Laura Klonowski
Megan McKenna is best known for starring on the reality show The Only Way is Essex, however last year she stepped away from TOWIE to launch her Country Music career with the release of her debut single ‘High Heeled Shoes’ and also starred in her own ITVBe show which followed her pursuing her country music dreams in Nashville.
The show also captured the writing process when Megan penned the heartfelt ballad ‘Far Cry From Love’ with Grammy nominated songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman.
The success of her first two singles was huge with both going straight into the number 1 & 2 spots of the main iTunes chart last year. Now, Megan McKenna is gearing up for the release of her debut album ‘Story Of Me‘, on the 7th December.
Here we speak exclusively to Megan to discuss her love of Country Music, upcoming album, the writing process and more:
Growing up who inspired your love of Country Music?
My mum did like quite a bit of country music like Dolly Parton and Martina McBride but it was when I kept going to musical theatre auditions when I was younger and I kept being told I sounded really country so that’s when I really started listening to country music and started to love it
Your debut single ‘High Heeled Shoes’ was a huge success, how excited were you by the response?
I couldn’t believe it especially as the plot of the show (There’s Something About Megan on ITVBe) was a will she, won’t she be able to release this single back home so there was no press, promo or radio play before it was released and so to get that number 1 & 2 on iTunes felt unbelievable
On the back of the singles, you are releasing your debut album this December, what can fans expect from the record?
The album is called ‘Story of Me’ and so the songs tell the story of me at different stages in my life when I was younger, relationships with friends and family, being heartbroken so it’s all in there.. it’s a very personal album.
What was the writing process like for the LP?
I worked with a few different writers and had some songs sent to me which I fell in love with and just knew I had to record and put them on the album because they were so relevant to my life
What was it like going into the studio with esteemed songwriters such as Amy Wadge?
Amy is amazing I travelled up to her home studio in Wales quite a few times and we just clicked the second we met. We drank loads of tea and talked about absolutely everything then sat a wrote half the album together!
The UK Country scene is growing rapidly, where do you you think your music fits into that?
I hope I’m helping bring my music to a different audience like – younger fan base and the reality TV fans who might not have listened to country music before…
Are there any British country acts you’d like to collaborate with?
Catherine McGrath
Which song off the album are you most excited for fans to hear?
‘Story Of Me’ & ‘Paper Boy’.
Do you have plans to tour the new music?
Yes definitely next year but I wanted to release the album first so hopefully people who come to my shows will know the words!
What are your long term career goals?
My dream is to tour the world on a tour bus just like Miley Cyrus’!
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