Meghan Linsey

Megan Lindsay joining me this episode. We talk all about her career in music and her life she believes in. She came in freaking first place on can You Duet with her former partner from Steel Magnolia on CMT. That's how she kicked off her career in country music. She got second place on the Voice. Blake Shelton was her team captain. She is crushing it. Just releasing new music that is so good, a new music video with a very famous celebrity cameo. So you guys get excited and

welcome Megan Lindsay. Okay, Megan Lindsay and the busy you've got some pink in your hair right now? I do. I am purple. I don't know. I keep color under my um my sink at home, just like color and like what do you call it? Um? I can't think my brain. Um what's it called? Hair dye? No color and color? And to keep toner's under my sink. So then I just put it in my conditioner and then whatever it turns out, I just go with it. So you have really really blonde hears it hard to keep

that up? How often do you have to do it? Like every four weeks? It's awesome. It's your signature to love it. I love it. I can't. Like I've tried to go dark. It doesn't work. You're you're too bright to be dark. Not that dark isn't beautiful, because beautiful dark is beautiful, but you it works some people. But this works for you because not everyone can do platinum. Yeah, I guess. Yeah, Okay, So I want to start off with a few questions and then just tell me what

the first thing that comes to mind. Okay, if you could come back as any artist in their heyday, any time period, he would have been why oh man? Um, probably Dolly does every girl say this. I bet every girl no, haven't. This is only the second time I've asked this question. That's you and Frankie Vaaler Okay, cool, So he would probably wouldn't say, Um, you know, I think she just had such She had the career that

I dream of having. Okay, tell me why, because I think she got to kind of really just ride that line of the doing country music and doing pop music and movies at movies and actors, like, she just did everything, and she was such a smart businesswoman and um, she just really knew what she wanted and she went for it. Yeah. I think that's rad. It's totally rad. I love that. Yeah, yeah,

because I think you should do acting. I'm working on that. Actually, you are details that I can give you a few details. What are they? Because you're music video exs and friends? Wow? Hot, hot hot, And I mean I feel like that's some acting in there. We'll get to your cameo guests. It was a bachelor, get to that later, But tell me about the acting. It's fun. You know. I got offered a part on Broadway and I started, um, did you take it? Well, it's a long sworded tail, It's it's

we've moved on to another another thing. But um, I started taking acting lessons like about a year ago and with this coaching Bridget Burger, who actually ended up directing my music video. But um, yeah, I don't know. I like it. I really like it. I never thought about doing it, and a bunch of people have always said, hey, you should probably do some acting, and I was like, I don't know, but but I like it. I enjoy it. So we'll see what happens. But I've got a few

few things cooking, some irons in the fire. Yeah, okay, I can see you having a career like Dolly. Seriously. Well, I hope. So I'm working on it. I'm not getting any younger. Yeah, but you know, I really don't think that matters. I don't either. Everyone always put this pressure on age, and I used to think age was everything when I first moved to town. I really don't believe that. I believe your destiny is your destiny, and as long as you keep doing it, it will happen how it's

supposed to. I think, So do you I do? I really do, I really do. I got um. You know, we all have our moments, I think, especially as women in this town where you're like, oh god, I'm thirty and I'm thirty one. Oh God, put so much pressure on you though, But I yeah, I think that I'm only getting better, and I agree. I feel like I'm kind of at my best at this point. So and everything mentally, physically, the whole thing, like you are just radiating like you you and another thing. I'm just some

of the things I want to talk about. You have been speaking your mind, like how you feel from your heart, and I feel like a lot of people don't do that. And you said, you said that. We are at a party, and you finally like, I don't what did you say exactly? It's like, how did you get to this place? I think it just comes from well a growing up and figure out who you are and what you believe and what you want and what you don't like, and you know,

there's a lot that goes into it. But I think ultimately for me, it's like being an independent artist, like I don't have anybody to answer to. I don't have anything to lose, you know, And I think of liberating. It's very liberating and it's very um I think when you start to do that and you start to see the effects of that of just being like completely authentic and saying exactly what you want to say and just

being really honest. I think that you realize, oh, this really resonates with people totally, and people are really into this. So it's like then it's like almost like affirmation, like Okay, I'm doing the right thing, Like I need to stay

on this track because this is what's real. Yeah, because it almost takes it falling apart and having to get to that place where you are on your own because you've had record deals, you've had hit singles, you've obviously you were runner up on the Voice you won Can you do it with your former duet partner back? And Still Magnoia is so much stuff, but like and you've always had a huge team of people probably telling you

how you need to be presented right right. Yeah, it was like that, I think up until like when Still Magnoia broke up, and um we actually continued to tour after we left the record label for a couple of years, but it was, um yeah, I was liberating not having all of that and just all of those you know demands and the you know telling me how to brush my teeth, like what you know, whatever it was, it was like it's like, oh wow, I can actually like

just be me. And so I think that being me it really happened when I finally completely broke off from the band and started doing my own thing. It really allowed me to just, I don't know, just to be able to explore and figure it out and like be like, Okay, this is who I am. Because you have a monster voice. Your voice is huge. It is like it's so soulful, and then this range and rasp that is out of this world. Like seriously, it is so soulful. How how

has this journey led you to your sound? Like, what would you say being you is officially now that you've had all of this exploration. Um, that's a good question. Uh you know what. I think that a lot of it is just has come with writing writing songs and so just feeling like I can write about the things I'm I'm passionate about and the things I want to write about, and then and then just in the studio just be able to let go and just really sing because I feel like when you're in a duet, you're

always a duo. You're always you know, trying to accommodate the other person and you're trying not to. I'm the type of person that I'm always very careful, like I don't want to overstep somebody, or I always want people to feel like they're important, and like I just kind of I'm like that in every situation in life, and so when it comes to singing with another person, I'm like, oh, I don't want to be too much. I don't want

to be to this or to that. And it's like when you finally just don't care and you're like, I'm just gonna be me. I'm just gonna let it out. Yeah yeah, right then you know, then it's like, wow, Okay, this is how I'm supposed to be singing. This is like this is my voice. Yeah, and so I got It's just been I don't know, it's been a journey

like figuring that out. But I feel like I'm finally, like, especially with this new single and the new record that's coming out, it's like, Okay, figure this is me, you know, like a film. So um, good about it. So I love that. Thanks. So you're from New Orleans? Did that play into your who you are as an artist? For sure? Yeah?

