Meghan Pulles is a singer-songwriter who has lived all over the USA including Florida, Orlando, and NYC, where she currently resides. Meghan stumbled into her musical career on accident, as she originally planned on advancing as a trained opera singer and theater actress. While living in New York, Meghan became awakened to the musical healing and in the spirituality of songwriting. Learning to love the tribulations of life through processing by creating music, Meghan believes that songwriting is cathartic; an emotional band-aid to help heal, and to overcome past obstacles. Working towards the “small miracles” of joy to help change the world, she hopes to share her instrumental music to help heal, soothe, motivate, and inspire others enduring pain, by giving fans a musical hug and making them feel uplifted and connected to their inner-selves, whilst listening and through introspection.
“Shelter in the Storm” beautifully executes Meghan’s mission of providing music to heal and comfort listeners. “Our hands are holding tight, to get us through the night, oh you’re my shelter in the storm” is my favourite line from her new song. It provides a feeling of ease, support, and positive spirit. Meghan’s lyrics have a calm nature and deep meaning behind every word, which makes her a great artist to listen to on the days you need some extra healing, joy, or motivation to get you through a stressful day.
We highly recommend checking out Meghan's new single here, and keep scrolling for her personalized interview with us at BuzzMusic!
Hi Meghan! It's great to chat with you. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thank you Buzz Music so much for having me. This is actually my first interview -- woo hoo! So exciting. A little bit about me. My family moved to the Orlando area when I was 11. I grew up in the small suburb of Winter Springs, Florida. I have been singing since the age of 5. I used to walk around my house singing and dancing to "Annie". My father is very musical -- he plays guitar and sings as well. He raised me around a lot of music, mostly his, which is why I am not surprised that eventually songwriting found me -- and kept me. I am actually a classically trained opera singer, so my story is a little different. I moved to New York to pursue a career in Broadway/Opera but found myself falling in love with songwriting instead. I have been living in NYC for the past seven years; after I moved here I auditioned and worked on TV/film sets as an extra. I found myself stuck in my bedroom with my guitar writing songs as an emotional outlet, but one day I woke up and realized hey this could be an actual thing for me. I view songwriting as a way to help the world and the people of the world. Music is the ultimate medicine in my opinion, and since I am too scared to ever be a doctor I think of this as another way to help the population, and to do something greater than anything I could've ever imagined.
Which artists have been the greatest impact on you and your musical career?
When I was little, my father and his family would always have sing-a-longs around the campfire with James Taylor, John Denver, The Bee Gees, and Simon and Garfunkel. I can tell you those have stuck with me, and really created who I am and the music I make today. Other influences that I really look up to and try to emulate are Karen Carpenter, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, and Regina Spektor. I am so moved and inspired by the way these women tell their different stories in different ways, it really connects me to them.
Do you think that living in different parts of the USA has made a difference in who you are as a person & artist?
I love this question. I moved so many times in my childhood. I was born in Palo Alto, CA and soon after moved to Gaithersburg, MD where my family lived for 5 years. My father then took an overseas assignment to the UK where I enjoyed 3 and one half years living among English friends. After the UK we moved back to MD for two years and then onto Orlando, FL where I spent the majority of my childhood. I totally think my music is influenced by all the different places I have lived. I was very involved in theater while living in the UK, and I think that those experiences being a child who was exposed to so much art definitely plays into the fact that I have a very good storytelling aspect with my writing and performing.
What made you realize that music was your calling?
I have known since I was little that music was my calling. I remember seeing my first Broadway show, and being so inspired. I also remember seeing my first concert and feeling so uplifted and inspired that I couldn't even put it into words. Being raised in a musical family that catered to my talents also gave me great support and led me to choosing music as a career.
Tell us the meaning behind your single “Shelter in the Storm”?
Shelter in the Storm is one of the first songs I ever wrote after I decided to pursue songwriting. I wrote it when I first moved to NYC. I was longing, hoping, wishing for the right person to walk into my life after so many wrong ones did. This song to me is the dreamy epitome of the perfect partner -- someone who will stay with you through the storms, and comfort you during the hard times. I call this my "campfire love song" because it is such a declaration of what we all want to find in our lives -- the perfect person who wants nothing more than to be our "Shelter in the Storm".
How is “Shelter in the Storm” unique from your different singles?
Shelter is actually very unique -- first of all it's one of my few upbeat songs. I find myself writing more emotional and deep songs these days. Even though I have found my "Shelter in the Storm" which I used to dream about having (I have been with my partner Michael for about 2 years now), there are other issues and problems I am driven to write about. I have been writing more about change, and the hard times we go through as humans. I think it is very important to be real with your listeners -- that is how you get your listeners to be so interested in your music. If my music can help someone get through a breakup or a loss, then I have ultimately done my job. I really want to write bigger and better with every new song.
What's next for you through 2019?
I plan to release my EP soon. I will record my last song for the EP in June. The song I am recording is different than my other songs. It is a song about grief – specifically losing someone special to you on this earth. I wrote this song after I experienced the death of my former theatre director from back home in early 2019. I performed it at his funeral which was surreal. I also have some live shows coming up including one at Rockwood which I am super stoked about. I am also working on my album which is going to have a very intense subject of women being abused based on my personal experience. Now that we are in this era of "Me too" I feel like it's time for me to tell my story. I want to do this in a very personal way and to use this as an experience to heal from the pain that I've been through. I hope it can help other women too. I am also hoping to release a movie, or possibly do a live performance alongside the album just to do something a little different with it visually/theatrically since I have those skills.
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