Me and Mae have been a part of the Canadian country music scene for over four years. Their first single, ‘Love Me Leave Me Lonely’, which Meehan co-wrote with Carly Rae Jepsen, opened the barn doors for the band and they haven’t closed since.
The release of their debut album Off The Rails (Cordova Bay Records) in 2014 was quickly followed by a Nashville tour and performances at events including: Sunfest, Rockin River Country Fest, Big Valley Jamboree, Craven Country Jamboree (now Country Thunder) and more. The band won the Ray McAuley Horizon Award at the BCCMA’s in 2014 and were nominated for Group/Duo of the Year in 2016 and 2017, and also showcased at NAMM in 2017 in Anaheim, CA.
Near the end of 2017 they released their new single “To Hell With The Devil” and we had the opportunity to catch up with Shawn Meehan (guitar/vocals) to discuss the single, songwriting and what’s next for the band.
Kat: Could you talk about the inspiration behind your single “To Hell With The Devil”?
SM: Wrote it with my friend Cam Belter and we originally came up with the title , I wrote the melodies and he came up with the universal story of a guy cheating on his girl and she kicks him to the curb lol … At first Cam was reluctant to use the title but I loved it! It had a “Devil Went Down To Georgia” kind of vibe. So I convinced him to move forward and now it’s our lead single!
Kat: What is your songwriting process like?
SM: I focus more on concepts/titles, melodies and chord progressions and usually let a co-writer tell the story. That doesn’t mean I won’t help with the story, but I tend to hear melodies in my head all the time lol. My music college education tends to help when figuring out the chord arrangements ect. I had the good fortune of being mentored by John Dexter. He was a hit songwriter for A&M publishing and had written quite a few hits for big artists like Loverboy, Chicago, Platinum Blonde to name a few. When writing and producing, I certainly am guided by his influence.
Kat: Could you speak a little on your musical idols or role models?
SM: The Eagles are a big one. They wrote such incredible songs and performed them so well live. We aspire to be at that level. Zac Brown band is another great band that we are influenced by. Strong songs and great live vocals. Little Big Town is definitely another band we look up to. All these bands are great vocally driven groups and that’s what we aspire to be!
Kat: Have you ever been given any advice in regards to your music career that you felt you really connected with or made an impact?
SM: Yes, a few times. From meeting a few of my idols to our management team. We are fortunate to be surrounded by smart people.
Kat: What’s on your playlist right now?
SM: A lot of Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Eric Johnson, Danny Gatton, Steve Morse. Being a non stop student of the guitar I tend to listen to a lot of instrumental music which tends to clear the pallet and gives me fresh perspective when I dig back into writing for Me and Mae.
Kat: What can your fans expect from you next?
SM: We spent the last year writing and recording and now it’s time to get the music out to the people! They can expect a strong vocal driven show! They can come out and forget about life for a while and go on a musical journey with us.
To learn more about ‘Me And Mae’ visit: http://www.meandmae.com