Megan Wyler Releases First New Album In 8 Years 'Upside Now'

Today, singer/songwriter Megan Wyler has released her new album Upside Now. Wyler's first new album in eight years, Upside Now sees the singer collaborating with the producer of her debut album Through The Noise Adem Ilhan (Fridge, Silver Columns), as well as Grammy Award-winning mixer Mark Rankin (Adele, Florence + The Machine, Harry Styles) and multi-award-winning composer/producer Peter Raeburn (Under the Skin, Sexy Beast) as executive producer (and co-producer on three tracks).

"This collection of songs is a cycle of seeking and finding - often with an unexpected outcome, but catharsis nonetheless," says Wyler. "I am expanding/digging, coming to terms with untimely death, experiencing deepest love, emerging from heartbreak, lighting the fire of resistance, celebrating female solidarity, passion, fury, the cosmos. Lighthearted stuff like that."

Written and recorded between London and Los Angeles, Upside Now features co-writes with the likes of seven-time Grammy Award-nominee Anoushka Shankar and the late guitarist Johnny McNabb, amongst others. Frequent collaborators lending their talents and exceptional musicianship to the songs include Emma Smith on strings (Jarvis Cocker, Hot Chip, Depeche Mode), Alex Thomas on drums (Air, Anna Calvi, John Cale), and Matt Sweeney on guitars (Johnny Cash, Bonnie Prince Billy, Catpower). Along with producer Adem Ilhan, executive producer Peter Raeburn, and mixer Mark Rankin, they've created a dramatic new acoustic soundscape to envelop Megan's latest works.

Though she's now based in Los Angeles, Wyler released her 2013 debut Through The Noise while living in London. The album was praised by the likes of Nowness, Songwriting Magazine, Indie Shuffle who described her sound as "incredibly moving and luscious," and Clash Magazine who called her music "subtle, delicate and very beautiful." Closely following that album's release, