Local StoriesSeptember 8, 2022

Conversations with Meredith Shock

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Shock.

Hi Meredith, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always loved music- ever since I was a little girl, I sang along to all the Country songs my mom played in the car. Being a singer has been my dream for as long as I can remember. Songwriting and guitar playing came to me around age 9, when I realized I wanted to include songwriting in my dreams. That being said, the songs I wrote at 9 years old are quite different from what I write now. In high school, I finally got the courage to play in front of people at a show called “Unplugged.” I played an original song- just me and my guitar to close the show- and I got a standing ovation. That rush of playing on stage and hearing people enjoy my music motivated me to keep chasing my dreams. College wasn’t part of my dream, but I did attend community college before transferring to James Madison University, where I majored in writing and minored in the music industry. I kept playing and writing throughout college, even landing some gigs at my university. Studying the music industry helped me understand what it was going to take to get somewhere in the field and also helped me get my internship in Nashville. After I graduated in December 2017, I moved to Nashville to do an internship with an artist management company. I’ve been here almost 5 years, and I’m still writing songs, playing shows, releasing music, and chasing my dreams. This is my first year playing original music with a live band, and it’s been so much fun! I’m also releasing my first EP later this year, which I am excited about!

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I first moved to Nashville, I was really set on becoming a Country singer/songwriter. It was what I grew up with, what I knew, and basically what I wrote. But as I settled in Nashville, things started to change slowly. I realized I didn’t even listen to Country music anymore- I disagreed with some of the songs’ themes, and I hesitated to commit to a genre (at the time) less welcoming to queer musicians. I had to do some introspective thinking to figure out how I wanted to present myself and what genre that would lead me into. I was certain that I would never hide who I loved.

Another struggle- was I had to get over my insecurities. When I first moved here, it took me over 6 months to start playing out at places because I kept comparing myself to everyone else. I didn’t think I was good enough or had enough experience, almost that I didn’t “deserve” to play yet. I now know I was wrong. I had to put myself out there to gain experience. I’ve met some awesome people and have played more times than I could have imagined. It’s easy to compare yourselves to others, thinking about what you’re missing or that you’re not as talented- but now I’m focusing on what I have to offer.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a singer/songwriter who writes what I know and feel. People around me know that I’m an emotional and sensitive person- I have many feelings and don’t tend to hide them. I am a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and am proud of it. My songs are:

My stories. True stories I write about the heartbreak I’ve been through. The people I’ve loved and lost. Anything is going on in my life.

My current relationship has been my muse for a lot of my writing lately. Luckily most of them are happy, in love songs. I don’t shy away from using she/her pronouns in my songs because I think queer representation in music is important, and I’m proud to be a queer artist. When I was younger, I needed to hear artists singing about how it’s okay to love who you love. And now, I’m proud to be that artist for young kids who may need to hear that message. In my songwriting, I focus on bringing forward stories that other people can relate to. As I said, I write about what I feel and know, but I try to reframe it so listeners can see their own stories and experiences through my lyrics.

What was you like growing up?
I’m a middle child. When I tell people that, they suddenly understand why I am the way I am. I love my family and siblings, but I was also born between my older deaf brother and younger triplet siblings. It was easy to get a little bit ignored. I’m also an Air Force brat, so my family moved around quite a bit growing up. My siblings and I constantly had to make new friends, learn about our new location, and deal with my dad being deployed. I think that’s why I’ve wanted to be a singer/songwriter, to have some spotlight on me and to have an outlet for my feelings. I’ve always loved having attention on me, and being one of six kids, it was hard always to get it, so I branched out and did something none of my siblings did- music. Growing up with 4 brothers and one sister, I was a tomboy. I loved to play sports and roughhouse with my brothers. As some people would call it, I wasn’t into super “girly” stuff. I was fortunate that my parents were never one to care to separate our toys by gender, so I was playing with hot wheels and Bratz dolls simultaneously. But growing up with that many siblings also meant they picked on me a lot. I was an easy target. As my loving sibling puts it, I was a “middle child with frizzy hair, a major tomboy, and pretty sensitive. Always taking their “jokes” to heart.” That still hasn’t changed.

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