There are so many people who are making decent music these days that one song can just morph into another as there is nothing memorable or remarkable about them. Sure, there’s some great music on country radio but other than a songwriting kick by Alan Jackson how many of those folks are writing their own music? Sure, Taylor Swift wrote her entire first album but now that she’s famous is she going to do it again? And if so, will it even be any good? We can only hope.
Eighteen year old Megan Houghton could probably easily be lumped together with the Swift wanna-be’s in the world except there is one major different - her lyrics. A beautiful voice and some good music can be pleasant to the ears but it means so little to any real fan of music if the lyrics make you feel dumber for having heard them.
Beginning with “Not Crying Now” Houghton delivers heartbreak without whining, weeping, or giving up. We’ve all felt the pain that she talks about and it’s nice to hear someone say they’re “better off without” what caused them pain instead of just having been turned into an amorphous blob of pathetic weepiness. Her chorus highlights the songs message and also happens to be one of the most fitting for a song such as this;
“Our song plays like a broken record in my head
But I'll find a way to replace it, with a different tune instead,
I'm no longer hurtin' and I hope I've made this clear,
I'm better off without you 'cuz I've cried all my tears”
Few musicians will risk a tempo change in an acoustic song and it pays off creating a more definitive end to the song. And although there is a very clear theme in her writing - love lost - she is versatile enough that when she sings;
“I still know the blue shade of your eyes,
I still have your smile memorized,
I might forget you if I try.
I try to think of something else,
But it never seems to be much help,
I've learned I cannot fool myself,
because forgetting you isn't getting any easier”
in “Forgetting You” it’s hard to tell if she’s talking about the same relationship from her first song.
As far as debut EP’s go they tend to be either over or underdone - too much production, way too little production, over the top lyrics, nonsensical lyrics - this is definitely an exception to that rule. If these four songs are an indication of Houghton’s songwriting potential then great things should be expected from her - hopefully for her sake they won’t forever stay heartbreak related but if they do we will be the one’s benefitting from heartbreak for once.
Interview with Megan Houghton
What is it that got you involved in music?
I've loved singing ever since I can remember. My mom has always told me that while my older siblings started out listening to Wee Sing Silly Songs, I skipped right over that and at the age of three my favorite song to belt out was Passionate Kisses. I had done little things like sing in the talent show every once in awhile with my sister or a friend, and then in fifth grade I got the part of Annie in the local production. That's around the age that I realized music was really important to me.
My mom enrolled my sister, Lydia, and I in piano lessons and I did that for a few years, but I absolutely hated practicing so I wasn't really getting anywhere. My teacher told my mom that I was talented and she shouldn't let me quit, but the problem was that I didn't enjoy playing so I wasn't improving at all and I knew that I wouldn't change my mind. A few years later I picked up the guitar.
When I was younger I would do just about anything to be like my older sisters and my mom, so at first, playing the guitar was just another way that I could act like them. After awhile though, I realized that being able to pick up my guitar and strum on it a little would actually be kind of therapeutic. Now I can't go many days without playing my guitar.
Tell me about your family musically.
I grew up in a very musical family, so I've been surrounded by it my whole life. My mom has played the guitar a very long time and I remember always being interested in the instrument. When I was too young to actually understand how the instrument worked my mom would make the chords while I sat in front of her and strummed the strings.
My oldest sister Kelly picked up the guitar quickly and has written some of her own songs as well. In college, she was part of a bluegrass band where she was the lead vocals and guitar, but it broke up last year. My sister Lydia also plays the guitar, and the three of us are hoping to do some open mic nights together this summer.
My dad plays the piano and has definitely supported me with my music. He played the piano for me at the Baccalaureate this year while I sang Don't Forget to Remember Me when I felt like I couldn't learn the chords quickly enough, and played along with one of my songs a few times while I was writing it. Both my parents have also written songs, so that kind of thing definitely runs in the family.
What does the process of songwriting look like for you?
Ever since I heard Taylor Swift on the radio I have been amazed by all of her music. After I found out that she was writing all of her own songs, I decided to give it a try myself. So I started writing down random things that I thought sounded like good song lyrics whenever I heard something, or thought of it myself. Then about a year ago my boyfriend of 7 months broke up with me and I really had no way to get rid of my emotions, which is when I started writing songs.
Soon after the break up I wrote down "forgetting you isn't getting any easier" on a loose piece of paper. I found it about a month later and I decided that it would be easy to write more lyrics around because that was exactly how I was feeling. The first part of a song that I usually choose, is the very last line in the chorus. Once I have that part, I come up with a tune for that and figure out how I could strum along with it on my guitar. From there I slowly build up the chorus and then work on the verses in order. The hardest part for me has always been on the bridge, but I'm working on that.
Writing songs is a really long process for me because I really haven't been doing it that long. Usually I'll just have a chorus for a really long time, and then eventually I'll have a first verse. A lot of the time I'll just play the first verse and chorus every once in awhile and not be able to go anywhere with the song. Then I'll come back to it after a few weeks, or it'll just come to me when I'm thinking about something completely different.
What are your goals/aspirations for your music?
The most recent goal I have come up with is to try out for America's Got Talent within the next two years. Right now my plan is to attend one year of college and then hopefully gain enough experience throughout the year to feel comfortable enough to where I feel like I could win the competition. I still have some issues with being in front of large crowds so I'm hoping to do some talent shows and participate in open mic until I can work through my fears.
No matter how I get there, however, I know that music is what I want to do for a living. Whatever I have to do to get it, that's what I enjoy the most, and that's what I'll do.
Who do you feel is writing great music these days? Who would you want to work with?
I'm going to bring up Taylor Swift again because the songs that she writes are so good! She has such original lines and always has a catchy tune to go along with it. She also writes songs about things that every teenage girl has gone through, which I think is important. It's always good to have something in your song that people can find inspirational or simply relate to.
I'm not actually aware of a lot of artists who are writing their own songs, so I always think that's an awesome trait in an artist.
I would definitely love to write a song with Taylor Swift because I have so many ideas for songs that I haven't been able to work through, and she has so much experience with writing songs. I'm sure she would be very helpful. But if I could sing a duet with someone I would love to sing with someone like the lead singer from Emerson Drive or Josh Turner. They both have amazing voices!