Megan Maudlin

Megan Maudlin is a folksinger/songwriter from Columbus, IN who has been performing on Midwest stages for over ten years. Her biggest influences include Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Ani Difranco, as well as a wide variety of 60's and 70's music gifted from her parents . She has performed for large crowds during music festivals but claims her proudest moment was opening for another of her folk idols, Todd Snider. Maudlin continues to perform in hopes of branching out and traveling the country. Her powerful pipes and soulful writing invite others to enjoy an intimate performance every time. RAW Awards Semi Finalist 2014 NUVO Best of Indy #3 Best Folk/Country Artist 2015 At age 8 Maudlin began studying with a local vocal instructor who described her voice as "too big for her age." She went on to join choir, band, and every music class she could find that was offered by her school corporation. She also continued with private lessons and by age 18, had become a trained opera singer who planned on singing classically while studying at Indiana University Bloomington. She had intentions of auditioning for the Jacobs School of Music in order to pursue a career as a vocalist, but ultimately backed out due to the resurgence of crippling stage fright that had plagued her adolescence. Maudlin was initially disappointed but eventually believed that this "blessing in disguise" helped her to evolve as a musician, develop her own writing style, and ignite her political activism as she was free to explore other interests in Anthroplogy, English Literature, Creative Writing, Sociology, Political Science, World History, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology. As she researched music history for assignments, she became inspired to pursue an entirely different genre than she had been previously. Maudlin then opened her closet and unpacked the gift her mother had given her two years earlier, the same gift she had almost abandoned out of frustration: an acoustic Alvarez guitar. With her newly ignited interest, she turned her dorm room into a rehearsal space and resolved to teach herself how to play. She quickly began writing folk songs and implemented the guitar as a permanent fixture of her performance, finding on-stage comfort in clutching the instrument close as she played. She claims "her guitar blankey" made her feel less exposed and more confident, but in addition caused stiff wrists and was the source of her early rhythm problems. Maudlin played her first gig as an original songwriter for the packed lecture hall of her Live Performance class. She received a great deal of support from her classmates and professor, despite being incredibly nervous. After only a year, she left Bloomington for her hometown to manage personal life responsibilities but continued her education at her local community college. Her hunger for knowledge and drive for social activism grew in the next few years, which inspired her to write a series of songs that would become her first recorded release "Live in 2005." Throughout the next year her music career was slowly gaining momentum despite playing strictly local gigs. However, in late November of 2006, Maudlin received news that would put her musical dreams on hold. She had become pregnant with her boyfriend, Jeremy Ochs. Excited yet anxious, she no longer felt appropriate performing into the late hours at local bars. She still performed when she could, once as a supporting act for Ochs's band at the time and for a few kid friendly establishments, but soon her growing belly wouldn't comfortably allow her to play guitar. On May 15th, 2007, Maudlin and Ochs welcomed "their miracle" daughter Marley into this world. Marley arrived healthy and happy, but the same was not so for Maudlin. In addition to recovering both physically and psychologically from a severely traumatic delivery, Maudlin and Ochs began to balance the responsibilities of adulthood with those of new parenthood. After taking several years off to focus on family, Maudlin was itching for a creative outlet during the Spring of 2009. She had previously dabbled in her own event coordination, which caught the interest of Wuhnurth Music Festival owner, James Nimmer. She voluntarily worked for Nimmer during the second year of his festival and in exchange, he gave her the performance slot that would change her career. Being involved with Wuhnurth introduced a new realm of audiences to Maudlin's original music as well as exposing her to larger, more exciting musical opportunities. She personally credits Nimmer and the two years of working for Wuhnurth Music Festival as the pivotal moments of her local career. Wuhnurth changed venues in its third year from the Waterbowl in Muncie, IN to Stable Studios in Spencer, IN. While working closely together, Maudlin developed a relationship with the families who owned Stable Studios and inquired about the professional recording studio located on the property. The venue was a large oasis of nature that she found incredibly inspiring. She had been wanting to record there ever since she saw the property, but was never able to afford it on her tight budget. Several months after the festival had ended, co-owner Jessica Kinnick Wesley placed a call to Maudlin that she will never forget. Wesley had booked national folksinger Todd Snider to perform a special concert at the studio and his people had requested a local, female opener. Unbeknownst to Wesley, Maudlin had been a huge fan of Snider's for several years. So without hesitation, Maudlin excitedly accepted Wesley's offer as Todd's opening act. As payment, Wesley offered what she knew Maudlin had always wanted, a full length album recorded and mixed at studio for free. On October 1st, 2010 Maudlin met and opened for one of her folk idols and shortly after, began production of her second album, "My Own Heroine" with Stable Studios.

Columbus, IN