We were lucky to catch up with Meredith Crawford recently and have shared our conversation below.

Meredith, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

So far, the most meaningful project has been my first EP release, “What’s Her Name”. I wrote the song, “What’s Her Name”, right at the beginning of 2020 one Sunday morning in January. I had a gig that afternoon in Ft. Worth and had about a 4 hour drive ahead of me. I went into my kid’s bedroom and for some reason when I was in his room (he was not there), the song just poured out of me in about 45 minutes. Right away, it felt like I didn’t write it, more so it was just channeled through me. The song felt like a gift, and all of the songs that were grouped on the EP felt like gifts as well. Because of the way that felt, I really wanted to make sure that “What’s Her Name” was a fun track. In my head, it sounded very reminiscent of a 80’s teen movie with this girl power anthem just punching through the glass ceiling. As a human, but especially for me as a woman, I have found myself wondering if the person I’m in love with is still in love with someone from the past, hence how “What’s Her Name” was created. We didn’t go to the studio right away with this song, but rather we ran it through the fire for about a year or more, playing it heavily at shows and trying to gauge the crowd’s response from the various ways we would play it. Once we got in the studio, we knew exactly how we wanted it to sound. I had spent quite a bit of time in the studio before this project, but had never really “driven” prior projects as much as I should have. With prior experience and actually playing the songs at shows, the direction for “What’s Her Name” felt very clear once we were ready. “What’s Her Name” was truly the first project where ownership of the sound had to fall on me, and me only. I worked very closely with our Engineer and Producer, Christian Diebert at Good Shed Studio, and our Guitar Player/Producer, Chris Rasco, to make sure that “What’s Her Name” really landed in the right place and with the right sound. All the while, raising two kids, working a full-time job, and playing gigs on the weekend, this EP took a little longer than expected, but at the end of it all, quality for us was key. I could never thank Chris and Christian enough for their dedication and time they spent on “What’s Her Name”.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Meredith Crawford, and I’m an East Texas Singer-Songwriter. I’ve been playing music as early as 11 years old and have been writing songs since I was about 16. I had children at a young age and never really started playing shows until I was in my late 20’s around 2017, but am truly grateful for what I learned through those years. Those years would later equate to song material. Around 2017, I met Chris Rasco. Right from the start of us meeting, we started to really discover and identify a sound together. A musical identity, more or less. The more and more we played together, the tighter the ideas became, the more clear the vision became, and the stronger the songs became. He inspired me to write in a fashion that I had never really wrote in. Roughly around the same time, I started incorporating a lot more song swap shows with local songwriters. With all of these different musical influences feeding into the music we were creating, me and Chris were really able to identify the sound we wanted to go for. It doesn’t really sit in the country box, nor the rock box, folk box, or blues box. I believe the sound we have created serves many tastes. At the end of the day, my purpose in writing songs is to share in the human experience through music by bringing melody, harmony, some nostalgia, and true authenticity as core elements to the songs. You can find our recordings anywhere that you stream your music by looking for Meredith Crawford.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a songwriter is about connection with people, of all ages and of all walks of life. One of the greatest blessings is to be heard and understood, and that is one of the many blessings of songs for the listener and for the songwriter. There have been so many songs that have inspired me to change something about myself, or have comforted me through hard times, or have given me courage. I want the songs I create to do the same thing for others.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think society or people in society could best support by doing very simple things. For instance, following an artist on their social media or adding their music or incorporating their art into everyday life. . . those are really simple things that don’t take any time at all and relatively involve no cost. I know when I’m out and about playing shows, my goal is to meet new people and make connections with people through music, or there’s no reason for me to go back and play there again. For me, it feels like the only way to gain traction somehow as a songwriter!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.meredithcrawfordmusic.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/meredithcrawfordmusic
• Facebook: facebook.com/meredithcrawfordmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkeB8y_QMw4UlCRQaYjucFw
• Other: To subscribe! . . . meredithcrawfordmusic.com/subscribe

Image Credits
Kevin Tinney, Eric Orange, Bri Gibson