About
SHORT BIO
Meg Murray is an Annapolis based Wammie (Washington Area Music Awards) nominated singer-songwriter who has worked with Grammy winning producers Timbaland, (Justin Timberlake) John Alagia, (John Mayer) and Bill Plummer, (Stevie Wonder) performed with her friend and mentor Eva Cassidy, has sung on numerous national and regional commercials as well as national and regional releases as a backup singer, and was a founding board member of the nonprofit AMFM, Inc. Annapolis Musicians Funding Musicians where she served as Secretary for 11 years.
Meg is celebrating 30 years of performing as half of the Songwriter Association of Washington (SAW) Award winning acoustic duo August West with Steve Lowe. In the 90’s, Meg was the lead singer and songwriter for the R&B/funk band Non-Fiction and the alt-rock band Hussy, as well as vocalist for the jazz CD Music from The Play Tipton by Jeff Muller, about the life of musician Billy Tipton.
Meg has produced and released 5 CDs of original material on her own Girl Island Productions label, played in venues up and down the East Coast from NYC to Birmingham, AL, and opened for acts such as America, Julian Lennon, Todd Rundgren, Marti Jones, Jonatha Brook, Southside Johnny, Edwin McCain, Aaron Neville and many others.
Meg is a founding member of The Songbird Collective and The Songbird Festival, a womens festival in honor of the late Eva Cassidy, along with singer/songwriters Laura Brino, Danah Denice and Jeanette Lynn.
Meg Murray performs regularly with singer/songwriter Angie Miller, touring/session guitarist Bryan Ewald, singer/songwriter Dan Haas around the Annapolis area and the DMV, and sings back up in the Steely Dan Tribute Band Technicolor Motor Home and Cyphers Band featuring Steve Cyphers, formerly of Blue Miracle.
FULL BIO
Meg Murray is an Annapolis, MD based WAMMIE (Washington Area Music Awards) nominated singer-songwriter and lead singer who is celebrating 30 years of performing and songwriting.
Meg began performing in an acoustic duo with fellow Washington College graduate TOM ARTHUR called “YELLOW HOUSE” playing cover songs at The Rod n Reel in Chesapeake Beach, Md. and Reynolds Tavern in Annapolis.
During this time, Meg was a middle school teacher who was writing songs and recording them at home, giving cassette tapes of her originals to friends and family.
At a Reynolds Tavern gig while playing one of her original songs on the patio, STEVE LOWE introduced himself as a fellow songwriter and the acoustic trio AUGUST WEST was born, named by percussionist KEVIN CLARK from his favorite Dead song “Wharf Rat.”
August West played regularly in the early 90’s at Reynolds Tavern in Annapolis, Andy’s in Chestertown, Md. and Leadbetters and The Rusty Skupper in Baltimore. Meg and Steve became friends with EVA CASSIDY the late singer from Bowie Md., and she often sat in with Meg and Steve at their various gigs.
Meg & Steve still perform today as the SAW AWARD (Songwriter Association of Washington) winning acoustic duo AUGUST WEST. They have produced 2 CDs of original music “BISHOP STREET” and “JONES STATION SESSIONS.” They are writing new material for their next CD release to celebrate their 30 Year Anniversary in 2023. www.augustwestmusicmd.com
From 1994-1995 Meg was the front person and songwriter for the alt-rock band HUSSY, who toured the East Coast and worked on demos with producer JOHN ALAGIA (Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz), opening for Edwin McCain in North Carolina and playing the Cafe A GoGo in New York City.
In the Summer of 1995 after Hussy flamed out, Meg joined the Annapolis funk/rock band BLUE MIRACLE as a backup singer, solo opening act, part time driver and mother hen during their tour that stretched from Albany NY, Nantucket MA, NYC, Richmond VA, Charleston SC to Birmingham AL and everywhere in between. Meg can be heard on BLUE MIRACLE’S 2nd CD “STICK IT OUT” singing backups on the song “Pain of Change”.
Next, Meg performed jazz and standards with JEFF MULLER, playing around the DC-Baltimore-Annapolis area at The King of France Tavern, Armadillos, and Weems Creek Tavern.
Meg and Jeff also performed with the late EVA CASSIDY when she moved to Annapolis in the mid 1990’s, even convincing Eva to sing backup on their promotional demo cassette titled “IT AIN’T EASY… BEING CHEESY.” The title comes from Meg and Jeff teasing Eva that it took a lot of work to be cheesy and silly at their shows. Meg and Eva also went on to sing on JEFF MULLER’S New Orleans inspired CD called “JES GREW”, along with MARY ANN REDMOND, TOMMY LEPSON and other DC area musical luminaries.
Meg had the incredible honor of performing for EVA CASSIDY with the legendary jazz bassist KETER BETTS (Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz) at THE BAYOU in Washington, DC in 1996 for the EVA CASSIDY TRIBUTE SHOW.
Meg is the vocalist on the jazz CD “TIPTON: MUSIC FROM THE PLAY TIPTON” by executive producer JEFF MULLER. The play is based on the life of jazz musician Billy Tipton, who disguised themselves as a man to play jazz in clubs in early 20th century Seattle. The play was produced in Pittsburgh by The Flying Pig Theatre, the CD is the companion to the play.
In 1996, Meg joined with guitarist and producer BRYAN EWALD, bass player ANTHONY SETOLA, drummer JOHN THOMAKOS, and percussionist MARK ST. PIERRE to lead the Mid-Atlantic based R&B/funk band NON-FICTION.
