Meg Baird is an American musician originally from New Jersey and currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is best known as a founding member and lead female vocalist for the Philadelphia folk rock band Espers. In 2007, Baird released her first solo LP Dear Companion on Drag City. She has also collaborated with sister Laura in The Baird Sisters, and appeared as a backing vocalist on Bonny 'Prince' Billy's 2007 EP Ask Forgiveness. She also appeared as a backing vocalist on Sharon Van Etten's second album, Epic. As a solo artist, she has toured with Bert Jansch, James Blackshaw, Micah Smaldone, Sharron Kraus and others.
Her vocal style has often been compared to that of Fairport Convention's Sandy Denny and Pentangle's Jacqui McShee, although she has herself cited Celia Humphris of Trees as the more personally influential member of the 1960s and 70's UK folk scene.
She appeared on a 7" compilation entitled Meet the Philly Elite, featuring touring partners Kurt Vile and Jack Rose, as well as US Girls. In 2011 Baird released her second solo album, Seasons on Earth, receiving favorable reviews from The Wire, Allmusic, Spin, NPR, and others. The vinyl-only Until You Find Your Green by The Baird Sisters followed shortly thereafter.
Baird comes from a family with deep roots in the folk tradition. Baird is the great-great niece of Isaac Garfield "I.G." Greer, a historian and Appalachian folk singer born in 1881. His inclusion on one of the earliest albums issued by the Archive of American Folk Song in the Library of Congress helped expose Baird to folk music at young age while she was taking piano lessons, teaching herself guitar, and listening to Smithsonian Folkways LPs.
Some really amazing picking--she gets some sweet sounds with her fretwork
