Meaghan Smith's plan was to give herself a year to make it as a musician in Halifax, and if that didn't work out, she'd just move back to London, Ont.
She bears the Halifax badge of honour of being able to reminisce about a bar that's now closed: the Tickle Trunk on Spring Garden Road, where she performed at open mic nights. "It was perfect because I didn't really know anyone," said Smith, "If I make a total arse of myself I'll just move home." She describes her wicked stage fright, an obstacle she has (mostly) overcome.
Smith has since put down roots in Halifax; she met her husband and musical collaborator on the 34 bus from Clayton Park to downtown, and regularly walks the trails of St. Margaret's Bay while mulling lyrics.
What else is she up to? Her Instagram feed provides some clues. Smith has a photo series captioned "What my hands are doing". Things her hands might be doing at any given time: throwing a toonie in a waterfront street performer's guitar case, strumming a ukulele with one of her sons, tracing a heart on a fogged-up window.
What she's not doing is touring a new album. Her priority is raising her two sons close to home, a decision that changed the trajectory of her career, and prompted her to find a new way to make music.
After having children, Smith was confronted with a conundrum many working parents face: not having enough hours in the day (and in her case, certainly not enough to do a tour).
About a year and a half ago, she posted on Facebook asking her fans what they thought she should do. After jettisoning a few suggestions such as crowdfunding for a new album, because again, an album means a tour, she decided she wanted to start telling their stories, and embarked on a new project called Our Song, writing songs for her patrons, one by one. She got back to the basics of writing and singing music from home.
Singer/songwriter Jill Barber introduced Cooper and Smith. "The second I heard Meaghan I was like Oh wow, I really want to work with her," says Cooper.
What can patrons expect when they ask Smith to write a song? A lot of questions and no guarantee she'll take them on. Smith has been commissioned to write songs to commemorate anniversaries, weddings, new babies, and even deceased spouses.
Candace Berry, a local Halifax photographer and friend of Smith's, agrees. She commissioned a song for her daughter, Everly, to express what she couldn't put into words.
"We had a conversation, because she wanted to know 'what do you want to have this song say? Or what do you really want your daughter to know?'" Berry says.
The song ended up featuring throwaway snippets of their conversation. In Berry's case the title of her song "Deep Deep Down" is something Smith quietly picked up on from their interview, but Berry doesn't even remember saying. She kept her distance during writing, understanding the importance of giving the artist creative licence, and hoped for the best.
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