I think, Um, For me, it was like I grew up in bands, singing in bands, running bands from the time I was like fourteen, and so, um, I was always playing with guys that were like in their fifties who have been playing in New Orleans for years. And so I feel like I learned a lot through that. And um, I played, you know, I played everything from church to the bars at that age, and so that's an education when you're fourteen, it is New Orleans to learn a lot. I mean a lot, I'm sure, And

there's a lot, you know. It's it's interesting growing up in a place that's so multicultural and there's just so much um there's so much music, and it's just so different from anything else in the world. And so I think I learned a lot about singing from you know, just soulful singing. Really And you said, like your inspirations are Ritha Whitney the soul, Yeah, I think with some dolly Yeah. I think it's a matter of like I was always attracted to big voices obviously, and I was

voice or did you develop it? Um? I think I think I was born with a lot of it. I mean, I think it's obviously developed over time. But you know, I used to screech up in my room. She's trying to hit notes. Yeah. My mom was like, um, okay, that's good. So you would literally like practice hitting those insane notes oh every day. Yeah. I'd come home and from school and it's like the first thing I would do really go up in my room and just sing for like two hours or something. It was just all

I wanted to do. Ever, But I, um my mom bought me a karaoke machine and I was like ten, And I think that that like really set it off. I was like, okay, cool, because I didn't. I didn't. I didn't play an instrument. And I think a lot of that probably has to do with growing up, Like I just never had a good lesson and I was just I was just frustrated with it. And I was like, I just don't think this is for me. I just wanted to sing. Your instrument was your voice? Right? Yeah? Totally? Okay.

So you grew up in New Orleans. What was your upbringing? Like, Like, was music a big part of your family? Are you the only one that sings? Um? You know, my mom sang when she was a kid, and like her and her sister kind of had a duo and they did more like gospel type music. She grew up in Kentucky. My grandmother sang. My grandma was like kind of a soul gospel singer. Um. So it kind of runs in the family and pursued it. Nobody really pursued it. Yeah.

It's kind of a thing where my mom was like, oh, you want to sing, cool, let's do it, you know, and my parents were really supportive, and so that was nice. Do you have I do? I have a brother and two sisters. Nice? Where are they? My brothers in New Orleans and my two sisters are in Lafitte, just like the Bayou. Nice. Everybody's down in the byre cajun all

over your blood. Yeah, you know what, It's funny because it's uh, my parents both moved there from other places, so I feel like it's just by association kind of picked up some of that stuff. And do they sing? Are they You're the only one? Um? No, they don't sing? Okay, Yeah, I'm kind of like the lone wolf here, I guess. So you were playing shows doing all this. You even opened for Lake Shelton, which I think is funny when you're like four to yeah, when I was a kid.

That is really funny, your whole voice experience, which I want to get to after we talk about can you do it? It's crazy to me though, because Blake recognized you when you auditioned for the voice, Like he turned around. He's like, oh my god, I know you. Isn't that funny? Yeah, so that's a real um yeah, and like I knew, I knew he would recognize me when he turned around.

I was so nervous. I mean, I was like, I think when you do something like that, it's nerve racking under what Yeah, well the pressure of like what if a chair doesn't turn around? That was terrifying. But all of them turned around, but Blake, which he ended up stealing you later, Yeah, which is the best. It's so funny. Man, I just was terrified. So I don't know, I don't really remember how I was feeling other than scared to death.

But I think it's worse when you've had a career because you're like, yeah, it is, and it's and it's also like you you feel like, oh god, people know who I am and you've already had success, so it's like, yeah, you know how you know how this play is out too, So I'm like, I honestly felt in that moment, like, if I don't get a chair, my career is over. You don't even though it's probably you know, you can't think like that, and I know it's not true. It's

just that's all I could think in that moment. I'm like, Okay, they're not turning around because it took them forever to turn around. They didn't turn around to very the worst nerve racking. I think they do this on purpose. I don't know that drama. It's just well, I mean, obviously they're gonna turn around your voice. You can't not turn around for your voice. Well, but I feel like there's so many good singers on there that don't get a chair. So I'm like, what if I'm not what they're looking

for today? You know, I don't know. You just never know. It's all subjective. So I was scared, but I was glad they turned around. And it's kind of cool because you started off your career with can you do it? But you're in a duet do it? So you had like the support of someone else, right? Was that? Did that make that competition easier to go through? Because you had someone to lean on, Josh, who you met singing karaoke in Nashville, which is awesome, so funny. Um, those

stories really do happen like it were funny. Yeah, because it's like I grew well, it's like my mother bought me a karaoke machine, which is kind of what started this whole thing. And then it's like and then I was in bands, and I moved to Nashville and I'm like back to singing karaoke again as a job. You know what money you finding your duo partner, right, which

leads to a record. It's just you know, like you can't you can't go through life like being like, oh this is how I'm going to do it, because it's always so messed up. Yeah it's crazy. So um but yeah,

so we did. We ended up. Um we got together and um we decided to audition for the show called Canny Duet which is on CMT, and um, we were like, the thing was, we had just gotten back from London record Like, we went to London and recorded and we were like an indie rock band is what we considered ourselves. So we were like we're indie rock duo, right, and then we get this London. How London we had a manager. This is we have a crazy story, but I don't know.

We met this guy who was a manager. It was from London, and um, he was like, I'm going to send you over there to do some recording. You know. This guy was me a favor and we went. We actually went to London with five dollars to our name, which is insane when you go international travel, Like I want to go with more than five dollars cash in your pocket. Um, But we were like, you know, twenty

and didn't care. So we went over there and we recorded with this guy, Fraser T. Smith, who actually has won like Grammys for like the adult record and stuff since then, which is hilarious. Um. So we recorded a couple of sides with him and and just that was kind of what we thought are thing was. Yeah, And when we got back, it just didn't. It wasn't a good situation with the manager, and so we parted ways. And I mean literally, Josh was back to Valley parking cars.

