Megan Brickwood – “Broken in the Middle”
Americana Highways presents this premiere of Megan Brickwood’s song “Broken in the Middle” from her forthcoming album All the Same, which is schedule for release on October 18. The album was produced by Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile) at Bear Creek Studio and engineered by Taylor Carroll.
“Broken in the Middle” is Megan Brickwood on vocals; Jeff Fielder on guitar; Dune Butler on bass and synth; Charles Wicklander on keys and organ; and William Mapp on drums and percussion. It will be available on August 16.
The agony of two ships passing in the night is the human experience that sometimes keeps us up at night tossing and turning, and Megan Brickwood probes into this experience: “You were waiting for me that night and you came on heavy / Playing your share to the downstairs bar / Where I, I learned to be free again / Oh I want to be free again.” Rich, vintage acoustic guitar and a classic folk delivery render this one timeless. Megan says this is her tribute to Joan Baez, and you can readily hear shades of Joan in Megan’s vocal tones too. It’s almost uncanny. It’s so maturely delivered and so seasoned, it’s hard to believe this is a debut album.
We had a very brief chat with Megan about the album. The premiere appears just beneath the interview.
Americana Highways: What is this song about?
Megan Brickwood: The song is about not being able to get over an experience with someone that was fleeting but impactful and the freedom you can experience with certain people. Some relationships open you up to possibilities and sides of yourself that you never considered, and there’s a tremendous amount of freedom and discovery in that. It’s about going back to the rhythms of what life was before you had that experience and wanting to reclaim it.
AH: Who/what were some influences when it came to writing the song?
MB: In a roundabout way, Joan Baez’s song “Diamonds and Rust” influenced this song. Hers is a much sadder take on a similar situation, examining her relationship with Bob Dylan, but reckons with the same questions. Her song answers those questions, though, with finality and clarity that “Broken in the Middle” doesn’t. The questions are still floating around by the end of the song; it’s unresolved. Musically speaking, I would cite songs from Joni Mitchell’s catalog that strike a more upbeat and playful note, such as “People’s Parties,” “California,” and “All I Want.” There are some wry, sad observations in those songs, too, but they’re played out with a light touch.
AH: Can you share an interesting stories from writing/recording this one?
MB: There are a few experiences I’ve had in my life that thematically went into this song. What’s maybe funny about it, though, is that I wrote it in the middle of COVID, which was a time when I think we all felt pretty trapped, so initially, the “I want to be free again” lyric came from a very different kind of place, and desire for a different kind of freedom, than what the song turned out to be about. Recording it was a breeze. We got to do a fun thing with a shot glass, which, if memory serves, we hit on various surfaces, including amps, desks, etc, to find the right sound to create one of the cool percussive effects that you hear in the song. I wish I could remember which one we landed on!
Find more information about Megan Brickwood here on her website: http://meganbrickwood.com