The first time we saw Meghan Patrick she was on the Boots and Hearts stage with The Stone Sparrows in the summer of 2013. Immediately we knew that there was success in here future. From her voice, to her stage presence to her cowboy boots, she had “it”.
Now, a year and a half later, the world is getting a taste of what Meghan has to offer on a solo basis with the release of her Toque Session video for Moments That Matter and the impending release of more new music.
Earlier this year we saw her on stage in Oshawa in a songwriter’s circle and again we saw “it”. Even in that small room her voice was clear and strong, and the original songs that she was playing were polished and smooth and full of emotion.
We have a feeling that Meghan is going to provide a lot of people with I knew her when moments in the very near future. But before we get to that point, we caught up with her for a little Q&A to see what she’s up to right now, what’s coming next, and who she’s listening to.
Meet Meghan Patrick…
A. My friend Dan Liscio approached me and asked if I’d be interested in doing the Toque session. He was looking to feature local artists and create a video that could be used to promote the studio as well as the artist. It’s always a little intimidating to sit down and play an original song and wonder what people will think of it. This particular song was written from a very emotional place so it was that much more difficult to show that more vulnerable side of myself. I had such great feedback once the video was posted though, and found a lot of people related to it.
Note: See the Toque Session video for Moments That Matter at the bottom of the post.
Q. If people are listening to your music and say to themselves, “Hey, Meghan reminds me of ________”, who do you want or think they’ll say?
A. I draw inspiration from so many different artists both male and female, and also from a lot of different genres, though country music is really home for me. I honestly hope that when people hear me, they hear something that is unique and different, and can’t quite put their finger on who I “sound like”. I love artists like Miranda Lambert, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Tyminski, Gretchen Wilson, Eric Church… the list goes on. However, they are already doing what they do better than I could ever imitate them, so I’m always conscious of and focusing on finding my own sound.
A. I’ve kind of been in studio/songwriting hiding lately, which is awesome because I love being down in Nashville writing and creating, and recording the songs I’ve worked so hard on is very rewarding. At the end of the day though, my real passion is being on stage and playing. There is nothing that compares to the high of playing a great show and feeling connected with the other musicians on stage and knowing the crowd is right there with you. There are definitely some shows in the works, but nothing I can officially announce yet… stay tuned!
Q. You’ve been writing and playing and made some trips out west and down to Nashville, what have you learned about yourself and your style of music since you decided to put your solo work together?
A. I think one important thing I’ve learned while down in Nashville and writing is that the best songs aren’t always the ones you want or go in and intend to write. Sometimes you just need to write what comes naturally… you may go in wanting to write an upbeat party song, and end up with a heartwrenching ballad instead. You can’t really force a sound or a song if it isn’t happening in an organic way, you have to let your voice and music go wherever feels right.
Being in the studio really teaches you a lot about the way you sing too, and being out west and recording has been a great experience, especially working with someone like Carly McKillip who is an insanely talented artist as well as producer. She knows how to bring out the best in me and get me to dig deep, and I’m really proud of what we created together. Listening back to your vocal tracks can help point out bad habits or things you might want to change when you sing live, and It’s also a great safe space where you can really let loose and push your voice without worrying about “screwing up” like you would when you’re singing live.
Note: Carly McKillip is one half of One More Girl with her sister Britt… and Meghan is right, they are talented, we saw that first hand at Boots and Hearts last summer.
A. That’s a tough question because on any given day I could be listening to just about anything from AC/DC to Merle Haggard. Lately I have been in love with the new Bros. Landreth album…I saw them last time I was in Nashville and they were fantastic live. Also been listening a lot to this great band out of Kentucky called Sundy Best after I saw them open for Dallas Smith, great dudes and great music. Chris Young has been getting a lot of play lately too, because come on…. that voice?! slays me.
Q. In 50 words or less, tell us what’s coming up next for you and your music.
A. More writing and recording, and eventually the release of some new music!
Thanks to Meghan for playing along. We can’t wait to see what comes next, and to see her name up in bright lights.
Find her on Twitter at @MegPatrickMusic and keep up
