Megan Nash is a young singer who is looking to grow her audience with an upcoming stop in the city.
Calling herself "a folk-pop singer songwriter," Nash said she usually performs as a solo, or as a duo. She will be working alone when at 5th Avenue Cup & Saucer in Yorkton the evening of Saturday, March 10.
Hailing from a small farm that's located between Mortlach and Parkbeg, in southern Saskatchewan, Nash began writing songs at the age of 17.
"I used song writing as a way to cope with events and experiences I had in my life," she said.
Starting at age 17, Nash is still in the early stages of her musical development.
"I've been playing for about four years," she said. "I've performed everywhere from tiny coffee shops to the CTV Regina morning show to the grand opening of Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw."
While larger stages are great, Nash said small venues offer something special too.
"I love house shows. Playing in someone's house really appeals to me. It's intimate," she said.
New to the business, or not, Nash hit the studio at Twisted Pair Productions in Regina last April to record a debut CD.
"The album 'Tough Love' spans a couple years of my life," she said. "Some songs on the record are over two years old, some were fresh in the studio. I have written lots of songs over the years but these were the ones that stuck with me.
"To be honest now they feel old. I have a short attention span and am always writing. I always have a couple songs in the works."
The CD is something Nash looks on with pride.
"Recording this album was a great experience. I learned so much," she said, adding, "recording was super emotional for me. I went back to the times in my life when I wrote the songs. I write for selfish reasons. I write songs to deal with my own problems/situations. My songs are very personal to me.
"When you are in the studio setting you are taking a microscope to every song, dissecting it, rehashing it. After I did the vocal take for 'Worth It', I just had to have a moment to cry. It sounds strange but I relived that moment. It was intense."
The CD does have a couple of personal favourites for the artist.
"My favourite tracks are 'Little Girl' and 'Coming In From The Cold'," said Nash. "They are the closest to my style that I carry on to write."
Nash said the album" is multi-genre which has been difficult to put a genre on it, which likely comes from her own interests in music.
In terms of her music Nash said like most performers, she has drawn influences from many.
"My musical influences range," she said. "I admire Joel Plaskett, Corb Lund, Jay Semko to name a few big names.
"I'm also influenced by the music around me.
"I have a lot of talented friends that influence me as well."
