Interview – Meredith Shaw

By: Amanda Hather

Meredith Shaw is a singer/song writer from Toronto, Ontario. She is also an on air personality with radio station Boom 97.3 FM, a 70s, 80s and 90s station. She has been on tour with Big Sugar, worked with producers such as Joel Plaskett, and was a 2012 TIMA (Toronto Independent Music Awards) nominee.

She also has a few EP’s/albums out: a self-titled EP, ‘Place Called Happy’, and ‘Trouble’. She is in the process of releasing three EP’s which she refers to as tringles. Each EP has different featuring artists and producers, which shows different facets of her song writing talent.  Her next EP, ‘Hardest Goodbye’ is to be released on March 4^th, 2014.

You can purchase ‘Trouble’ here on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/trouble-ep/id756953836.

Want to learn more about Meredith? Check out her social media below to keep up with what she’s doing, and keep reading this interview!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/meredithshaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meredith-Shaw/366230174529
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/meredithshawmusic
Website: http://www.meredithshaw.com/

What made you want to pursue music in the first place?

MS: Music is something that I can never remember not loving. It was so interesting to me right from the start. I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

Have you always wanted to do something with music?

MS: Yes I have and my parents were a big part of encouraging me to give it a shot. They knew I loved it and wanted to support me in whatever way they could. Thank goodness for them!

What kinds of things inspire you to write new songs?

MS: I used to feel like I had to block off time to write but now I feel like I move through the world as a writer, getting inspiration from things I overhear, new songs I love, new books I’m reading, a great photograph. It’s all fodder for new songs. All I can say is yay for voice memo.

Do you feel like being a radio personality has given you any type of advantage as to what to expect from the music industry?

MS: Not particularly. It’s been cool to get to know the music industry from another perspective but I don’t think I’d say its helped me on what to expect. I think music is in such a state of flux right now that no one knows what to expect; and that’s okay because I think it gives artists new opportunities to be creative.

What was it like working with someone like Joel Plaskett?

MS: It’s no secret I love me some Plaskett. I’ve been a huge fan of his since I first saw him play The Grad Club in Kingston while I was attending Queen’s University. I was very lucky to meet him through my touring with Big Sugar. We hit it off and decided to do some writing. That writing turned into him producing my EP “Trouble”. It all happened very organically and I loved every minute. Even though I now consider him a dear friend, the fan in me still gets a kick out of getting a text message from Joel Plaskett.

Why did you want to collaborate with different artists and producers with the three EP’s that you are releasing?

MS: I’ve been lucky to meet a lot of great people in this business. People that i wanted to collaborate with. So when I was looking to make another record I thought how could I do this a little differently? How could i release music more frequently and collaborate with all these talented humans without making a record that sounded really chopped up stylistically? And thus the ‘Tringle Series’ was born. Yup, that’s right “Tringle”.

What was it like touring with a band like Big Sugar?

MS: Me + 11 dudes in a tour bus criss crossing the country? It changes a girl J For the better of course. They are some of the best guys I know and we continue to be very close to this day. They couldn’t have been lovelier to me on tour and it was a real honour to get to sing all those beloved hits for all those great crowds. Won’t ever forget that experience.

If someone hadn’t heard your music before, how would you describe it to them? What song would you suggest they listen to first?

MS: It’s folk, it’s pop, it’s country, it’s roots? I just hope people say it’s good! If they pick up “Place Called Happy” I’d tell them to listen to Acted Badly, If they pick up “Trouble” listen to Call It A Night and if they pick up “Hardest Goodbye” on March 4^th I’d tell them to listen to the title track. And then I’d say “thanks for checking out my tuuuunes!”

Out of all of your songs, which is your favourite to perform live?

MS: “Trouble” is pretty fun because people don’t expect that outta me. It’s my Jay Z moment. Does that make you want to come to a show? Good.

Now a few fun questions:

What is the first song you remember listening to?

MS: Well once I got my ABC’s and baba black sheep down I guess the first song I remember would be Neil Diamond “Sweet Caroline” My dad was a big Diamond fan. I listened to A LOT of those records. And I do mean a lot.

What was the first CD that you bought?

MS: Nirvana Nevermind. If you asked me cassette (Old person alert!) then i would have to be honest and say NKOTB.

Favourite song by a Canadian?

MS: Oh that’s such a tough question. Oh I really can’t answer this question. I’ve written and deleted for about 10 mins now. I can’t pick just one! Moving on.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

MS: I’ve never been to Australia and a lot of my friends have been doing some touring there recently (aka surfing) so I’d like to give that a shot pretty soon.

Go to karaoke song?

MS: Bitch. Meredith Brooks.

Favourite flavour of ice cream?

MS: Mint Chocolate Chip.

Favourite TV show/movie?

MS: Right now I love Homeland and my all time movie favourite would either be Field of Dreams or Shawshank Redemption.

Favourite Canadian bands/artists?

MS: Again – tough. Blue Rodeo, Serena Ryder, Tim Chaisson, BTO, Big Sugar, Ryan Gosling (oh wait he doesn’t have a band. But if he did I know I’d love it so keep him on the list).

Do you prefer Twitter or Facebook?

MS: Facebook . 140 characters is tough for me.

Favourite concert that you’ve attended?

MS: Dixie Chicks. Dixie Chicks. Dixie Chicks.

Lastly, do you have anything you’d like to say to your fans?

MS: I love all 3 of you. xo

Amanda Hather

I’m a Toronto girl born and raised but have been living in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick since 2010. Music and writing are my two passions, so what better place for me to be than a writer with Canadian Beats? I have been writing for the blog since May of 2013 and have had so many great experiences because of it. I listen to almost every kind of music but my favourites are pop rock, rock, indie, folk, and any other combinations of them. Concerts are definitely my favourite place to be, especially when you’re right against the barricade and can feel the energy from the band and the crowd, everyone singing the same lyrics and moving to the music. I also have a college degree in Business Administration and hope to one day be able to publish a novel.