I was back to the karaoke bar and I'm like, I mean I just remember being so depressed and I'm like, I don't know, you know what I'm doing. I've been here for five years. I got you know, it's like what am I doing with my life? And then, um, we got this call about the show and they're like doing an audition, and we're like, well, it's country, but we could probably put some fiddle on our songs, you

know whatever. Like we're like at this point, we're just you know, heating our apartment with our oven, you know. So we're like a desperate and we're like, okay, we'll do it, you know. And we got on and we ended up winning the whole thing, winning the whole thing, right, the whole thing. How on earth did that feel? It was crazy? You know, that's a big deal, going from seeing karaoke, just having a dream and knowing what you're capable of actually materializing it on a TV show, landing

a major label, big machine, huge record label. How does that feel when your dreams are starting to come true? Oh my god. It was surreal at the time, you know. And I I'm always like, you know, I'm a firm believer in affirmations and writing things down and really visualizing things. And I mean, I remember that year I crossed off everything on my list. So you had been making listens. Then oh yeah, absolutely, yeah that was and that was and that's the only thing that got me through, you know,

heating my apartment with my oven. So you really were, absolutely yeah we were when no, it's not. We were broke as a joke. Man. We couldn't get our we couldn't get our gas turned on, and so we were like, well, I guess we'll just open the oven heat it up for a while, you know, I mean ridiculous like us and our two dogs and and this little tiny apartment. Um, but it was, you know, you do what you gotta do.

What are you glad for those memories? Though? Absolutely? Now I think that it's trying to Tyler about this the other day because I'm like, here's your boyfriend and producer. Right, yeah, we're making great music. Thank you love it. But we were talking about that, you know. I think that it's almost I feel like when you come from nothing and you have to make something, it's like you have more drive and more purpose. So it actually probably made made

me a better artist, for sure, I believe. So you win, can you do it? Yes? So we win and you get a record? And how is Naomi Jedd? Because she was one of the god. Well, she's become like a like a fairy. I call her my fairy godmother because we still were still very much in touch and I just adore that woman. So she's been really a guiding light in my life. Honestly, Yeah, what has she how?

So I feel like, well even with the voice, Like when I went over to her place right before I got the call to go on the voice and right after I guess I got the call to go on the voice, and she was like, well, you need to go see this guy Ron Browning, his vocal coach. She's like, I think he's really gonna help you. And she's like, and I want to get you into therapy. And she's just like thinking of all these things that she thought

I needed and she want to get you ready. She wanted to get me ready like mentally and vocally and everything. And so she was like and you know, and she knows my in my situation with you know, being a starving artist, and so she's like, let me pay for your lessons, let me pay for therapy. So she's just like and taking me shopping. I mean, she's just been an amazing mentor. Yeah, because she didn't have to do that, Like, No,

she's just like an incredible human. She really is. She really cares and I think she really wants to um wants to help, and she likes to pour into young people. So she's a she's a good human. That's amazing. Yeah, So what another gift to have gotten from? Can you

do it? Right? I know? Well even during the show, I mean, she would like I would get these like a surprise gifts backstage and they'd be like, it's from someone anonymous, and the producers are like super annoyed because she's not supposed to be bringing gifts to contestants when you're competing. So she had her favorite, I mean I think so, but she did it with a few different people. But I was like, oh my gosh. I would just get like, you know, like random like a dress in

my dressing room and I'm like, who's this from? And it would be like, you know, like I think I know, but I love that just the sweetheart. So you win that show, you go straight into having a major label record deal, and then you release a song and it goes to what like top five, top four, yet number three, number three on the chart your first debut single, and is the highest starting debut single from a male female

duet and like, is it of all times? I think yeah, I think at the time, I don't know if anybody's done it since, but yeah, aren't even any male female duets right now, I don't think so was se it? Yeah, but not really. Yeah, it's crazy. So you'll have have at one point probably still the highest charting debut single from male single single male female duo of all times.

Yea that what? So you go from singing karaoke to London to think your life is over to winning a show and now having like one of the highest breaking history and country music. Yeah, in a year, um yeah or less than a year. It was like, yeah, it was like nine months. So I mean that made you feel good. Yeah, we felt you know what it was? It was. So It's so funny because I feel like we felt like such underdogs coming in and just like we worked because we had worked so hard. I mean,

we've been in town for so long. We're like, it's whatever gonna happen, and then you know, and then to finally see some something's happening. Yeah, I felt like we just I don't know, we were kind of beside ourselves. Really we were working so hard at that time. I think we couldn't really appreciate it because when that happens,

it's like a rocket. Oh yeah. I mean, you know, it's just so much work and radio tour is so grueling, and you know, it's like we'd be out on the road for forty some days at a time and then we'd come home for a day and we'd sleep and we'd go back out, and so we were just like, oh my god, it just didn't feel it almost didn't feel real because it was like we were so sleep deprived. It was like, oh, we are a dream. You know, We're constantly walking in a dream, you know. So, but

it wasn't it was. It was crazy, and you'll had a couple of more radio singles and another top ten, right or top fifteen, yeah something, and then like the top twenty. So yeah, it was that's where you dressed as Sandy Sandy from Greece, oh yeah, yeah. And last night again. I love that video. I love that song. We wrote that song, um like years and years before when we were trying to do the the the thing with the with the Andy rock things. A lot of

those songs were songs that we had. So it's like, I think we wrote all but three songs on our record. That's amazing. Yeah, that was kind of cool that they let us do that. I love that. Okay, So you have some success, you're breaking records and country music, and then, like every great story, there's always the highs and then why is it right when the high happens? I feel like there's always a wave and it hits a little bit of a rough patch, it always comes back up.

But so you were on this high and then all of a sudden, you guys kind of break up and things sort of start falling apart, Like what happened there? And how did you deal with that? The transition? It was really hard, you know because Josh and I were a couple obviously through all this. You're a couple musically

and personally. Yeah, yeah, we were. We were together, so, um it was hard because we've been together for like almost six years and then we were, you know, doing this thing together and he had obviously his problems and his demons, and I was just trying to hold the ship together. So it was a lot, you know. Um, it ended up we were supposed to go on the

rebotour and Yeah. We were going out with Reba at the end of into two thousand eleven and Um Josh ended up going to rehab like a week before we were supposed to head out, and so UM, you know, the label like came to me and they're like, do you still want to do the tour. They're like, you're still contracted, you know, we need you to go out, and I'm like, okay, well, I guess I'm doing this by myself. I went out solo on the Reba tour.

