Talented Welsh Country / Americana singer Megan Lee releases debut solo single

Feb 16

Feb 16 Talented Welsh Country / Americana singer Megan Lee releases debut solo single

You might not have heard of Megan Lee before, but this talented singer / songwriter is definitely one to watch. Only 17, Megan has been a professional working musician since the tender age of 11. Hailing from a mountain village community in North Wales where song is a part of everyday life, Megan was raised by touring musician parents who inspired her appetite to pursue a career as a performing singer-songwriter.

Megan plays a multitude of instruments including guitar, banjo, mandolin and piano, and is inspired by artists such as Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Eva Cassidy, Margo Price and the Dixie Chicks; Megan's music has an honest purity which takes influence from a whole host of genres including country, folk, roots, bluegrass and rockabilly.

Megan toured the U.K as lead singer of her family band 'Blue Genes' for the last 6 years and together they have released a number of singles and two EP’s. Their debut EP ‘Small Town’ came out in December 2015 and charted at #19 in the UK County iTunes chart. This was surpassed by their 2018 EP release ‘Named & Shamed’ which charted at #1.

Now Megan is branching out and starting a solo singer / songwriter career with the release of her debut track ‘Humble your Heart’.

Here at LiveWire, we’re no experts in Country music, we’d be the first to admit that. We cover a wide range of styles, and listen to what we like. And right now, there is some incredibly talented artists around on the UK Country / Americana scene such as Kezia Gill, Stuart Landon and the Angels with Dirty Faces, Jade Helliwell and Stevie Daniels. All definitely worth a listen, but I strongly recommend you add the talented Megan Lee to that list too.

Her new single ‘Humble your Heart’ will be available to pre-order from 1 March 2021, and is released on all streaming platforms on 22 March 2021. It is the first track from her forthcoming EP due to be released in the early autumn. The single and EP have been produced and recorded by Stuart Landon, who you may know from our previous reviews here. A gifted country singer / songwriter in his own right, Stuart brings his talents and experience to this release.

Musically the track is excellent, with a delightful and delicate acoustic guitar intro which matches the mood of the song so perfectly. It grows acoustically too to the first chorus where the banjo provides the melody and is underpinned by some excellent slide effect guitar work. Subtle but effective in bringing the track together. There’s also a wonderful extended guitar solo towards the end, where again the banjo and slide work play an outstanding supporting role.

The lyrics are what make this track stand out. They are simple and so so effective. Telling the story of lost love….. emotive and powerful at the same time, you truly get the sense of the power of forgiveness.

The lyrics open with “Gonna pray to you and the women that cross your path…. I’m gonna pray for you and the luck that never lasts. I’m gonna pray you find the passion in your soul, I’m gonna pray you don’t end up alone”. It delivers a real sense of grace, and a hint of pity for what may be.

It goes on to demonstrate the power of love over hatred with the lines “I’m gonna forgive your words, filled with regret, I’ll grant her amnesty when she pays for her sins when she finds herself where she knows I’ve been”.

The chorus reflects on what has happened, and despite the fine words of forgiveness, the real pain that is left behind “Humble your heart, its gonna break it’s just a matter of time. Humble your heart, and feel the hurt that you caused to mine. In days to come, you should humble your heart”.

Finally, at the end a sense of wonder, maybe tinged with regret, but again underlined by a sense of grace ? as the singer looks back at what could have been “I’m gonna think of you when I’m old and grey. I’m gonna think of you wonder what you made of that life of yours. Did someone touch your soul, I’m gonna hope you found your goal.”

What makes these lyrics so effective is the exceptional delivery. Megan has an incredible voice for someone only 17. Powerful and with beautiful tone, it is crystal clear and has a wonderful beautiful, and yet innocent tone to it.

This is a single I’ve played on repeat over and over in readiness for this review. Every time, there is some small nuance or element to find, either musically or in the vocal delivery. This track is truly a delight to listen to. Although sad in a way, it is also somehow uplifting, and full of hope for the future, with a real sense of humanity to it.

I loved this, and I’m looking forward to the release of Megan’s EP later this year. A wonderful track, and worthy of an excellent score of 9.5 from LiveWire Music.