Q&A: Singer Melissa Livingstone on songwriting faux pas, small town anthems and more
Photo provided.
Growing up in Ucluelet on one of the most western points of Vancouver Island to living in Okanagan wine country and now Nashville, country singer Melissa Livingstone has no shortage of life experiences to draw inspiration from when she's penning a new song.
With 2022 releases like "Small Town Thing” and "Country Enough", it's easy to see that the talented singer-songwriter holds her small town roots near and dear. The latter of the two catchy tunes wound up going viral on TikTok last year, amassing an impressive one million views on the app, which led to plenty of streaming success on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Currently working hard in Nashville writing, recording and performing at bars around the city, Melissa Livingstone took some time out of her hectic life to chat with us about everything from songwriting tips to her latest single "Grew Up On It" and iconic Canadian foods she misses down south.
Has your approach to creating music changed since relocating from BC to Nashville?
I have always felt sure of who I was as an artist and I know my brand, so that hasn’t changed since I moved here, but I feel like I’m more open to different ways of writing music and putting music into the world. There are so many creative minds here, so just being open to listening and learning from other people has been huge.
We’re all hustling and trying to figure this industry out, so the more we grow together, the more we’re all gonna win.
Your latest single “Grew Up On It” feels like a nostalgic small town anthem, where did you get the idea for the tune?
It’s definitely a small town anthem! I grew up in Ucluelet, BC and there wasn’t a lot to do other than make our own fun and that’s just how it was. My dad was super into dirt bikes, so naturally, me and my two older sisters and all our friends would go every weekend. My dad taught us how to change the oil, build a shed and kind of take care of ourselves.
I’ve always felt in my older years that because I kind of looked like a “girly girl”—because I wore makeup and did my nails—that guys wouldn’t take me seriously as someone who grew up doing the nitty-gritty stuff. I had written in my phone, “I may not look like it, but I grew up on it,” and, well, the rest is history!
Do you have a great tip for a musician looking to improve their songwriting skills?
Write with as many people as you can until you find the people who bring out the best in your songwriting skills. I’ve written with numerous people and I feel like I’m only now just finding the individuals who I love writing with the most, and that I write the best songs with.
Ultimate faux pas when you're in a songwriting session with other artists?
Ha, ha, ha, I’ve never had someone ask me this before!
I think it’s a bad look when someone doesn’t keep an open mind and kind of hogs the write. Nobody likes a song hog!
What's one song by an independent Canadian artist that you wish you had written?
I think the song “First Names” by Ben Chase is incredibly well written and I wish I had been a co-writer on it .
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What was your favourite gig of the past year?
This is incredibly hard to answer because 2022 was one of the best years of my life, and I had some of my most monumental shows ever.
I’m gonna give you my Top 3 because I can’t decide: Coca-Cola Stage at the Calgary Stampede, Sunfest on Vancouver Island and The Listening Room in Nashville.
We love our food! What’s a Canadian dish you've been craving since moving to Nashville?
Poutine, for sure! I’ve had a breakfast poutine here, but it’s just not the same. And I always miss sipping on a really good Caesar.
Canadians mostly think of barbecue and hot chicken when they think of Nashville. What’s one thing that people wouldn’t expect from the food scene there?
The Mexican food is so good. I probably eat Mexican 1-3 times a week down here.
Broadway is a crazy busy street these days, so what are some lesser known places to check out that a tourist may not know about?
My favourite bars outside of downtown are Music City Bar and Grill, Scoreboard, Live Oak, Tin Roof and Post 82 The American Legion in East Nashville.
All of them have amazing live music. You’ll find anything from cover bands to writers’ rounds to old honky-tonk, so there’s something for everyone.