The first gig for NON-FICTION was opening up for the band AMERICA at The BAYOU in Washington DC. The band released their 1st CD NON-FICTION “MAJESTY TWELVE” on May 4th 1997, played every Sunday at The Eastport Clipper, opened for JONATHA BROOK, THE TUBES & TODD RUNDGREN, performed at 2 Volvo Cup Ocean Sailing Race stops in Annapolis and Eastport A Rockin Festivals, and sold out the new RAMS HEAD ONSTAGE after it opened. That show was recorded for their 2nd CD release “SAVE IT UP.”
Meg opened up solo at The Eastport Clipper for JULIAN LENNON in 1998 sponsored by Annapolis Radio Station WRNR 103.1 FM.
Meg continues to perform regularly with NON-FICTION bandmate PRS sponsored guitarist and producer BRYAN EWALD as the acoustic duo “MEG & BRYAN”. They have played thousands of gigs together since 1996, with 10 year plus residencies at ARMADILLOS, ACME BAR & GRILL and HEROES PUB in Annapolis.
MEG & BRYAN perform every 2nd Friday at BRIAN BORU PUB in Severna Park, MD, as well as various events around the DMV. Lately, they have been joined by Bryan and wife Jess’ talented sons, multi-instrumentalists and producers AIDAN EWALD and JULIAN EWALD as well as bass phenom GRAHAM FURNISS, playing around the area as a 4 piece band.
It was performing in NON-FICTION where Meg caught the attention of Annapolis born R&B producer BILL PETTAWAY (MISSY ELLIOTT, TONI BRAXTON) who introduced her to producer TIMBALAND (JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, VERZUZ). He signed Meg to a production contract in 1999 after hearing her sing “Face Into the Wind” on the August West CD Bishop Street, written by August West partner Steve Lowe.
Meg was hired to write songs and produce demos with Engineer JIMMY DOUGLAS at MANHATTAN CENTER SOUND in New York City. Working with producer TOD WALCSMUTH and songwriter ROBERT CADENCE, Meg created songs that were pitched to EPIC RECORDS for BRITNEY SPEARS, JENNIFER LOPEZ and JADE ANDERSON.
After 9/11 in 2001, Meg was released from her contract with TIMBALAND after failing to secure a record deal with BLACKSTREET and INTERSCOPE RECORDS who were trending towards teenage pop stars at that time.
Meg returned to Annapolis in 2002 and began to re-record her demo songs on the computer using LOGIC with guitarist and producer TODD KRUEZBURG, which became Meg’s solo CD “READY”.
Photographer and bass player Larry Melton and Meg stumbled upon an empty circus after soundcheck set up in the parking lot of the Naval Academy Stadium in Annapolis, where they were able to take advantage of the sound check and shoot pictures for the artwork and packaging of the READY CD.
Meg was also performing regular acoustic shows with her good friend singer/songwriter ANGIE MILLER during the late 1990’s and they continue performing together today.
From 2002 to 2004 MEG & ANGIE produced a string of Benefit Shows at THE BOWERY POETRY CLUB in New York City, bringing busloads of Annapolis Musicians and fans up to New York City to benefit The Emerald Society of NYC and the FDNY after the attacks of 9/11.
Currently appearing monthly at BRIDGES in Grasonville MD over the Kent Island Bridge, Meg & Angie have performed together all over the East Coast from JAMMIN JAVA in Arlington VA, THE KISS CAFE in Canton Baltimore, THE RAMS HEAD ONSTAGE, THE BOWERY POETRY CLUB in NYC, as well as residencies at THE BOATYARD in Eastport, THE DOWNBAR and THE PATIO at THE RAMS HEAD TAVERN in Annapolis through 2010.
Meg & Angie joined Navy Band Musicians JIM CUNNINGHAM and BEN GRANT to play jazz and standards at the former dinner club DOMENICAS in Parole and 49 WEST COFFEEHOUSE & WINEBAR in Annapolis.
In 2011, the owner of ARMADILLOS, Brendan, suggested that Meg, Bryan Ewald and Angie Miller come up with a costume band to play on Halloween. We chose FLEETWOOD MAC, recruited bass player JOSH CHAPMAN and drummer BRANDON HARDESTY to create the Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band “SECONDHAND NEWS.” The band continues today with MICKEY ECKMAN on drums and MICHAEL WARD on keyboards.
Another tribute band that Meg is thrilled to be a part of is the 3 time RAMMIE (THE RAMS HEAD AWARDS) winning STEELY DAN TRIBUTE BAND TECHNICOLOR MOTOR HOME, captained by the great GLENN WORKMAN (CRACK THE SKY) and featuring BEN SHERMAN, BARRY CAUDILL, DAVE MACEWECKI, JIM MCFALL, KELLY BUTCHER as well as former NON-FICTION bandmates ANTHONY SETOLA, MARK ST. PIERRE and BRYAN EWALD.
Meg is lucky enough to regularly perform with her friends singer/songwriter ANGIE MILLER and touring/session guitarist and producer BRYAN EWALD in acoustic duos, as well as with THE DAN HAAS BAND around the Annapolis and the DMV region.
Meg is also a founding board member of AMFM, Inc. Annapolis Musicians for Musicians www.am-fm.org serving as Secretary for 11 years, and currently assists AMFM as a volunteer.
“Whether it’s urban contemporary or jazz that Meg Murray chooses to do, the first thing that grabs you is her voice. It doesn’t hurt that she can write, too.” – Maria Villafana washingtonpost.com
“Meg Murray is a powerhouse of vocal talent with a commanding stage presence. Over the years Meg has proven time and time again that she can sing any style of music.” – Michael Buckley Chesapeake Music Guide WRNR 103.1 FM Annapolis, MD
“Although perfectly capable of running up and down the scale, Murray has learned that the best notes are sometimes those left unsung.” – Dan Mollen Chesapeake Music
“…can she ever sing. Murray has a voice that will bring tears to your eyes and joy to your heart.” – Matthew Thomas Pugh New Bay Times