Interview: Sasha McVeigh

Country is back! And this time it has a British twist. With Ward Thomas and The Shires hitting the road in the UK for a fully British country tour, songstress Sasha McVeigh is proving that British success need not be restricted to the UK. Having taken Nashville by storm, we
decided to take Sasha on a trip down musical memory lane.

When did you first realise you wanted to make music?

Well, I've always wanted to make music and sing, even when I was little you couldn't take me anywhere without me bursting into song!

But I started this journey professionally when I finished Sixth Form College in 2012. My parents made a deal with me that if I got good grades in my GCSE's and A-Levels then they would help me pursue my music.

I ended up getting accepted to five universities but of course turned them down to focus on this and my parents supported that decision 100%.

We actually sold everything we could to fund this, because their pensioners so I don't come from money or anything, and the fact they went all in with me is something I'll cherish for the rest of my life.

There aren't words to express how grateful I am to them!

If you could go back to that day, what piece of advice would you give yourself?

One of the mistakes I've made is having too much faith and trust in people. In the music industry a lot of people blow smoke and promise you the earth, then never come through. In some cases, that's fair enough I suppose because important people have a lot on their plates.

But my attitude is, if you make a promise then you should keep it. I've wasted a fair amount of time because people have said they'd help and then haven't, whereas it would've saved me time and energy if they'd just been straight with me and said they didn't have time to or didn't want to help.

I think that translates over into every day life though too and I wish I'd been more aware of that in the beginning.

What is your writing process?

I'm not one of those songwriters who can just sit down and write, the inspiration has to strike me. Weirdly I usually get my best sparks of inspiration in the middle of the night and when I'm in the shower.

I get a lyric along with a melody and go from there. Sometimes it's a fast process and the song gets written in 10 minutes, other times it could take a few months. All my songs are written from real life experiences.

Their like rhyming diary entries!

Where do you look for inspiration?

I listen to all different genres of music and also to lots of different artists. But I get inspiration for my songs just in my everyday life and from things people tell me.

I've found the best songs are those that come from real experiences, that's what listeners relate to most. I love those types of songs and that's what I try to write.

However, in a different sense, my Mum is a huge inspiration to me. She's such a strong person and never let's anyone stand in her way or get her down, even though she's had to deal with some tough things in her life.

She's definitely my biggest inspiration and drives me to want to be better. She's my best friend!

If your music were a person, what would their personality be? Where do you think it would live?

Well for one they'd probably be bi-polar (laughs) because one minute my songs are really upbeat and happy, then the next they're all about heartbreak and sadness.

No, I'm kidding, if my music were a person they would probably be a lot like me. Perhaps a little more optimistic than I am, at times I tend to be a "glass half empty" person and a lot of my songs give a sense of the opposite.

They'd certainly be a bit of a hopeless romantic but also very guarded. Definitely, they would be extremely honest and open, as I said my music is very real, and I'd like to think they'd live in somewhere like Colorado, or the Smoky Mountain area of Tennessee.

Somewhere really beautiful, where the landscape inspires that sense of openness, the type of inspiration you hear in John Denver songs. But they'd originally be from Liverpool - I fell in love with the city when I went there recently on tour, there's so much music history there, it's amazing.

If you had to cite your biggest three influences, what would they be?

Of course country music in general, in particular artists such as the Zac Brown Band, Dolly Parton (and other traditional country artists like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash who my Dad would play to me when I was little), Shania Twain and Elvis Presley (although he's more rock 'n' roll).

Disney is definitely a big influence, I've watched the movies and listened to the music from the minute I was born - seriously, never challenge me to Disney trivia because you won't stand a chance (laughs).

Disney has certainly influenced the "fairytale" aspects of some of my songs. My third biggest influence would probably be my passion for Native American history and culture, in terms of influencing my dress sense and what I wear on stage.

