00:00I'm very excited to talk to this woman right now.
00:01She started covering songs and putting them out on social media
00:04before she even thought about being in the music industry, all right?
00:08She's a graduate of the University of Georgia, Go Dawgs,
00:11which is very interesting because her song Tennessee Orange
00:14goes right up against that.
00:16She is a proud cougar from Alexander High School,
00:19the pride of Douglasville, Georgia, Megan Maroney.
00:22Megan Maroney!
00:23Hey, yeah!
00:25Wow, that was fancy.
00:27Well, that's what we do.
00:27We roll out the red carpet for you.
00:30Well, listen, we're glad to have you on the show, Tennessee Orange.
00:34Millions and millions of people are streaming this song.
00:38This has got to be exciting.
00:40It is. It's very exciting.
00:41It's crazy. I don't even know what's happening.
00:44Well, I mean, it's kind of interesting how, you know,
00:46I wouldn't say maybe discovered, but kind of got into this business.
00:49Lana was asking me about it earlier.
00:51Yeah, tell us. So tell us the story.
00:53Was Chase Rice hitting on you then at this party?
00:55Is that how this started?
00:56You know, he I don't think he was hitting on me because when he met me,
01:01my parents were with me.
01:03And I remember my dad being like, hey, she's 18.
01:10That's great.
01:11But no, he was super nice when we met.
01:15And yeah, it was just I played a sorority event because we couldn't our sorority couldn't afford an opener
01:21because we used it all on John Langston and John and Chase are buddies.
01:24So, you know, they were in town and I opened for him.
01:28And then Chase was like, you know, you should open for me at the Georgia Theater next month
01:31and you should bring all your sorority sisters.
01:34Again, there's Chase.
01:34Now we found out where Chase is.
01:36We're looking for his angle.
01:37Now we got it.
01:38Now we know what's going on.
01:39You know, work smarter, not harder.
01:42That's right.
01:44But anyway, I wasn't writing songs at the time.
01:48So he told me that to open for him, I had to write an original song.
01:53So I had a month to do it.
01:55And I wrote my first song to be able to open for him.
01:58Talking to Megan Maroney right now.
02:00Her song Tennessee Orange is out.
02:02So Megan, where did Tennessee Orange come from since you're a Bulldogs fan?
02:06Yeah, so I obviously graduated from UGA in 2020.
02:11Go Dawgs.
02:12Go Dawgs.
02:13And I moved to Nashville and all the guys here are Tennessee fans.
02:17So one day I found myself wearing a Tennessee shirt and I felt, you know, pretty repulsed as a diehard Bulldog.
02:26So, and the first thing I thought of was my mom would absolutely kill me if she saw me wearing this right now.
02:33Right.
02:33And anytime I feel that strongly about, like, any sort of idea, whether it's happy or sad or funny or whatever, I know I can write a song about it.
02:41So that's how that happened.
02:42I love it.
02:43Now, it's not all these guys went to the University of Georgia, but there is kind of a fraternity with the Jason Aldeans, the Luke Bryans, the Travis Dennings, the Cole Swindells, of rallying around Georgia, especially when they're back-to-back national champions when it comes to football.
02:58Are you now in that fraternity, sorority, whatever you want to call it, of Nashville people that are just like, we're all about Georgia football?
03:06I think so.
03:07Yeah, I think we definitely have a little Georgia squad up here.
03:12And, yeah, anyone, I feel like all the Georgia people that see me, they're like, go Dawgs.
03:16That's, like, the first thing they say to me.
03:19Well, that's what we did.
03:22So, Megan, what are your plans for the rest of the year?
03:24Are you going on tour?
03:26Are you doing any big festivals with anybody?
03:28Yeah, so I'm dropping my very first, like, full-length record this year.
03:34Nice.
03:34Um, I've got a headlining tour in April that's sold out, and then I'm going on tour with Brooks and Dunn, and then I've got some festivals, um, a little bit all over the place.
03:45I think someone also said I'm going to the UK and Canada, allegedly.
03:49Wow.
03:50Yeah, you're like, when's my flight?
03:53Yeah.
03:54Talking to Megan Maroney right now.
03:56So let me ask you this.
03:56What is the best piece of advice you've gotten so far about working in this business?
04:01Because I know it's coming at you pretty fast here.
04:03Tell me about that.
04:04Um, I think maybe this is more for, like, people starting up, but, um, I would say that the best advice I've received and could give to someone is to always say yes to everything and do the hard work, even when you don't want to do it.
04:21Because I feel like I, um, you know, I moved here almost three years ago, and, um, I'm still saying yes to literally everything, and it's a lot of hard work.
04:31But I think you never know when a cool opportunity is going to come from it.
04:34So just to wake up every day and say yes and work really hard.
04:38Are you glad you said yes to this interview?
04:41Yes, I am.
04:42I haven't talked to the next week.
04:44It's a good day.
04:45Let me ask you this.
04:46Has there been any, you know, stars that you've looked up to in Nashville that have kind of taken you under their wing at all?
04:52Um, yeah, there, definitely.
04:54Kelsey Ballerini, the other day, she came up to me at the CMT Women of Country event.
05:00And, uh, I just heard someone yell my name, and I turn around, and it's her.
05:03And she's like, I love you.
05:05Huge fan.
05:06And I'm like, I love you more.
05:07Hi.
05:08Oh, wow.
05:09Awesome.
05:10That's very cool.
05:11But, um, yeah, her, Carly Pierce has been really sweet.
05:14Um, Laney Wilson.
05:16It's been, they're all amazing.
05:18Are you in the Kelsey, Carly wine nights yet?
05:20Are you doing that?
05:21I haven't been invited yet, but I'm sure we can arrange that.
05:24Okay, yeah, you gotta make that.
05:25I guess there's lots of gossip and a lot of good songs that come from it, apparently.
05:29So, um, did you end up graduating from college?
05:32Yeah, she did.
05:33She got a degree, like, in, uh.
05:35Yes, I did.
05:36Social marketing, is that what it is?
05:37Or digital marketing.
05:38Yeah, so I went to college to be an accountant, and then when I decided I wanted to do music,
05:42I switched my major to marketing, digital marketing, and music business.
05:47Very good.
05:48See, I love that.
05:48Now she's got something to fall back on.
05:50Well, listen, Megan, I went to school to be a dentist, and now I'm here, I'm a radio geek.
05:55So, how does that work?
05:57You know what I'm saying?
05:57Love that.
05:58Yeah, but, hey, listen, we are so excited for you.
06:01This is taking off.
06:02Tennessee Orange is such a great song.
06:03We've been fans of it from the beginning.
06:04Love this song.
06:05Love it.
06:05Looking forward to that album dropping later this year, and we are rooting for you, and
