Singer Megan Winsor On Songwriting, Favorite Musician, And New Album ’11’

This singer-songwriter is back with more music!

USC student and talented singer-songwriter, Megan Winsor is definitely showing that her music is here to stay. Now, with thousands of streams, she’s back with her debut album ’11’, and it’s already full of playlist-saves.

We had the amazing honor of talking with Megan on her song ‘Generations’, her music background, and more!

What first got you into music? 

M: “My family had an old grand piano that belonged to my great grandfather’s church. At around 11 years old, I started playing around on the piano and writing silly songs. My parents, who are not musically inclined at all, then found an amazing piano teacher who happened to also be a singer/songwriter. From there, I taught myself guitar and started playing shows with my original music at 14.”

How would you describe the songs on 11? 

M: “The songs on 11 acted almost as my therapy throughout the past couple of years. Whether it was my love life or circumstances I could not control, like a global pandemic, I always was drawn back to my guitar and writing to get through the pain. This album shows where I’ve been and how I’ve grown not only as a person but as an artist as well. The fun pop-rock vibe on top of all of that is a great bonus.” 

What influenced you to be a singer-songwriter? 

M: “I can’t really pinpoint the moment when I knew that writing music was what I was meant to do. It started pouring out of me at 11 years old and never stopped. I’m so grateful for the people around me who have supported my career for this long and encouraged me to keep at it.”

How long does it take for you to write a song? What was the songwriting process like for “Generations”? 

M: “Compared to other songwriters, I write very fast. It takes, on average, about an hour to write a complete song. If I start writing and don’t finish a song in that same sitting, the song will probably get lost in the unknown of my unnamed voice memos. “Generations” was one of these quick writes. I came up with the chorus, as it is now, within the first 2 minutes and built the song around it. But, I had a completely different verse melody idea at the start that was really quite sad. I loved the chorus so much and wanted it to be an upbeat song that I went back the next day and revised the song. Thank God I did.“

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

M: “I would love to open for Finneas. I admire his writing and production greatly and would love to get the chance to talk about music with him.”

What is your favorite song from 11 to perform? 

M: “When The Devil Calls” for sure is a fun one. But, I actually haven’t had the chance to perform all the songs on 11 live yet. This April I am having a belated album release show, so come to the show to find out!“

Who helped you most in your journey? 

M: “100% my parents. They have been so supportive since the start and have taught me so much about business and how to stand up for myself.”

Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to sing as a career? 

M: “Never take no for an answer, keep at it, and always be nice. The music industry is all about working with the people you like.”

What’s next for you? 

M: “I graduate from college in May and move to Nashville to pursue being a full-time songwriter! More music will come soon, just not super soon.”

Interview Conducted By: Rashida Brown