Dear readers, today we are excited to introduce you to Rowan Meagher, aka Marr Not Meeger, a swiss-irish-american singer-songwriter currently based in Paris. Having grown up in Geneva, with an irish father and american mother, she has always felt slightly out of place. Music has allowed her to find that place. She started singing in her school's choir, and took up guitar after one of her teachers told her she had "unusually large hands for her age". After graduating highschool a year early, she moved to Paris to pursue music at ATLA school. At just 18 years old, she has released two singles and her first e.p, "The Boy In The Tree", will be released in the fall. Her music, blending indie-pop, folk, and 90's grunge, with evocative lyrics and addictive melodies, is both refreshing and familiar.
I am extremely flattered. It is a huge honour to be recognised for my music, especially on an international scale.
We are so delighted to meet you and learn more about your music career. Before we get going, we would like you to introduce yourself to our readers. Tell us a little bit about your background: how did you discover your passion for music, your studies, your music influences…
Absolutely. My family is Irish, but I grew up mostly in Switzerland, and am now working on my music in Paris. I also work part time as a nanny. My stage name “Marr Not Meeger” comes from my last name “Meagher” which people often pronounce wrong. I discovered my passion for writing long before music; I have always loved to write. I started taking singing lessons and singing in a choir, which is when I realised that songwriting was something I wanted to pursue. I started playing guitar, and things evolved from there.
What artistic projects are you currently working on?
I am currently finishing up an EP that will be released this autumn, and I’m also gigging around Paris as much as possible between music school and work.
Going back to your childhood, did you grow up in a musical family?
Not at all. My mother sang a little, but my father could barely hold a tune. My sister took piano lessons that she hated. It appears as though my musical skills sprang from nowhere.
What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?
I played guitar as a small child, but didn’t have the patience to continue. I picked it up again around age 14, when I started writing. I always have a melody in my head, and I have a lot of things to say, and music has allowed me to express myself and feel a little better about myself and the world.
You recently released your latest single "Pizza for breakfast", how has the reception been so far?
Not bad to be honest. The second single rarely gets as much buzz as the first, but it’s a track that is truly special to me, and people seem to be connecting with it.
How has the Paris music scene challenged or benefited you artistically?
It has been amazing for opportunities. It’s such a vibrant city and there are so many great places to play. The negative side of the coin is that it can be really overwhelming, and I delve into that in my EP.
What is the general creative path of piece writing for you?
It either starts with a challenge or goal I set myself (write a song in this key, about this topic, ect), or an idea that just pops into my head. From there it’s about playing it over and over on the guitar until I have a structure I’m happy with, then arranging it with a band or on my computer. I’ve been learning a lot about production lately, and it’s a goal of mine to be able to fully produce at least a few songs on the EP myself.
literally anywhere. It can be something that happens in my life, works of fiction, other music, other art forms such as painting or photography, absolutely anything. I got an idea for a song last week at a psg game. I was sitting at the back near the ultras, who were very loud as it was the last home game of the season, and I was inspired by the melody of one of their chants, so I spent all of half time in a bathroom stall singing into my phone.
If your creativity was a Star, from which corner of the sky would it come and what wishes would it grant as it crosses the night of your mind?
As someone who struggles with insomnia a great deal of the time, it does often feel like a shooting star. I get ideas that just pop into my head, and I have to stop what I’m doing to capture them before they float away.
If music was a magical potion, which album would be your favorite elixir and what spell would it cast in your daily life?
I feel like although there are so many great albums, I would want to drink “Unreal Unearth” by Hozier. It has a very magical essence about it. I think it would give me the ability to fly.
"Yellowcar" is a song that you presented at the "On The Music Waves - International Song Contest" . Was there anything in particular that inspired you when writing this song ? We remind readers that the piece received an honorable mention for "On The Music Waves International Song Contest" by Art-Waves.) What is behind the story of “Yellowcar" ? Is there something personal in there, like something that really happened to you or some emotions that you've personally felt on your skin? What’s the backstory on it?
The idea came from the yellow car game. You know the one where when you see a yellow car on the street you have to punch whoever you’re standing next to. I thought about whether people who drive yellow cars ever think about how many people get punched because of them, then I thought about how that could be a metaphor for sabotage in relationships, or relishing in the pain that you cause to your partner. How you might continue to drive the car (be in the relationship) despite the pain you cause because it’s faster than walking. It’s totally fictional, I’ve never even had a boyfriend. The song is also kind of an homage to the band Yellowcard, who i thought were called “Yellowcar” and was a big fan of when I was like seven.
