The title of Sasha McVeigh’s latest single, “God Bless This Mess”, may make you think her feet aren’t fully planted, but it could not be farther from the truth. She knows right where she stands. But, she is also not scared to take risks. How country is that? You don’t need to just take my word for it, though. We did a little interview, and if one of us is a mess, it’s me. It took a few tries to get her Southern Fish and Chips recipe just right, but we finally nailed it. So look out for that and enter that giveaway at the end. Here is our interview with country music artist Sasha McVeigh.

Tell us about your road to Nashville.

My road to Nashville is a rather long one because I’m originally from the UK. But to ensure this interview doesn’t go on for pages and pages, I will give you the slightly detoured version. 

I’ve been a country music fan my entire life because my Dad would always play his Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, etc. cassette tapes and vinyl in the house when I was growing up – my family also tells stories about how, from when I was 18 months old, my Dad would dance with me around the coffee table in our living room to Country Music Television. I started rediscovering the genre for myself when I was around 11 years old and started writing songs when I was 12; the songs just came out sounding country. 

From 2012-2016, I would make frequent trips to Nashville, Tennessee, with my Mum to pursue my music. In addition to performing on Lower Broadway in Nashville, my Mum would also organize tours across the United States where I’d perform on the main stage at some of the biggest country music festivals, alongside artists like Eric Church, Luke Bryan, and Miranda Lambert. When I look back, it’s amazing what the two of us were able to achieve, and it’s no wonder people dubbed us “the Thelma and Louise of country music”. Then, in 2017, I was finally approved for my green card and was able to officially move to Nashville and plant some roots. 

It seems a little flippant to explain it like that because the immigration process of moving to Nashville was honestly one of the most grueling and traumatic things I’ve ever been through. Until I was an “official” resident of the United States, I constantly felt like I was fighting an uphill battle in terms of my music career because people in the industry can be very dismissive if you don’t live in Nashville. Still, my situation wasn’t as simple as just moving. However, I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and, at the end of the day, it’s all part of my story. 

What do you feel are some important things you have learned in the music industry?

Money talks more than talent for the most part, and that was an immensely sad realization for me. I don’t come from money, I’m 27, and my parents have been pensioners, as we say in the UK, since I started this journey in 2012, and as such, they sold whatever they could to help me fund everything – which was an incredible thing for them to do. You could have a number one song on your hands, but if you don’t have the money to record it (usually starting at $2,000 per song), then how are you going to get it out there? Similarly, if you want your music on the radio (i.e., on multiple major radio stations), you have to put on a radio tour which starts at a minimum of $300,000. Want to get your music featured in media outlets? Well, you need a PR team which can be anywhere from $1,500-10,000 per month. Need to record a music video? That’ll cost you anywhere from $1,500-$15,000 or more, depending on the concept. Meanwhile, you could be asked to perform on the main stage at a festival, in the opening slot of the day, and you’ll get paid $500 – imagine trying to use $500 to pay yourself, your band, your hotel, your gas, etc., but you don’t want to say no because it’s a huge opportunity. 

I completely agree that everyone should be paid for their time, effort, and their work, but when artists are largely underpaid for their gigs, streams, and other means of income, it seems very lopsided to me that these services we ‘have’ to use to be successful cost more than the majority of us can afford, without having an investor on board or a wealthy family.

Obviously, there are exceptions, and social media platforms like TikTok have been game-changers as far as giving independent artists a means of getting their music out there to fans without having a big budget behind them. 

But it just seems a little ironic that country music was always targeted towards the working man, but to be successful, for the most part, you have to have a silver spoon in your mouth.

Who are your top 3 influences, and how did they shape you as an artist?

I always find this question tricky because there are so many artists that have helped shape me over the years. But if I had to choose, I would say: 

Keith Urban – Like me, he’s what people call an “international artist” but has managed to make his mark within a very “American” genre. I suppose you could say he’s given artists like me a bit of a roadmap on succeeding in America while also retaining the roots of where you come from.  

Taylor Swift – I remember the moment I first heard Taylor’s music, and it was like some puzzle pieces in my brain finally fit together. When I was younger, I was always told my lyrics were too autobiographical and that I needed to write in a more generalized way for my songs to be relatable…then in came Taylor Swift with lyrics that sounded like they’d been ripped directly from her diary. Hearing her music gave me more confidence in my own songwriting, and there’s no denying how much she opened up the industry to a younger generation of musicians and fans. Without Taylor, I don’t know if I’d have been able to do all of the things I’ve done over the years, simply because before Taylor, the industry didn’t take much notice of younger artists, but she changed that, and she ultimately paved the way for artists like me. 

Lady Gaga – Although musically, Lady Gaga and I couldn’t be more different, she has undoubtedly shaped the way I dress on stage, the way I deal with criticism, and the way I see myself, in the sense that I’m now not afraid to be exactly who I am. It’s funny, people often say that we look alike, and when I sing “Shallow”, I joke that requests for that song are probably going to pay off my mortgage faster than any of my songs will!    

What is the best way to start the day? 

A cup of coffee with milk and a biscuit, or cookie as they say here in the States. I feel off-balance if I haven’t had a coffee in the morning! 

What fad or trend to hope comes back?

Shoulder pads, without a doubt!!! 

We are constantly developing recipes here at Southern Fellow. When writing music, what recipe do you use?

Aside from the basics of a song needing to have a melody, lyrics, a story, and some rhyming pattern, I don’t follow a specific recipe or formula. Songwriters in Nashville often talk about the “Nashville formula,” which is said to be a formula to write the perfect country song. I’ve never been one to follow the rules – after all, I’m a British girl, singing country music – so I tend to just write what I feel and let the creativity flow.