I did. I called my friend James Otto to come sing a couple of songs with me in the set because I felt we felt you know, we all talked about it with management in the label and we were like, we should do something else just for the fans of that is like you have to think fast on what you're gonna do. It was like a couple of days I put it together. Basically, UM went in and rehearsed with the band the song solo, which I hadn't sang

by myself in a long time, especially duet songs. You know, it's like it's kind of crazy and so and then James came in and he sang UM keep On Loving you with Me, which was our hit, and um, he did a couple of his own songs that I sang on with him on and then um, yeah, so we just I went from you know, completely devastated and heartbroken to you having to go straight back out on the road because she didn't have much time to think about it. It was nice I didn't, and I think it's better that.

I think it is better that way. It is. It is. It's so hard, man. Sometimes you just don't know. I think you don't know how strong you are until you have to go through something like that and then you're like, Okay, I can do anything. Did that kind of feel fearless? Yeah? I think so. I think of your own strength personally, like now you couldn't have Josh to rely on like all you Yeah, it was, to be honest with you,

at that time, it was almost a little bit. Um, I was a lot of a relief because I knew exactly where he was. Yeah, like, okay, I know exactly where you are, I know exactly what you're doing. I don't have to worry about you, and I can just do my thing and be me. And so that was like my first taste of that and did you were fine with it? Like, did you like it? I was? I was fine with it. I was also you know, going, yeah, I was. I was. I was crying myself to sleep

every night after the show. It's very much that, you know, I felt like a real still Magnoia enough lived right into it. I'm like, okay, you know, I do believe people live into their names. I do too. I did too. I'm like, why did I do this to myself? I don't even think about that. Yeah, I mean because it's like you're just you're just trying to hold it all

together in front of everybody. But at the same time, you know, I had been doing that for years with with the duo, so I felt, you know, it wasn't anything new for me. Really. It finally just broke down. Yeah, it kind of imploded. Really. So after that was that when you're like, Okay, I am gonna go solo. I was.

And there was a six month period where we just kind of didn't do anything, and um, you know, after about six months, we were like and we got out of our record deal, which was you know, a whole process and which it's like those are that's always crazy because you know you've wanted this record though forever, and then they can get messy when stuff starts changing and people are in it does. And we came off a TV show, which is a really hard deal to get out of. Um, so it was a lot, you know,

trying to get through that. And finally we got on the other side of that. We were you know, after paying attorneys and everything, We're like, we really need to go back on the road together and makes some money. So we started touring again and we toured for about a year and a half together after we left the labels. So, um, yeah, which was really hard because we weren't together personally and we started dating other people. Oh gosh, maybe this is torture.

I know. I don't know why I did this to myself. Oh my god, were you dying? Yeah, a little, I mean a little, And no, because I think at that point it was like it played out for so long that we were both so over it. Maybe it was kind of nice to have the comfort of the friendship to kind of wean yourself off of it. Yeah, I think so, I think so. And and it, um, you know, we were we were cool, you know, we were cool

with each other. You know, I started dating Tyler, he started dating this other girl, and so they would come out of the road sometimes. I mean we were total weirdos. I'm like, are we like living a country music song or what weird? Like you said you love the stories of country music. I do you have lived into everything you've loved about country music? You've actually lived it though, Yeah, I've lived it the pain of it. Yeah, man, you are Dolly. I'm crazy. No, you're Dolly. Yeah, I'm trying

to be well, you're you're living the life. Wait, hold on one second, funny, Yeah, so you are actually living your life like Dolly. Yeah, right, that you said you wanted it, and look at your life. I mean, you've not been on TV, you've had hit songs, You've gone from a duo which she had like a trio one point, and like you've changed your career, but you've always stayed

in it. And then so after this, okay, so you kind of you're dating other people, living on the same bus, doing the career, coming out of the record, major transition. I mean, can you even process what's happening? No? I think you just kind of you take it day by day and you just have to live in the moment, you know, and just do what you have to do. Did you learn how to live in the moment really in that time period? I think so I did, and I didn't. I feel like, um, I learned more about

that through the voice process. Actually that's kind of when I really started to catch onto that whole thing. But um, maybe I knew more than I thought I knew. I don't know, you know, you just kind of just kind of go with it. I was kind of going with the flow at that time. I feel like you have a way about you to always be chill with stuff, Like you have a way like I lose my mind and like I sometimes like freak out, and like I

might even like react to intensely. I feel like you can even if you're freaking out in your head, Like you have a cool vibe about you all the time, Like you keep your cool. I try. How do you do that? I don't know. I do think that it's it's It's served me for sure. Yeah, because going through everything I've been through, I think it would have been really hard if I wasn't that way. Um, But I

don't know, you know, and I did. I've definitely had to take a lot on because of that, because it's like, oh, she's the one that keeps it together, you can handle it. She's the one that can handle it. She has to be the one, you know, And so that's hard. It's a lot of weight to carry. But at the same time, I feel like, you know, if that's my gift and that's what I'm supposed to be doing, then you know,

you just accept it. I don't know. So what happened after you toured for a couple of years with Stillmagnoia and now you just hit a point where you're like, Okay, we've we've run this course. Yeah, I think two thirteen, I was like, you know what, I'm ready. I'm just like, I want to make my own record. I wanna just see if I can because it's really it was a

real risk for me, you know, because I knew. I knew there was security in the stealma Agnoia brand and what we had built, and I knew that I could tour on that name, and you didn't starting over really starting over. Yeah, it's it's really starting over. And I was terrified and I was like, God, what if I can't pay my rent? What if? You know? Um, it was a big leap of faith for sure. But I know, you know, I've also always been in blue. We're in

like things. Great things don't happen unless you take risk. And so I was like, screw it, you know, I'm just gonna go out in there and try to do this thing on my own. And so UM Tyler and I went in the studio and we um recorded the CP and UM I started booking dates by myself, which was kind of terrifying. And you were so in date showed up and date showed up. Yeah. I think that when you are fearless and you let things go and you just kind of um, you have to let God work,

and so you do. You do have to be willing. I have gotten to this point in my life too where I almost feel like I want to scream it from the rooftops. You have like it's not called a leap of faith for nothing, Like you literally have to dive into the black unknown, yeah, and pray to God that you land on something right. No, it's and it's terrifying because the reality is at the end of the day, like we don't have control of any We really don't. You can stay in your safe little world, but you

