The Bay Area singer-songwriter, recording artist, and musician Megan Graney releases the first lead single, "Waves," off her forthcoming debut EP.
Known for creating sonically rich journeys that strike nostalgic memories in the listener's mind, Megan Graney makes her listening experiences incredibly savory through her sweet blend of jazz, Americana, gospel, folk, and choral music. An influential advocate for mental health, caretaking, and sharing vulnerability, it's without a doubt that anyone will be able to relate with Megan Graney's honest and genuine music.
Highlighting the lead single, "Waves," off her forthcoming debut EP, the song sets this incredibly emotional and gentle tone while Megan Graney's vocals cascade over our speakers like a tranquil river. When speaking on the song, Graney mentioned this, "We're all on different paths at changing speeds, continually learning. My hope is that "Waves" will be a cathartic release for people on a universal level."
Listening to "Waves," the song gently opens with calming piano melodies and Megan Graney's crooning vocals. As she begins to dive into her heartfelt lyrical theme, the sonics start to expand with haunting vocal harmonies and distant pads that soak up the song's background. We honestly can't get enough of Megan Graney's lush vocal stylings as they flow through our speakers with a warm sonic embrace.
As Megan Graney continues her lyrical venture, she sinks into lyricism surrounding her dear late father, who she'll hold in her heart for the rest of eternity. While Megan Graney holds our hands towards the song's end, she leaves us with this overall refreshing and chilling sensation that's hard to come by nowadays.
Lose yourself in the "Waves" of Megan Graney's latest single, and stay up to date with the singer-songwriter as she prepares to release her debut EP later this year.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Megan Graney, you've truly sent chills down our spines with the sweet release of your recent single, "Waves." Was it challenging to create such an emotional and vulnerable song inspired by your father's passing?
It was a sprinkle of both challenge and ease. Challenging in the sense of honoring time and patience to cultivate a healthy healing process for myself, which is never-ending. I was creatively blocked for a while, digesting the intensity of everything. Alchemising deep sorrow is difficult to do, but very possible. With anything, consistency and dedication were what allowed me to focus on the universal message of this song. I wanted to transmute suffering into something beautiful. This forced me to grow beyond my former limitations and really step into an honest space for my own artistry. Once I had some distance from my father’s passing, the song flowed easier than I anticipated. My father had been chronically ill for 12 years with congestive heart failure. Although we knew the inevitable was coming, nothing can ever truly prepare you for facing your own mortality when you lose a parent. Now more than ever, we are collectively facing our own values and questioning our quality of life. I wanted to provide a cathartic release for all levels of grief. My self-critic voice went away when I accepted this song has a greater purpose outside of myself. Such a permanent event, and universal topic, deserves more light and understanding through our shared vulnerability.
What was your solo songwriting process like for "Waves?" How did you go about finding such poetic lyrics to convey your message of life's ebb and flow?
I always start with writing lyrics first that come from my mind’s imagery. For this song, I kept getting a clear vision of water and someone staying buoyant while the ocean was calm and also while it was turbulent. I really wanted to pull symbolism from painting a scenic landscape for the listener. The concept of grief is a journey that changes as time goes by after losing a loved one. Personally, I think someone can listen to this song during multiple pivot points through life and it will resonate differently as we continue to grow. Hence “with the ebb and flow spins a web of growth”. The one thing that is constant is change. “The starry skies will guide us home” came as an analogy for people to follow their inner compass, or their North Star, hinting at the power of leading from intuition. I use a lot of irony and juxtaposition for layered meanings within the lyrics. The ocean’s “waves” are the emotional waves we experience from trauma, triggering memories, and reminding us of what needs tending to. Water is also known to have incredible healing benefits. What better way to visualize staying fluid through life’s flow than balancing within the serenity and chaos all at once. I wanted to have this song feel like an empowering catharsis. The root message is focused on facing overwhelming emotions in order to reach our highest self.
Did you create the lush sonic landscape yourself for "Waves?" Or did you work alongside any producers to help navigate the song's sonic atmosphere?
Once I have a song in poem form, the brilliance of my co-writer and producer, Mitchell Haeuszer, comes into play. Mitchell is a multi-instrumentalist and a force at creating compositions that match the tone of each song’s meaning. I am so grateful to work with someone who can listen to an idea and elevate a song into another caliber, much of which we built by working so closely together. I described the feeling of what I wanted to convey and he composed a tranquil rolling piano effect. His creative input usually sparks melodic ideas for me and other harmonies that help bring the song to life. If I ever reached a stuck moment with “Waves”, his ear for arranging would keep the momentum going. Mitchell also added meditative tones that provide an out-of-body experience for the listener. Our songwriting process compliments each other’s skillsets well. Together we layer instrumentation and he ensures a healing sound as a producer.
Why did you choose to release "Waves" as the lead single for your forthcoming debut EP? How does the single prepare us for what's to come on the EP?
I chose “Waves” as a leading single because I want to showcase a range of vulnerability that deeply resonates with my life. I guess you could see it as a small glimpse into my soul. I’d like to set a precedent with my audience that I will continue to show up authentically to my craft, with the hope that it helps someone unlock suppressed emotions. This single prepares listeners for my songwriting spectrum, I use a wide range of storytelling through symbolism. “Waves” is just one example of how I like to paint the human experience, living in a multi-dimensional reality. This EP will take you into portals of emotional themes. Some of which touch on gratitude, grief, self-love, personal boundaries, narcissism, acceptance, and empowerment. Ultimately, my mission is to provide an experience of healing through sound and conscious creation that will help someone feel more connected to themselves and to others.
What's next for you?
We are very close to finishing the EP. Part of that includes building customized artwork for each song. We are working with graphic creators that can help us capture the emotional symbolism of each song with striking visuals. Eventually, we will be releasing music videos after the unveiling of the EP. Hopefully, by next year, I can start to showcase this body of work with live performances. Performing a tour of my own has been a huge dream and we’re building a solid foundation for that to become a reality soon. The journey continues!