Meg McRee won first place in the Americana category of the 2023 American Songwriter Song Contest with her song “Stardust.” However, the contest was far from the beginning of her journey as a singer/songwriter. After graduating from Vanderbilt, she set her degree aside to follow her dream. She signed a publishing deal with Hang Your Hat and has penned songs for several country A-listers. Last year, she released her debut album, Is It Just Me? and is currently working on her sophomore outing. Today, she released her newest single “Crying in the Car.” Listen to it below.
Ahead of the release of her latest single, McRee sat down with American Songwriter to discuss her life since the Song Contest, her latest single, new music, and more.
[RELATED: Meet the 2023 Song Contest Category Winners]
Life Since Winning the Song Contest
A look at Meg McCree’s Spotify will prove that she has been busy. However, the four single she’s released this year is only the tip of the iceberg.
“I’ve been on the road and writing songs,” McRee said when asked what she has been doing since winning the Song Contest. “I write for Hang Your Hat Music here in Nashville. So, I’m signed with Hilary Lindsey, actually, who is one of my heroes. I do that and I have my artist project which is where that song came from. The contest definitely helped me get down the road this year,” she added.
“I was doing a lot of festivals this summer. I played Stagecoach, Watershed at the Gorge, Faster Horses, and then did a few tour dates with Ashley McBryde and Flatland Cavalry. That was fun,” she said of her time on the road.
The up-and-coming singer/songwriter also took a moment to share her opinion on touring with McBryde. “She’s amazing,” McRee said without hesitation. “She is such a supporter of young artists and always makes a point to come say ‘hey’ and chat with all the openers which not a lot of people do. She’s just really cool. I’ve probably done about ten shows with her over the last few years,” she added.
A New Album Is on the Way
Not one to rest on her laurels, Meg McRee is already working on her next album. “I’m working on my next project right now and we’re planning on releasing a string of singles as we record them,” she revealed. “I’m working with Andrew Petroff who I made my first couple projects with. I feel like we really geared in on a sound and it’s been fun to chase that. I’ve got a new song coming out October 18 called ‘Cryin’ in the Car’ that I’m really excited about,” she added.
“I write so much that, especially the way music is today, if I have the ability to record it and share it, I’m trying to do that as much as I can. I’m really excited about the new music.”
Meg McRee on “Crying in the Car”
“It’s probably one of my more personal tracks that I’ve put out but it still has kind of a groove going. It keeps a little of the indie vibe with the guitar tones and stuff. But it was kind of based on this poem I wrote,” Meg McRee explained. “I had written these two stanzas in my phone because I was just so frustrated with the pressures of being an artist in this time period. Having to be chronically online and always being inundated with people saying ‘This is what people want, this is what people like, this is what’s going viral.’ I was just really frustrated with all of it. So, I wrote this song about it,” she said.
“It’s pretty real and it’s about my experience in the music business. I’ve been at it for a little bit and I’ve learned a lot. But also, sometimes you want to bang your head against the wall. So, I wrote that song when the feeling was super fresh,” she said about the inspiration for the song.
Being Chronically Online
Today, many young and up-and-coming artists find their audience on TikTok and other social media platforms. Meg McRee, on the other hand, prefers to do things the old way, with genuine human connection and live shows.
“For me, it’s not,” McRee said when asked if being online constantly was worth all the trouble. “I love touring. My passion is playing live, playing with my band, writing songs, and creating. So, for me, the whole demand that ‘You’ve got to be on TikTok and Instagram and you’ve also got to scroll to know what’s trending and what works,’ is taxing,” she explained. “It also takes me out of the game of creating new stuff. So, I have to police myself and regulate myself on how much time I can spend online,” she added.
“Also, it sometimes feels like playing a slot machine. Like I post a video or something and this time when I pull the slot machine I hope it’ll work,” she said of trying to get something to reach viral status. “But really, what works for me and, I think, what’s worked for a lot of my friends is showing up in the old school way of playing shows, selling merch, and talking to people. So, I’m committing to that,” she stated.
However, she doesn’t completely ignore social media. “You also have to use the tools. They are tools at the end of the day. And I like to think of them less of a slot machine and more of a way to connect with people I meet on the road and share what I’ve been working on,” she explained.
Meg McRee Reflects on “Stardust”
“I’m super proud of that song and always have been,” McRee said of the song that won the 2023 American Songwriter Song Contest. “That song actually moved a lot of needles for me in town as a songwriter and playing at songwriter rounds and stuff, a few artists were like, ‘Are you gonna record that song? Because I will if you don’t,’” she added.
“It was a special song because I feel like I found a voice and a narrative point of view for the first time that resonated with people and could quiet a room.”
Featured Image by Scott Legato/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.