will never reap what was really meant for you. Yeah, I agree. I then that's that's where I was. I was like, you know what, I'm either gonna like I'm not happy. Yeah, so what is the point? Totally? You can pay your bills and not be happy, or you can try something and see how it goes, you know. And I truly believe that when you let go, and really, I know this sounds cheesy, but let god, I agree, it's it's a real thing, you know. And I think he will start to work on your behalf when you're

when you let him. Okay, So dates started showing up, you started playing on your own solo, you made your own solo EP. Yeah, and this is when did you start coming into who you were as an artist? Like, really, it was the tip of the iceberg, I think, you know. I know. Of course, as it was happening, I'm like, oh, I totally know who I am now, you know. I'm like, oh, I've got this all figured out. This is my sound. And it's like and then I'm looking back and I'm like,

this is not my sound. But it was a start, you know, And I think we all start somewhere and you just keep keep growing. Um, but it you know, it was a start and it got me um kind of. It was a boost of confidence to realize, like, Okay, I can do this, you know, and do it well you know you can't. Like it was well received. It was a great like great project. Like it was really when it came out, when you came out doing your

solo stuff, I was like, all right, then this is great. Yeah, I just you know, and we and we were doing it all independently. That was the other thing. And it's like, which is also terrifying, Um, well, isn't it, Especially when you come from a big major label team with all the money, all stuff and then like it's just back

to you. Yeah, it's pretty crazy. It's there's so much goodness that comes with it, though, I think just as far as um for me, it was like it was very liberating because I was like, I'm just gonna do what I want to do. I'm gonna wear what I want to wear, i gonna make the record I want to make. I'm gonna just be completely me, you know,

And that was that was kind of the thing. And so even if I don't know what that is yet, Yeah, like I'm just putting it out there, and so and so we did, and and it was a great start, I think. And your style, speaking of where what you want to wear, You've always had such a style, thank you. Like I love it. It's like crop tops, tight, like spandex pants, but colorful, like your body is so beautiful, and like, I just love the way you dress it. I really do. Like you've always had your own style,

and I think of you. I definitely associate you with clothes too, because it's so much of who you are. I love clothes. I love anything that has to do with clothes or makeup or hair or fashion expression. Yeah, I do. I think it's I think it's important well. And plus I feel like it's so much of who you are as an artist. It's like you know, it's it's you know, this is who I am. Here, that's the first thing people see about you. So so then you do this and now here you go on the voice?

Does the voice come next? Is that what happens next? Yeah, that happens next. It was about a year before the voice called UM, but I into two thousand and fourteen, I um I got a call from a friend who was working with um Audrey Morrisey, who's the executive producer of the Voice, and he was like, I was just playing like one of your songs in my office. He's

like an Audrey human. And she asked me if you were somebody I was sending her to audition, and he was like, are you interested in doing something like this? And I'm like, I didn't even think I qualified. I'm like, well, I've had a career, you know. Do I even qualify for something like that? You know? And I was actually in line um at Panera Bread and I was like, let me call you back. I want to think about this.

And I went to check out in my total was eleven eleven, which is tattooed on the back of my neck, which is the thing. So you felt like it was like a little sign saying, well, anytime I have ever seen that, it's always like, and I've seen it for years now, it's like, I feel like that means I'm on the right track. Full body chills. I love that. That's your sign, that's my sign. So you didn't even have to think about it. No, I was like, I'm

supposed to go. What a relief to have gotten that sign that and how great that you're open to looking for him. Yeah. I think that that was like the defining moment. I was like I ended up calling the casting people back and I'm like, yeah, I'll come out, I'll do it. And so they were like, well, we need you you know this date, and I'm like, of this month, next week, and they're like, why is it always so fast that stuff? It's like, can you tell me by tomorrow? I'm great, we haven't you gonna fight

the in two days? Yeah? They're like next week, We're flying into Los Angeles and so I packed my bag and I'm like because I was at this point where I'm like, what do I have to lose? What else is next? I don't know. I'm just touring and putting on this record and stuff on my own, and I don't know what the next step is totally, so obviously this is God and like, here's the next step. Freaking

love that. That's exactly what happened with me with Amazing Race, dealing Angels in it, and we got a call to do Amazing Race, and at that point I thought my life was over, like I had no idea what to do, and then it just appears. Yeah, it's amazing so you's got crazy voice and you freaking get three chairs that turn around Christina Farrell and at him an all yep. Is he as amazing as he seems? Yeah, he just radiates like his higher He's like on another level than

normal people. I don't know. I will say that when we're talking earlier about living in the moment, like working with him really elevated me to that. Tell me what he taught you. It wasn't wasn't even anything he said. It was just being around him, how he did his life. Well, just seeing how he interacts with people, Like he's never anywhere else. If you're talking to him, you have his

undivided attention. He's never looking at his phone, he's never looking off into space, he's never worried about what's happening next. He's always right here. Really. Yeah, it's incredible. It's kind of intense actually, like he's with you, Oh he's with you. Does he want to know about you? Yeah? I think

he cares a lot. I think that he is um just one present all the time, which I don't know how you get to that point, but i'd like to, you know, I know that he brought in line Richie to work with us one week and I was still on his team at that time, and so I got to work with Lionel Richie and the same thing. Really yeah, they're almost the same person. It's really weird, really yeah.

And it's very intense to work with two people like that at one time because I was like, oh God, I think they can see into my soul like they see they see me. I'm like, they're judging me totally right now. They can see it all totally. That's how you feel. And I was like, Okay, I've got to get to that level because that is the difference between I think being ultimately like really successful and staying in this like mundane place because I feel like people who

are really that's a big revelation right there. Yeah it is. And it was like a huge moment for me because I'm like, oh, people who are really successful know how to live in the moment, and they know how to make people feel really important, and they know how to you know what I mean. It's a very selfless way to love. And even though they're a superstar and everyone's like, oh, well there are superstar, it's easy for them. They have all this money and fame, no way like being a superstar.

