? What inspires your music?

Eve: Buffy Sainte-Marie is a musician and activist who has been relevant socially and artistically throughout her life and is still working into her 70s. I have been impacted by Sainte-Marie in most every aspect of my songwriting, and I aspire to be like her even in the most infinitesimal way.

My music is inspired by any and every subject that triggers intense opinion or emotion in me. I am only able to write authentically when I feel something deeply and need to express, deconstruct or criticize my experience.

Meg: Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) has definitely been a main influence of mine as I've grown as a listener and player, for many of the same reasons Eve listed. She is a powerhouse with a distinct point of view.

I would say when I create, I try to create something I've never heard before – be it a drum beat, a keyboard riff, et cetera. I am also inspired by Eve as a musician. She challenges me to create at a top level, because what she writes is so incredible and impressive – I am always trying to write something that we can grow together to an even more powerful place.

What’s the most memorable performance you’ve seen at Summerfest in the past? Is there anyone you’re looking forward to seeing this year?

Eve: One of my first shows as a young person was at Summerfest in 1999. My mother, a huge Bob Dylan fan, took my sister and I to see him and Paul Simon perform. It's nearly impossible to top that lineup! All of my musical knowledge and taste has been shaped by my parents who have brought me to countless shows over the years.

Meg: The most memorable performance I've ever seen at Summerfest would be the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in 2013. I had initially bought tickets to see the Violent Femmes with Edward Sharpe and The Avett Brothers, but my friend and I quickly realized we had the wrong date for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and left immediately after the Avett Brothers to get over to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. We got there just in time – and it was an incredible show. I had been waiting years and years to see my hero, and it was just as inspiring and beautiful as I had hoped. That being said, I hope to catch the Violent Femmes this year and make up for lost time.

What should concert goers expect to see at your life performance?

Eve: When you come to a Seasaw show, you will see performers who have intense love for the music they make together with autoharp, keys, jokes, drums, electric guitar, mosaics, violin, scrapbook paper and high-fives.

Meg: I would say fans should expect to have some fun. We have a lot of fun performing, stemming from that intense love Eve mentioned, and we hope that transfers to anyone who is experiencing our set with us.