Megan Henwood
Biography Megan Henwood
Megan Henwood
showed signs of what was to come from a very early age. Her first public performance was at the local Henley Youth Festival where she performed one of her own songs at the age of 9! As a teenager Megan’s songwriting skills continued to develop and she performed, both as a solo artist and with her band, honing her craft on the local live circuit. At eighteen she spent six months travelling where she paid her way playing guitar and singing to crowds in Venice, Thailand, India and Malaysia. It was during this time she fell in love with the people of Nepal and has since returned to Kathmandu twice to record with leading Nepalese musicians Nirmal Kulu, Binod Katal and Shyram Saram Nepali.
Back in the UK, between songwriting and performing Megan regularly contributes to music therapy sessions for people with learning difficulties. These experiences have had a profound effect on her songwriting. Her powerful, poignant and often witty lyrics are woven around wonderful timeless pop melodies and demonstrate a depth and maturity far beyond her years.
Megan won the BBC RADIO 2 Young Folk Award in 2009 with her brother Joe, beating off strong competition in the final at Queen Elizabeth Hall on London’s Southbank, at the age of 20.
Her debut single “What Elliott Said” was released last September and won a number of new fans through its playlist at BBC Radio 2 and sessions at various stations including the Janice Long show on Radio 2. Megan has since been writing and recording her debut album, “Making Waves” which features a number of celebrated guests such as Peter Knight (Steeleye Span) on fiddle, Barriemore Barlow (Jethro Tull) on drums plus Joe Brown, Sam Brown and Mollie Marriott, among others.
Megan’s recent festival appearances have included Cropredy, The Cambridge Folk Festival, Secret Garden Party, Towersey Village Festival, Warwick Folk Festival, Moseley Folk Festival, Oxford Folk Festival, Cheltenham, Sidmouth Folk Festival and she played her first Glastonbury in 2010. She has also played support slots around the UK with Ray Davies, Cara Dillon, Julie Fowlis and Eilen Jewell. plus a UK theatre tour supporting Eric Bibb. She continues to perform live around the UK and this summer’s festivals confirmed so far include Cambridge Folk Festival, Secret Garden Party and the Larmer Tree Festival. She’s a regular at her local Nettlebed Folk Club.
Megan is clearly rooted in the folk tradition but is by no means bound by it. Her songs have a timeless and universal radio-friendly appeal. Here is a truly talented British singer-songwriter with a long and fruitful career ahead of her.
She has been steadily finding new fans and building her audience and the debut album “Making Waves” features some of her best songs honed over all those live performances including the beautiful ‘White Lies’, which ultimately won her the Folk Award, the debut single “What Elliott Said”, and “Hope on the Horizon”. “Making Waves” is a truly remarkable debut album.