I think it's actually to get be a superstar and have that awareness that is almost like a divine state of being. Yeah, yeah it is, I think So I think that. Um well, plus it's just I mean, being a superstar is just so much. I don't know how they do everything they do, Like their schedules are insane. So to be that and that's the thing. You can

let it. You can let it ruin you and you can let it make you crazy, or you can learn to live in that place where you're just in the moment all the time and then actually maybe you just see like God and you see the truth all the time. Maybe that's what it is. I don't know, but I would like to figure out how to get there. Okay, so you're saying that's when you really learned that skill because you saw you witness that. Yeah, I just I think just being around it was like it was like, okay,

this is another level of like living. I don't you know, I don't know. To experience that, Yeah, it was crazy, especially like to experience it with Brill and then for Lionel Richard to come in and be the same way. It was like a total revelation. I was like, Okay, it was like another double weaving again. Yeah, like exactly, it's like everything's happening in twos here, but it's um, yeah, I learned a lot. So then you ended up getting

stolen by Blake? So how is that because you go from Pharrell who's his own amazing thing to Blake, who is his own amazing thing in a different way. Yeah. I think the thing that the common thing about I mean, I feel like anybody all the I mean everybody that I've dealt with, I guess that's really successful is like the way they give back to other people. I Mean I feel like with Blake, it's like he's always like he's just such a caring, kind human and like he

really cares about other people. And so I found that really interesting, like especially with I guess with artists, probably more so, because do you think you attract more of what you are? So maybe that's why these people are so loved And obviously they have the talent, but like they're pouring that out too. Yeah I think so. Um, you know Blake was I just adore him amazing. Yeah, He's larious, charming, he's a good person, he cares adorable and sassy. Yeah, he's very sassy. I love that about him.

He didn't care, No, he really doesn't. And that's that. And that's another common thing, like they just when you get to the point where you don't care. I think it's like, I mean, obviously they care, but it's like they just they're just authentically themselves. Do you think it's because they've had so much success, so much failure by the terms of failure, you like, once you get to that point, like you know, the wave is the wave, Like, do you think they just learned how to write it?

I think I think so. Yeah. I think you probably get to a point where you're just like, you know what you have. You realize you have no control, so you're like, I'm just gonna be me and do my thing, you know, so you can control. Yeah, okay, So then you get on Blake's team. Did you love working with Blake? I loved working with Blake. He was very cool and that he really he knew me, so he knew like, I know what you're capable, but I was capable of yeah, and he trusted me, Like I was like, I want

to do a Beatles song this week. He's like Okay, let's do it. I want to do my original song and the finale He's like, I'll go to bat for you for that, you know. And I got to do those things because he really, I think, believed in me and wanted to help me, you know, achieve that on the show. So dang, that's cool. That's really cool show. It's a cool show. The voice is cool. Yeah, I got to do I mean, and it doesn't always work. I don't know if it works out for everybody like

it worked out for me. But I was very blessed in the way that I got to really sing the songs I wanted to sing. And I would come in you know, Tyler, and Tyler would come over to the hotel when she wasn't supposed to um, and we would work on arrangements. So I would come in with an arrangement and a you know, a chords and you know, everything charted out for the band, and it just, um,

I think they appreciated it. You know, they had a lot to do, and so they were like, oh ship she brought you know, um, it's ready, it's ready, she

brought an arrangement, it's ready to do. So we would go I'd go in and be like I want to do it this way right, that you knew how you wanted to do it and you could take it so seriously because you know, I feel like maybe that's the experience that you had really could pay off in this moment because you knew what needed to be done and how to do it, because a lot of people who are talented but haven't had the experience wouldn't know that. Yeah,

I think I was. I was ready. I mean, it was my time for sure, Like I think it was meant to be that I was on at that point because it was like, Okay, I know, I know who I am, I know what I want, and it was an opportunity for me to really show America like Okay, this is me. Now, this is like me minus still Magnoia like on my own just like here I am.

I'm going to cry. I literally, it's so powerful, Like it's so crazy, And I love how like connected and aware you are to it all too, you know, and like your whole journey it all makes sense, isn It weird how it all makes sense, Like when you look back on it, it starts to make sense, Like obviously we have a long journey ahead, but it kind of gets to that place where like, Okay, I get why this ship show happened, or like why this great thing happened,

and then this didn't and then pieces well, it makes it all really brings you to a point where it makes you mean, it makes you who you are and you have learned. So like I feel like even this year especially has been such a learning year for me. Like I feel like last year was such a year of just like reaping, you know, and like Okay, this is awesome. Like I'm on the voice and my EP came out and it did really well, and like I was like, oh, this is awesome. And then this this

past year has just kind of been harder. This has been has been a hard year. I think that a lot of hard year. It has been a hard year. I have felt it. Like a lot of people that I know, it's been a like I don't know, like a building year or like just a year. It's been for me, it's definitely been a learning year. I don't know how to explain it. It's like I've been what have you learned? This year? Um? You know what? I did a lot of stuff with um flood relief from

my hometown. Um, because I'm from Louisiana and there was this terrible flood that just happened. It was like awful and people everyone lost their homes and it was just devastating. And so I put together, um a drive, I got a U haul. I was like, I don't know, it's just funny. I don't know. I just like, I don't know how I'm gonna do this, but I'm gonna do it,

and I want to help. So I was like, I'm just gonna start just do it, you know, And that was kind of I think that that was a moment this year where God was like, Okay, when I tell you to do something, you just do it, and you don't have to know how you're gonna do it. It's just gonna it's gonna work itself out and you have to trust me. And so I was like, okay, cool.

So I got this U haul and I started making phone calls and I started gathering and it was like all of a sudden, I had this full U haul and I'm driving it down Louisiana and then I'm like where am I going to distribute? And then this high school comes along. It's like my high school that I went to, and so we set everything up, we gave this stuff out. Then I'm like, oh I started this go fund me while I earned ten thousand dollars, I'm like, okay, well now I have ten thousand dollars to spend. And

so I flew down Louisiana again. I got another U haul. I went and I bought all of these things. I brought them to these people and individually, it's like I and honestly, I just met people a along the way that helped me. They appeared and they just appeared. I mean I literally met a woman in a parking lot who was um part of a motorcycle group. And then I ended up meeting all these like, um, these these

what do you call them, my bikers, that's the word. Um. So I met all these bikers and they're like they had all lost their homes and their businesses, but they were like, well we have a parking lot. They're like, well, I hope you set up tomorrow morning, and they were like we know everybody, like we'll get people here because a lot of people just couldn't get out of their

house to come get stuff. Um. So it was like I think that that was one of the biggest learning um events I guess in my life this year because I was like, Okay, it made me realize like one person can really do a lot if you really Yeah, you have to allow it to happen and allow you allow yourself to be used. And so I don't know that was It takes a lot of effort too. It's a lot of work. I was dead, I mean, I was so tired by the end of it, except we

weren't sleeping and we drove. I mean I drove that you haul all the way myself, you know, and um, not crazy that you even thought to do that, because so many people just see it on the news and they don't even think about helping, even if they're from the place. You know. Yeah, I think for me, it's just and that's part of the learning too. It's like I realized, like, Okay, yeah, I like to do music. It's awesome. I love to perform. But at the end of the day, like, what is the point in all this?