I love anything with fringing and I wear feather earrings all the time! I'm a total nerd when it comes to that part of American history and it's definitely had an impact on my style and also my song-writing because I have in fact written a song about the struggles Native American Indians faced then and still face now.

What are your three favourite records of the moment?

Even though it was released in 2013, I'm loving Charlie Worsham's album 'Rubberband'. I met Charlie when I performed for The Academy of Country Music and ran into him again over the summer when I was at the music festival Country Stampede.

He was fantastic live and so I bought his album and it didn't disappoint. I'm loving 'Cheek To Cheek', the collaboration between Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

She's amazing and he's just a legend, and the album is flawless!

One of my favourite albums of all time is 'You Get What You Give' by the Zac Brown Band, so that has got to be one of the three, I listen to it all the time.

What song do you wish you had written?

That's such a tough one because there are so many amazing songs out there, I mean just look at Bob Dylan's writing, he's incredible.

But, one song that struck a chord in me like no other has ever done is a track by Brantley Gilbert called 'You Don't Know Her Like I Do'. Now, it's probably not the greatest song in the world but I have never related to a song so perfectly than with this one.

Honestly just change the 'her' to 'him' and you've got exactly, word for word what I went through with a guy in High School. It shocks me that I didn't write that song because it is so accurate and relatable to me.

But, I do have a huge amount of respect for songwriters and I could give you a list of song's I wish I'd even had a hand in writing. Some of John Denver's song's are perfection, the way he conveys a sense that the sky's the limit in his music, that feeling of open space and freedom, not to mention he manages to musically capture the landscape that he's writing about - it's amazing.

If you could collaborate with any living artist, who would it be?

Zac Brown and Wyatt Durrette hands down. I would give anything to write a song with those two. The music they write together is magical, I love every song they write. I could listen to Zac Brown Band albums over and over again and never get bored.

But again, it's a tough question because there are singers I'd love to collaborate with and also songwriters. I think youcan learn so much from all these different artists and it's a blessing to get the chance to work with any of them.

Touring is a big part of a musicians life, what are your tour must haves?

My dog, Hami, is a must have for me but unfortunately I don't get to take him with me when I tour abroad. It's just too expensive and risky with the whole quarantine situation. I love him to death and it's really hard when I have to leave him behind, so I carry a photograph of him with me in my purse, that way he's always with me really. When I'm touring in the US I have to take my Yorkshire Tea teabags with me!

No offence to Americans but their teabags are awful and whenever I go I take enough Yorkshire Tea to last the entire time I'm there - I'm really perpetuating the British stereotype with that one!

A good music playlist is a definite must, especially with all the long drives, I've got to have some great music to sing-a-long to in the car. Luckily my Mum comes on tour with me which is amazing, but I have pictures of my family on my phone for when I get home-sick.

It's fantastic being out on the road and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I do get home-sick from time to time and it's nice to have pictures and little videos with me when that happens.

What makes a good live show?

I think it's great when the artist takes time to interact with the audience and tell the stories behind the song's their singing, that's something I try to do at my shows and I love it!

There's a big difference in enjoyment whether the artist just sings the songs and leaves, or they take time to talk with the crowd and have those personal more intimate moments.

Along with fantastic music from the musicians and the artist themselves, as well as a good stage production, for me that's what makes a good live show.



What has been your favourite performance to date?

I've had lots of amazing gigs, but the greatest gig to date has got to have been when I performed at The Academy of Country Music Kick-Off Concert in Vegas, back in April at The LINQ.

It was the inaugural show at The LINQ and I was the first artist, ever, to perform on that stage. Hunter Hayes was the headliner and Cole Swindell and David Nail also performed.

I still can't believe I performed alongside such talented artists. My face was on a huge billboard on the Las Vegas strip and everything. It was a real 'dream-come-true' moment and I can't thank the ACM enough for the opportunity and for believing in me. The crowd were wonderful too and I wish I could do it all over again, it was the most fun!