Petite in stature at 5'4", gentle blue eyes, youthfully mature and philosophically poetic in every word…this is Megan Lane, the singer and guitarist of the funk-blues-R & B-soul band Megan Lane and Deep Set Soul.
Although only 16, she is already deemed a seasoned musician by fellow musicians and peers. In fact, Megan officially released her first album "Purple and Blue" this March, and it's gaining success and credibility by the minute. As such, she had CD release parties in Saskatoon, Swift Current and Regina locations, accompanied by a mini tour throughout southern Saskatchewan.
There is no doubt about it; Megan is no stranger to the stage. She has been performing since the age of 12 at concerts, local public jam sessions, festivals and showcasing events throughout Western Canada, each of which have made her quite well known amoung classmates and locals.
In fact, not more than two minutes after I joined Megan for coffee, she was approached by an adoring fan.
"Excuse me," said the women who approached Megan from the other end of the coffeehouse. "Are you Megan Lane?"
Megan shyly nodded her dreadlocked mane as she humbly smiled, with a simple and polite "Yes."
The fan was ecstatic.
"I'm moving out of the city at the end of the month and I was hoping to get your CD before I leave," the woman earnestly yet excitedly explained. "I just love your music. Where can I get one of your CDs?"
Megan seemed pleased as she politely told the woman about her upcoming CD release party at Lydia's in Saskatoon, her hometown, where she would have CDs and other merchandise for sale.
The woman said she would be sure to go the CD release party, and thanked Megan for her time before she departed.
This is the story of Megan Lane. She performs, she draws attention, and then takes it all in with gracious professionalism.
Although Megan didn't take guitar lessons until she was 11, she had always been surrounded by musical influences. While her parents are music lovers in general, both her older sister and brother are heavily involved in the Saskatchewan music scene, with her parents managing each of their children's music careers. Her sister Jen, now 21, recently released her second album, "Injection," a modern folk-jazz album. Her 18-year-old brother Jeremy plays Tom Waits style music.
At the age of 12 Megan starting performing at a local all-ages music club called Bud's, where jams took place on Saturday afternoons.
"I was first introduced to Bud's jams when I went there with my friend Zack from elementary school," Megan explained. "There were lots of young musicians there, like Jordan Cook and The Mocking Shadows, and I wanted to do the same thing."
By performing at Bud's jams, Megan was able to meet and network with other experienced musicians. At this time, she met her drummer Bryce Lemky and bassist Dai Kobayashi, who now form her three-piece band.
Soon after, Megan began getting calls to do shows and perform at music festivals all over Saskatchewan.
"I love doing live shows," Megan said. "It's great to see the audience's reactions and to connect with the crowd."
In fact, Megan incorporated her love of performing and the stage in the theme of her album because she feels 'purple' and 'blue' when she performs.
"Purple is anger and blue is love," Megan explained. "I feel a contrast between the two when I'm on stage and I lose myself in the music."
Anyone who has seen Megan live or has listened to her CD can testify that she is not only a talented songwriter, but also a very poetic and philosophical person. Having written and produced every song on the album, Megan was able to bare her soul in the music.
"Everything inspires me to write," Megan explains. "I write about life situations that everyone faces and the human race in general. I even wrote a song on the album in respect to the war victims in other cultures."
Being blues based, Megan's album has an authentic, live three-piece band sound that was influenced by artists like B.B. King, Jimmy Hendrix, Johnny Lang, and even Fiona Apple.
"Live is what we do," Megan said. "Our fans have grown with us when it comes to live performance, but we want them to appreciate the amount of studio creativity we have added to each song on the album."
Having independently produced her album at Audio Art Recording in Saskatoon, Megan is grateful for the artistic freedom she was able to express during her recording time. As such, she is carefully looking for a major-label record deal that will still allow her to remain creative and produce music that is true to her heart.
"It's not about fame or making money," Megan sincerely stated. "It's about playing music and expressing my feelings."
In this light, Megan says music is her life and she will work everything else around it, even challenges that occasionally cross her career path.
"The biggest thing I've had to deal with as a musician has been my age," Megan explained. "Sometimes people don't take me seriously because I'm so young. I've also had to get permits to play at certain venues where there's a legal age, for being allowed to play at bars or festivals."
Each gig or festival that Megan has performed at has been a learning experience, and she hopes that other young aspiring artists may also learn something from her own journey.
"Don't let anyone push you around," Megan advised. "Play anywhere and everywhere, even if you're not getting paid. It's the experience that counts."
Megan Lane
Youthful, Energetic, and Real
by Alyssa Ingold
July 31, 2009
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