And so for me it's like, Okay, I have a name. At this point, I've built up to having a name to be able to call, you know, the Greater Good dot org and get them to donate seven million pounds of dog food or whatever it is, seven thousand pounds sorry um or whatever it is. You know, it's like I can do that because of who I am, and so doors are open to me, and so why not use it for good? Well that's I think that's the whole point. Yeah, get that point. Yeah, well, and I

think that that's why. It's like, that's what I've learned more than anything in the last couple of years. It's like, Okay, I have to use this now because otherwise I'm just it's going to wait east totally. You know. Gosh, Megan, that's awesome. I mean, you are reaching for all status. I'm trying. I'm trying to get there. We're just trying

to keep up. I love that. And so then so this year has been okay reverse Actually, how do you know the difference between wanting to do something like because I have really been trying to tune in with my gut and my calling and like answering the calls that I do feel like are meant for me, as opposed to to seeing something and feeling it but really not feeling like that's the road I'm supposed to take. You know, because we're not all supposed to do the same things,

but we are. How do you know when it is the call you're supposed to answer from your higher source? Oh god, how do you What are your checkpoints that you check within yourself? Like, to be honest with you, it's all gut like, but you know, sometimes you get a gut feeling, but then there's like resistance. There's like resistance, and then sometimes it's like yeah, but there's like this

whole butt category. Yeah, And at other times it's like, yeah, it's gonna be freaking hard, but yeah, you know, like do you you know what I'm talking about? Is this like this makes sense? No, it totally makes sense. I think. I don't you know, I don't know. I don't know the complete answer. I know that when I think something

is wrong, it almost always is. And when I go against what I know is right and I do something anyways because I'm like, oh why not, let's try it for a few months or whatever it is, it always ends up. I knew, you knew. I knew. So now you don't even have to like try it anymore. That happening again, you know? Or um, yeah, this flood relief stuff is terrifying to me. And I don't you know, I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I just know I need to do it. Like you

just felt it, Yeah, I just felt it. I was like, I know God's gonna open the doors and I know it's going to work out because it's it's just what I'm supposed to do. It is all over you. This is ann I think it comes with with um just living and just doing things and you know, learning. I don't know, how do you stay connected to your higher thing whatever that is? Oh man, Um, you know, I think it's a lot about I think you have to

live in a constant state of prayer. I know that sounds strange, but I think, not no, forgive me for my sins. And it's not that it's not that it's a very it's very much like an every day seven constant communication. And I think that that is the thing that like learning to to be like for all and living in the moment, that's what he's doing constantly. He's living,

He's living in that space. And so I think when you're connected like that all the time, you know, and and it's hard, it's not easy to be connected all the time, things happen and you get disappointed, and you know it's it's like you and you know, I struggle with depression. So I go into these holds where I'm like, oh god, you know, of the bottoms falling out, the bottom is falling out. I mean, no, nothing's perfect for sure. God I can do that too and be like, oh god,

I'm terrible. I have no talent. It's all sucking, like, like what am I doing my life thover? Why am I chick trying to do this at my age or whatever? But it's you know, and that's all just those are all lies, you know. I think you have to just eventually you get back up and you get back you know, you're never too far off course. I think you just have to learn to get back into it and be like, Okay, today's the new day. Ah, Megan, I freaking love it.

I love you. I knew you were like this, but I didn't know you were like this like all the way. I really didn't. This is amazing. I don't know. I don't know how to be any other way anymore, because I'm just tired of I don't want to live a lie. Yeah, I don't want to pretend to be something i'm not. I don't want to be dishonest about how I feel about something because it's just it doesn't serve anybody, it doesn't do any good. Do you think the thirties are

for that too? Like, yeah, that's why. It's like, because I feel like the music business is so like everybody's always like, oh, you're a woman, or you're you tell everybody your twenty nine or whatever. You know. It's like, I feel like there's this like stigma with being thirty and being a woman that it's bad right there is. I mean totally, it's crazy told if you haven't made an in the industry by the time you're thirty, might as well hanging up. Yeah, that is just not true.

It's not true. And it's God has plans that nobody can define. Yeah, I think so. And I think that getting into my thirties and being it's like, you know, and I finally actually voted this year, and I haven't voted ever since I was eighteen. But I told my mom the other day, and I know that sounds terrible, but I told my mom. I was like, you know what, I'm glad I waited because it's I'm finally to a point in my life where I'm like, I know exactly how I feel about things, I know exactly what I want,

what I don't want. Like I just was like, you know what, it was a good time for me to do that, and so I don't know, I feel like that with everything in life right now. I'm like, Okay, I think that's what the thirties are for. Yeah, like you're just walking into your own your authenticity. Yeah, it feels good. It does. So what are you looking forward to? I'm hoping it's going to be easier. But your video really fast and Friends came out only Mushrooms. You are

a bomb shell bombshell. The song is so infectious. I couldn't get enough of it, and you have a celebrity cameo. So tell me about how that came about. Um, Well, we had the song and um, I actually wrote it with Tyler Tyler, my boyfriend Tyler, he's amazing, and my best friend Julie more of a We wrote the song and we were like, Okay, this really feels like a single, and so, um we finished the song and I was like, Okay, I really want to make a video for the song.

The video is awesome. It's so funny. Man. I So I'm going to my friend's wedding, Jeremy Gavin. Jeremy does all my photography, and um, I meet this guy on the way up to the wedding, this guy Zach, and um, he's like we we we kind of start talking and I get up there and they're kind of wanting me to sing for their wedding, and so I sing, and then Zack's like, we have to make a video. And Zach is working on he did Drunk History on Comedy Central. He's working on Still the King and you know, on CMT.

