Powerful. Soulful. Distinctive. These are just a few of the adjectives used to describe
the incredible voice and natural allure of Meghan Linsey. She uses
her voice and overall presence, along with the songs she so carefully crafts,
to tell the stories she wants, or more accurately, “needs” to tell.
Her
years growing up in the musical melting pot in and around New Orleans are what
she credits as influences of her unique sound. “I grew up listening to Etta
James, Aretha Franklin, and my favorite... Whitney Houston,” Meghan says. “I
loved the soulfulness of their voices. But I also fell in love with the
storytelling of country music and the songs of artists like Dolly Parton, Tanya
Tucker and Patty Griffin. Anything with grit and soul really resonated with me
growing up, and it still does."
At age
14, Meghan started playing shows with her own band and a short year later she
was opening for acts such as Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton at
events around Louisiana and Texas. She also began to make regular trips to
Nashville to play at the legendary Bluebird Cafe. “I played the early slot, but I would always stay for the late show because
that’s when so many of the great songwriters I loved would play,” she says. It wasn’t long before she began
writing with many of those same songwriters.
After
graduation, Meghan made the trip to Nashville and stayed to chase her dream.
She
enrolled at Belmont University to study music and continued to write songs and
play shows. To make ends meet, Meghan began
hosting karaoke at a bar in Printer's Alley in downtown Nashville. It was there
she met Joshua Scott Jones. The two began writing and performing together as
Steel Magnolia and created quite a buzz with their stirring harmonies and
undeniable chemistry.
The
duo’s sound and style caught the attention of the producers of CMT’s music
competition show Can You Duet, and their unique sound and powerful stage
performances propelled them to win the competition which resulted in a record
contract with Big Machine Records. They released their debut
album in 2010 and their first single, "Keep On Loving You," shot to
#4 and was the highest charting debut single from a male/female duo in country
music history.
Steel
Magnolia sold nearly one million downloads and albums, appeared on shows like
Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with David Letterman and E! News. They toured
with superstar acts such as Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Reba, and Bob Seger.
They were nominated for 17 major music awards including ACM and CMA Duo of the
Year and the Teen Choice Award for Choice Country Artist.
At the
end of 2013, Meghan and Josh decided to part ways and
work on their own solo projects. Meghan
had experienced personal heartache and disappointment that left her determined to achieve her musical dreams – not as a
duo as she had first imagined, but rather as a solo act. "I've really
poured my heart and soul into writing songs the last couple years,” Meghan
says. "I've been through and lost a lot and it's been really hard. Writing
songs and creating has been therapy for me. I think it's obvious that the songs
come from a real place and I hope that will resonate with people."
Meghan’s debut single as a solo
artist, “Try Harder Than That,” speaks to that spirit and also showcases her quirky
sense of humor. It’s a tongue-in-cheek song that showcases a knack for turning
a trend in popular music on its head.
Boys, you’re not going to get a girl like this with a backroad moonlight
kiss in your pickup truck. You’ll have
to try harder than that.
"This
song was so fun to write! I got together with James (Otto) and Corey (Crowder)
and we decided to write something sassy; a cheeky song from a woman's perspective,” she says. "I
think it's time for women to be heard on country radio...it seems like all the
songs they're playing are about trucks and beer, so we wrote one of those, but
it's much more than that. It's a strong song for strong women. We're basically
telling the guys they need to step it up."
On
Meghan’s upcoming EP you will hear it all - soulfulness, the power of her
distinctive voice and the spirit of someone who has been through some tough
times to come out glowing on the other side. And it holds true to
the promise that the best is yet to come.
"I
can't wait to get this music out! For once, I had no boundaries and I was
allowed to be as honest and expressive as I
wanted and needed to be. This EP is a true representation of who I am."