Following the release of her explosive country rock single Faster, and a series of impressive musical accomplishments of late, we caught an interview with Nashville-based singer and songwriter Megan Golden to find out more about the music and her journey so far as an artist. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hi Megan – thanks for the interview! What can you tell us about the new single, what inspired the concept and what do you hope people take away from it?
Hi, Thank YOU for taking the time to do the interview. The title from this song actually just came from sitting in a co-write with some incredible Nashville writers. We knew I was planning to go into the studio soon and record a couple songs and our goal for that day was to try to write my next single.
I was thinking about what I’ve put out in the past and what would be a good next step for me, so I told them all “I’ve been putting out so many mid-tempo songs and I just want to put something out that’s faster.” And one of the other writers immediately said, “perfect! Let’s write that. Faster. That’s the title.” And the song just evolved from there to be what it is now.
When we wrote this song I was in a relatively new relationship. I really wanted to capture the feeling of meeting someone you click with and everything happening so fast. Sometimes it’s absolutely terrifying and you’re scared of getting hurt, but at this same time it’s so exciting and exhilarating and fun. I hope people get that same rush when they listen to this song!
You’ve had an impressive background so far, with regular performances and impressive streaming numbers on your releases, what has been one of your most memorable or life-changing experiences to date?
Thank you for saying that! Every time I reach a new milestone, release a new song, or get any sort of recognition from others about my music, it sticks with me and is always something I am very proud of and excited by. But honestly, the most memorable moment or what probably seems the most impressive is a little video I made about a year ago.
A friend and I released a video we filmed on my iPhone called “The Evolution of Taylor Swift Car Jams.” We went through pretty much every big hit she’s ever had and with each song we dressed up either how she looked during that time period or in a specific music video outfit she wore for that song. At the time I had blonde hair so her and I were actually able to get pretty close to the way she looked. We just did it for fun, but I threw it up on my music page on Facebook and within a couple days it had over a million views. Now it has somewhere around 3 and a half million. Even though the video had nothing to do with my music, it shot up my Facebook page activity so much and there are still people now who follow my music that tell me they came to my page because of that video!
We also did a follow up video of “The Evolution of Miley Cyrus Car Jams” – that only got about half a million views on Facebook, but in my opinion is way funnier!
What sort of impact would you say growing up and performing in Nashville, one of the world’s most renowned music hubs, had on your sound and style as an artist?
Being born and raised in Nashville is honestly one of the biggest things in this world I am thankful for. One way growing up here has shaped me as an artist is that I knew very early how many amazing singers, songwriters, and musicians are out there. I know so many people that move from little towns and in their town they are the best by far. So getting gigs is easy and creating hype about their music is easy. But they come to Nashville and they realize that every best person from all over the country or even from other countries came here to pursue their dream. And it’s a shock for them because now they have to work so much harder than they ever had to before.
I was really young when I understood that there will always be someone with a bigger range, a more powerful voice, or a more unique tone. But I think the sooner you realize the importance of working harder than anyone else is willing to, the more chance you have of really making an impact within the music industry.
Nashville is also a huge reason I started writing my own music. I’ve sang since I was little, but around 15 I started going to writers rounds and meeting other songwriters and talking to them about how many doors writing can open for you. I’d like to think even if I wasn’t in Nashville, I still would’ve started writing at some point, but I wouldn’t have taken it so seriously and studied it so much without being in a town that has resources everywhere that allow you to learn more about the craft and meet other writers you can learn so much from.
How have you honed your unique vocal sound over time, and what tips could you give to upcoming singers who want to build vocal strength and character when performing?
When I was in middle school and early high school I took vocal lessons about once a month. This helped me so much! Regularly seeing someone who understands proper technique and can teach you ways to keep growing your vocal strength and your range is so important. Even past making your voice better and better, it keeps you in check to make sure you’re not singing in ways that could be harmful to you down the road!
Another thing that has helped me has been singing all the time. I’ve been really lucky to have many places that let me do anywhere from one hour sets to four hour sets. It’s been so beneficial in not only training my voice to be able to withstand playing long sets, but also even more helpful in helping me with my stage presence.
I wasn’t a person who was born being a good performer. It took me a long time to get comfortable playing on stage and creating energy between me and the crowd. I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to play so much because I’ve grown so much over the years from it and would recommend to anyone else wanting to be a singer to get out there and do it as much as you possibly can!
What are your main aspirations right now?
My biggest aspirations at the moment are to keep writing and recording and creating the best music I can, with the goal of having a song that really takes off and people really pay attention to. My goal is always to make everything bigger and better than what I’ve done before!
What’s next for you?
Last year I focused on playing a lot of shows outside of Nashville. I was on the road pretty much all summer long last year. This year, I’m still doing a couple shows around the country, but I’m focusing more on writing either by myself or with writers I really respect. My goals this year involve releasing more music than I have in the past and making sure each song is something I’m really proud of and excited about.
Is there anything else we should know?
I’m so excited for this song, but I also recorded a couple other songs when I went into the studio to do this one. Each one of them is special to me for various reasons and I can’t wait to release them one by one for everyone to hear! I hope people will listen to this song and stick around to see what I’m going to release next!
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A huge thank you to Megan for her time & insight. Find & follow Megan Golden on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
