Interview with Megan Golden
At Belles and Gals we’re always on the lookout for the ‘Next Big Thing’ and Megan Golden is an artist we’ve had our eyes on for a while. We’ve featured her twice before on the site, so were delighted to hear that Megan has a new single out – and it’s a must listen! We were lucky enough to have a chat with the lady herself, talking about the single, her career and
Hi Megan, It’s brilliant to see that your new single “I Miss Missin’ You” is now available. I have to say, the song is just fantastic – it’s been on repeat since I heard it! Tell us all about the song!
Thank you so much! I wrote this song with two of my good friends, Frank Legeay and Adam James. We knew going into this write that we wanted to find a different sound. I’m trying really hard to find ways to stick out among all the thousands of people around Nashville trying to do the exact same thing that I’m doing. I came in with the idea of writing a song titled “I Miss Missin’ You” and knew what I wanted to story line to be about. Frank came in with the track. And Adam really helped bring all of it together and bring this idea to life. I’m so thankful I got to write this song with those two guys, because they really killed it and made this song way better than I ever could’ve on my own. I’m excited about the way it turned out! It’s true to who I am while still setting itself apart from the music I’ve done in the past.
On the back of the song, you’ve started an “I Miss Challenge” on social media, asking people to tag you with something they miss. I’m going to turn the tables. Tell us something you miss!
Haha! Let’s see.. Right now I’m missing my voice a lot! Allergy season has gotten the best of me here in Nashville, and I’ve been pretty hoarse the past couple days. I keep trying to rest my voice, but it’s so hard not singing and writing while I’m sitting around the house. Lot’s of hot tea and cough drops should do the trick though!
You’ve been performing in Nashville since the age of 15 – you must consider yourself a veteran! Tell us how you got started in the music industry. Has it always been country music?
I have! I definitely don’t consider myself a veteran though, and I’m sure I never will! There are so many people running around this town who have been doing what I’m doing for many many many more years and would probably laugh in my face if I told them I thought I was a veteran now! Lol. I’ve been singing in church and school talent shows since I was really little, probably around 5. When I turned 15 I asked for a guitar for Christmas, and luckily got one! That’s what allowed me to start writing my own songs and start playing shows around Nashville. Honestly, the way I really got started was just by emailing every venue I could find. I googled songwriter’s nights in Nashville, contacted everyone, and showed up to play. Nashville is a much smaller town than it seems like, so a lot of people who book one venue, book another venue. Or at least they know the people who book other venues. Once you get out and start playing, stuff starts to book itself. Being born and raised in Nashville, I think I just naturally fell into doing country music. I grew up listening to a lot of country music and always loved putting a strong focus on lyrics when I was writing. I think it just always made sense for me to do country music. Other genres, especially pop, will always continue to influence my music, but I really love being a part of the country music community.
We’ve featured you on Belles and Gals twice in the last year, stating in December that “Megan Golden is definitely in the ‘one to watch’ category”. You’ve also been nominated for Next Women of Country’s 2017 Artist of the Year. How exciting is it when you receive this acclaim?
It’s always so exciting! I create music because I just really love making music. But it does feel really good to have other people tell you that they believe in what you’re doing. Sometimes you need that extra encouragement of knowing that someone else thinks what you’re making is worth is talking about!
Which artists have influenced you in your career? And which artists on the scene do you look up to today?
There are lot’s of artists that have influenced me up to this point. One of the biggest reasons I started writing was because of Taylor Swift. The fact that she wrote all of her music was such huge part of her image and that really inspired me to start writing all my own music. At some point during high school I really started to fall in love with Johnny Cash’s work. His music and his image as a whole really inspired me to create. The cool thing about both Taylor Swift and Johnny Cash is that they are artists, not just musicians. There music is phenomenal, but it’s not just their music that you can see their artistry in. They’ve created a whole persona alongside their music. They are artists down to the way they dress and act on stage. They focus on the whole picture, and I think that’s what makes them so interesting to so many people. I think it’s super cool to see musicians show their creativity in so many other ways than just through their music. An artist that I’ve been really trying to learn from recently is Jason Isbell. If you’ve never heard any of his music you need to stop what you’re doing and go listen to his whole discography. I’m completely enthralled with that guy right now. As a person who always is drawn to lyrics, I am absolutely amazed every time he sings a line. He’s got a way of writing so honestly and in a way I’ve never heard anyone else do it. The guy is a genius and looks at the world in such an interesting way. I’m trying to be more like that. He’s definitely a huge inspiration right now.
Has there been a particular highpoint in your career? A real special moment?
Well, my first song to ever reach 15,000 spins on spotify just did that today! So that’s pretty exciting I would say! My release show last year was also a very special moment for me. It was one of my first times playing with a full band. Most of the guys who I played with that night also played on my EP, which was super cool. It was also the only time I’ve put together a whole show by myself. I contacted the venue and booked it, I scheduled to opener, and I promoted it to as many people as possible. I was so thankful people actually showed up! I put a lot of work into making that show happen and it was really cool to see people come out and support me in what I was doing. Definitely a highlight!
If you could choose to play a particular venue, anywhere on the planet. Where would it be?
Probably The Ryman here in Nashville. That place has got so much history. I’ve seen a lot of my favorite artists perform on that stage, and I think it would be super cool getting to perform a whole show there.
To finish, tell us about your plans for the coming weeks and months. Also, tell our readers where they can get their hands on your brilliant new single “I Miss Missin’ You’?
My plans for the coming weeks and months mostly revolve around playing and writing. I’m trying to travel more with music, so I’m having fun playing some shows in the surrounding states. I’ve got a couple things booked in the coming months and hope to keep branching out further and further to other areas. I’m also always trying to figure out what my next single should be, so I’ll be working hard trying to write something I think is good enough to put out there to the world. Between that and school, I’m sure I’ll be pretty busy! haha.
You can get my single on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, or pretty much anywhere that sells music digitally. Just search Megan Golden and it should come up!
Thank you so much for the interview!! Love y’all at Belles and Gals!
Head to Megan Golden’s YouTube account, for a three video series where Megan talks all out the making of ‘I Miss Missin’ You’ – it’s a real good and informative watch!