And so he's like, he's like, this is what I do. You know, of course, someone because you're you're walking in such an unsuch your path now, well yeah, show up. And that's the thing. I didn't know how I was going to make this video because I'm like, I don't have fifty dollars right now, you know, and and and we always do, you know, we get creative because we have to. When you're independent and you don't have a budget,

you have to be creative. So I meet this guy and he's friends with my friend Bridget, who's my you know, acting coach and so Um, We're like, well, let's just do it, you know, Bridget. So Bridget and zach Um directed and then they called Um. Bridget called some people from the Nashville Show who were camera operators, so they came um and donated their time and yeah, it just kind of all worked itself out. And how did he get in here? So funny. I was sitting there and

I'm like, okay, I know nothing about The Bachelor. He was like the Latin lover. Oh my god. I didn't know anything about The Bachelor. I don't even like I just started watching it this past year. Me too with The Bachelor. Actually think it was The Bachelor before that. But yeah, but I watched I watched that one and Jojo There's only I watched Ben. Okay, Like, so I didn't know anything, but I knew the name one Pablo,

and I knew his reputation. So I was like, I really want kind of a jerky guy to play the role of my lover in this video. And I tell my friend Michelle, I'm like, what about Wan Pablo? And she knows a lot of people because she worked at the news for ten years, and so she's like, I know his manager let me reach out, and so she just reached out and he we got on a skype and I was like, oh, this guy seems really nice. Actually, shoot, um, they can't help with that. All the ladies love them right,

and not his fault. It's totally not his fault. And I didn't watch, so I don't know how it was edited or anything like that, but I was like, always so nice and he wanted to do it and so he um, he came to town and played my played my love interest in the video. It was awesome. Yeah, he did a great job. He did a great job. He was great and we went to we actually went to the c m A Awards together that kind of promote this, promote the video and so um it was cool.

Where was that room where you had like different color outfits at the same outfit but they're different color and you're like on the ground, it's the coolest room ever. Where are you filming that? Um? My friend Jeremy who does all my photography too, he um, he created it. It was just like literally two panels and you know what it was. It looks like it's padded, but it's actually, um, one of those down comforters. We clipped it. He's genius.

And then I got I was on his page and I saw where he had done a photoshoot in the pad a room. I'm like, how did you do that? Can you do that for me? He was like, I still love the set figured out. He's like, I'll have to just clip those things on instud. I'm like, okay, glad, you're so creative. It costs nothing to do it. It looks so expensive. That video to me, looks so expensive. Thank you. Yeah, I mean literally so well done. It's crazy.

It's crazy how like, you know, we managed to get all these people to kind of come together to make it happen. And you know, it is hard. It is hard, I will say, because I you know, I'm spending my own money on everything right now. So I'm kind of in this place where it's like, Okay, I'm making money, but then I'm spending all of it. I know, it's kind of terrifying. It's terrifying. Yeah, I'm still you just you have to invest in yourself, and so that's what

I've been doing. But I'm also you know, self managing putting this I released through tune Core. You know, independently, and I have a we're a team of three people, you know, just my best friend Julie and my friend Michelle, and then you know, obviously Tyler helps me a lot, my friend Christie helps a lot. But it's literally like just everybody's just pouring into this thing, and none of this is really making any money yet. So I love it. I feel like that some stuff really takes off. I

really do. I do too, I think so, So tell me what you're looking forward to and where can we find your new stuff? Is up? It's all over you know, anywhere you can get digital music, itube, and then the YouTube is um got the video and then there's an acoustic video I just put out of this song as well. So um, there's a lot of stuff online. I'm really excited I'm putting out. I'm gonna put out a new record in the new year, so I'm thinking February and March,

trying to figure out when we can get it done. Um. I just started a Patreon page. So Patreon is awesome. It's a place where your fans can go. It's almost like an exclusive club online, and so they can kind of go and follow your journey and they can um pledge towards your your journey, towards your record or whatever

it is. And so people can do a dollar a month or they can do two dollars a month or ten or twenty or whatever, and each thing has like a different you know, like I'll do um, you know, signed us, send out signed eight by tens I post you know, exclusive content, that kind of thing. That's awesome. So it's cool. It's kind of a cool, like a secret backstage fan wait for them to be involved. Yeah, and they can kind of you know, I'll do a thing where I'll have them vote on the next single

like things like that. So it's kind of a cool. Like it's almost like its own private Facebook page, I guess. Yeah. So, um I started that to kind of help with the new record and then, um, yeah, I just signed a deal with Nutri System. What by the way, you have thirty pounds I have since March? Yeah, holy cow, always been stunning, but you are like amazing, like so spelt

like a vision hasn't been hard. It's really hard. Yeah, it's hard to lose weight, but I do think that that, you know, definitely Nutri System helped boost that and helped me get on the right track and then um, you know, just keeping it off is the thing so amazing, But myself is different now. So what you have done with your life, the whole journey, it's amazing. Thank you. So I want to wrap with leave your light after all of this that you've been through and all of like

the beautiful journey. What is your inspiration that you've gathered, just gathered from people and that you want to share, Like, what's your light that you want to spread? Oh man? Um, I think ultimately it's really about giving back. I mean,

I don't know. I don't know what else to say other than I do think, like I think we do all this and we're like people get especially in the music business, we get so self involved and we get so much like oh me me me, I I and it's like this video and this thing, and it's like you're so consumed with this the business part of the music business. And I think really to just keep your eyes open to other people and what's going on around you, and um, just to to pour into other people and

give back. I mean, I think that that's when I'm when I'm the happiest, you know, I think doing just doing this flood relief stuff this past year and doing this stuff I do with with the dogs. I do a lot of rescue dog stuff. I love dogs so much. Um And I do stuff with Biggle Freedom Project, and I think that that is our purpose, you know, And I think that that, um this that this past year, the last two years has really really taught me that. So I don't know. I love that It's worth You're

the best, You're the beg. She's I hope you loved hearing from Megan. She's amazing. You'll be sure to get her new music. It is off the chain. Next week. I have one of my favorite singers ever. It's actually amazing that I got to interview her because I was such a fan, Jamie O'Neill. There is no Arizon. Okay, that's not how she does it all, but you know that song Holy Cow. She's joining me next week, so y'all get excited and make sure you subscribe on iTunes

to hyper Carolin Hobby. See you next week. M