We know this song is the preparation for the launch of your debut album “The Boy in The Tree”, a seven-song EP which is scheduled for release the next fall…
You guessed it ;) I’ve put so much work into this project, these seven songs are the bane of my existence, but they’re also my babies. The project is me navigating my entrance into the music scene, and simultaneously the adult world, and I really hope it can be the start of a long and beautiful adventure.
How do you stay inspired and creative?
I think understanding that inspiration waxes and wanes is really important. I’ve recently had tons of ideas for new songs because of the springtime, but I wasn’t writing much for a few months beforehand. I think the key to new ideas is listening to as much and as many different kinds of music as possible.
What are your musical goals? What do you desire?
I would like to keep making music for as long as possible. I would absolutely love to go on tour one day, that would be the ultimate dream. I want to continue to write, improve, make albums, play in bands, and build a community that enjoys what I do.
What does music and making music mean to you? Tell us about the power of music.
Wow, music is truly the most powerful force in my life. It’s what gets me out of bed, it’s what keeps me putting up with things I don’t like. Music means everything to me. It has the power to change lives, it is truly so beautiful, especially live. THere is nothing quite like live music.
My favorite book is Jane Eyre, but to me it’s just such a perfect piece of writing that nothing I could ever say about it would ever come close. I could write essays about Jane Eyre, but not a song. I think if I were to write a song about a book it would be some sort of murder mystery. I recently read a couple of Agatha Christies that I thought were superb, I love that whole vibe and I think it would make an interesting song.
What was your most memorable live show?
It would probably be a gig I did last month when I visited my family in switzerland. It was at a bar called Charly O’Neills and a bunch of my old friends that I hadn’t seen in a long time showed up to support me. They all knew all the words to yellowcar, it was so special.
Do you have any advice for those that might not know where to begin, or may be too afraid to share their talent with the world?
I would say to those who don’t know where to begin: experiment, try all sorts of different things, and observe. See what others around you are doing, and if you feel a pang of jealousy, follow that instinct. Jam sessions are a great place to try things without any pressure.
To those too afraid to put themselves out there: I get you. For years I was terrified to sing in public. The first singing lesson I ever did I was too afraid to even sing in front of the teacher. It took years of constantly battling with myself to get over, and I’m still not fully over it. I think searching for non-competitive environments where you feel safe is a great place to start, and finding a community, playing in ensembles or singing in choirs. It’s easier to put yourself out there with a team by your side.
We would like to imagine your music as a metaphor with certain colors, particular scents, images of scenery … how would you describe yourself?
That’s a really nice question. Each song I create has its own universe or ecosystem. Yellowcar would obviously be a yellow car driving down one of those winding roads on the Californian coast, all windswept with the radio blasting Green Day or something. Pizza For Breakfast is like an icy blue mixed with orange. To me it symbolises wintertime, waking up and getting dressed under the covers, eating cold leftovers from the night before, thinking about lost love while moodily staring out the window. I can’t spoil too much about the other tracks on the EP, you’ll just have to listen to it when it comes out, but overall I would describe it as the transition from adolescence to adulthood, the feeling of the summer after finishing school, nostalgia mixed with excitement, the bright blues and greens.
Overall, is there something you wish more people knew about you?
I wish more people knew how sensitive I am, and how affected I am by everything that happens around me. I think that that sensitivity can lead to improving my work, but it also means that I struggle with immensely low self-esteem.
We close this interview with our usual question: what is Art and who are the artists in your opinion?
Oh my. I never did very well in philosophy. I would say as vague as it is, art is something cool with a meaning. Art is a way for the human brain to turn some of the mess of the world into something pretty, to let out all of the confusion and fear of being alive. I firmly believe that everyone has the capability to make art, and we should all nurture the artists inside of us.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me! I hope your music comes to be more and more known and can bring deep emotions to tons of souls. I wish you much success and for your dreams to come true! We hope to see you in Italy for a live show!
The pleasure was all mine! I am truly honored that my music struck a chord with you and I would love to play in Italy someday!
To keep up with MARR NOT MEEGER and listen to more of their music follow her on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marrnotmeeger
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/artist/2iRebx6MaKhPA3LWqBwsVq
Interview by Marianna L. for Art-Waves
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