MFY You won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award in 2009, was this your big breakthrough?
MH It was certainly a big boost for me and my brother Joe, before we won we had been working as musicians for a few years and it's a tough game. Winning the award brought us confidence in what we do and it opened lots doors for both of us. Part of the prize was a summer full of fantastic festivals and exciting opportunities. Winning was totally and utterly unexpected for us so it took a long time to sink in!
MFY What makes you want to perform and is it something you decided you wanted to do from a young age?
MH I have wanted to make music since I was very young, singing and writing both came naturally to me and they are cathartic processes for me. It's taken a while for me to get used to performing but I enjoy it more and more now.
MFY How did you get into music?
MH I played piano from a young age and began singing with a friend when I was about 9, it sort of progressed from there. When I picked up a guitar at 16 I started writing songs that I could be proud of, there is nothing else in life that I would/could do! I have no skills!
MFY You’ve recently been on tour with the international blues troubadour Eric Bibb, performing at Birmingham Town Hall for the final concert of the tour. What have you most enjoyed about the tour and how have you developed as a performer touring with someone like Eric?
MH It was the most fantastic experience, I felt so lucky to be given such an opportunity. I have really enjoyed getting to know Eric and his harmonica player Grant Dermody. Not only are they both incredible musicians but they are wonderful men too and their outlook on life and music has inspired me. I think touring has helped me cope with overcoming my nerves, made me realise how important and fulfilling it is to engage with the audience and generally made me a more relaxed and confident player. It was a month that I will never forget.
MFY What was it like performing at the Town Hall, do you have any advice for the young musicians that may be performing here as part of a Music for Youth event?
MH It was honestly the best acoustics that we had on a 20 date tour – the sound is amazing! It is a beautiful, fresh room that has a special atmosphere about it. Venue's like that can often be very daunting, a good tip I was once given was to walk on stage at the pace of your first song, and take a big breath before you start. Don't rush anything.
MFY Is there anything that you have had to sacrifice for your music?
MH I have never regretted choosing a career in music, but I do sometimes wonder what paths I would have taken had I chosen another route in life! I think I probably would have studied English and become a writer of some sort, or perhaps gone into photography or art. I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a normal, steady 9-5 job – but then I start singing a song and forget all about it.
MFY What elements do you think go towards making a great performance?
MH Honesty, integrity and belief in what you are playing or singing about. I think connect with the audience is important, but it must be done in a genuine way without egos and arrogance.
MFY Who is your favourite musician or performing group right now and why?
MH I am absolutely in love with Anais Mitchell, an American singer/songwriter. Everything about her playing and writing is simply beautiful, her lyrics are incredibly poignant. I was lucky enough to support her last year and it was one of the most special nights of my life.
MFY What’s the last recording you bought or downloaded?
MH I've just bought Bon Iver's album 'For Emma, Forever Ago' – I think his voice is unusual and haunting and there is a quality in the production that instantly relaxes me.
MFY If you could collaborate with any other musician(s) dead or alive who would it/they be?
MH There are hundreds of people I would absolutely love to work with! But writing with Anais Mitchell or singing with Bill Withers would probably be top of my list.
MFY What would you be doing if you weren’t a musician?
MH I would be sad! I would probably still be writing in some form I think, or doing photography of some kind. I certainly would not be in an office, they would ask me to leave.
MFY Do you have any advice you could give to Music for Youth performers about how they can improve their performances and continue to develop as musicians?
MH Listen to everything you can, learn from everything you see. Don't get too wrapped up in achieving a specific sound or fitting into a particular genre, just write/play/sing how you feel – and enjoy it!
MFY What are your plans for the future?
MH Lots more traveling, lots more writing, lots more gigs and festivals, lots more fun!
MFY What is your favorite music venue and why?
MH On tour with Eric Bibb one of the dates was at The Sage in Gateshead. It's a huge and bizarre looking building which was built specifically to have incredible acoustics, the main concert hall was just beautiful and the backstage crew were all lovely and so proud of the venue. I very much hope to play there again.
MFY Any final tips/anecdotes/thoughts…
MH If the music you are listening to or playing has a positive and meaningful affect on you then smile and feel grateful. Don't worry about genres or what others think, music can be subjective but also all-encompassing – that’s one of its many beauties!
www.meganhenwood.com