Megan Knight- jersey | Nashville | muscle shoals
Interview conducted on Nov.19,2021
by Dan Locke
Megan’s music is the most perfect blend of poise and raw elements to create a very idiosyncratic style. With a mix of contemporary country instrumentals, pop vocals, and a slight 80s influence, “My Drama” is a catchy genre fusion title track off her upcoming EP. In her genuine lyrics she’s explicit to admit that she has her own ‘drama’, and what she’s looking for in love is for someone who can deal with just that. “My Drama” shows not only Knight’s powerful vocal, but her honest self-reflective lyrics.
You are from NJ. What was your upbringing like?
I love Jersey, I always want to have a home here. My upbringing was very nice as we are close to the cities such as Philadelphia and New York and also the beaches like Cape May and Ocean City. There’s always so much to do. Naturally, it’s a great place to perform too. I’ve been playing music at venues all around the tri-state since I was a kid.
You taught yourself how to play guitar and sing. How did you discover music?
Music was always very dominant in my household as both of my parents have always been huge music fans. There’s honestly never been a silent moment in my house, there’s always a radio turned up to like eleven haha. I started with singing lessons at a young age as a hobby initially. Then, when I turned thirteen, I decided to pick up a guitar and I taught myself how to play.
Describe your music.
I love to blend various sounds spanning from Americana to Roots, Country, Pop, Rock, Alternative… to create something innovative and new. I don’t have a desire or feel a need to follow the traditional rules of sticking to a specific sound. I have this persistent yearning to push boundaries.
You recorded your first original three song EP at the age of 14. And it caught the attention of Nashville and Muscle Shoals. How was it to have Muscle Shoals back you early in your career?
It was truly life changing. That connection is what made me realize music is definitely my calling. To get accepted with open arms into the soulful mecca of the country, it had my jaw dropped. It definitely felt like the universe’s nudge to my destiny. I’m very grateful to all the producers and artists that have accepted me into their family from the start.
Do you belong to any songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
BMI.
What is the process of writing your music?
I usually always start with lyrics. I am constantly having random ideas pop up in my head throughout the day so I’m always jotting things down. I’ll look back at my ideas I’ve cultivated and usually hybrid those ideas with different techniques I use. One technique, I whip out a bunch of books and open random pages until certain words strike me. Usually that gets the ball rolling and I can start piecing together stories that I want to tell. Another technique I like to use is turning on a tv show or movie, that always gets my mind moving.
Tell me about your time on American Idol?
I was selected to do a surprise audition on a yacht’s helicopter pad. I remember around 6 AM standing outside the venue, this yacht was docked up and I whispered to my family how I wanted to go on it. It was the most random thought and then it came true. An instant manifestation. What tripped me out most is I remember watching the Katy Perry documentary as a kid and then I found myself standing right in front of her, singing to her. Every time I think about it, it still always freaks me out. Life works in some crazy ways.
How was it to see your music on a major TV show?
Getting my song “Fade” placed on CMT’s show ‘Racing Wives’ was an incredible experience. It’s a feeling I could never put into words. I would love to write more for film and tv, it’s truly fulfilling.
Tell me about your new single “My Drama”?
We all have demons and trauma in our lives. “My Drama” is a song about finding the one person that can deal with all of that, the absolute depth of your soul inside and out. In Pop culture nowadays, it’s not very highlighted. The pain, the struggles everything is seen through rose colored glasses, filters… I’m over it. I wanted to write something real, relatable and raw and I hope this resonates and helps listeners through whatever situation they may be going through.
Sony Music and Warner Music Group- , The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
Yes, I’m on TikTok. It’s a powerful platform yet also fun. I’ve always loved making funny videos and editing them together as a kid and it feels full circle to have an outlet like this in my older age.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary,Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could become a force in the future of streaming music?
Yes, 100% because it’s at the forefront of everything right now. I know personally, all my friends and I prefer the TikTok platform as our favorite outlet of social media at this time.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
You can check out meganknightmusic.com for upcoming tour dates and new releases. My Instagram and Twitter handles are @meganknight20 and my TikTok is @megknight20. Thank you so much for having me!
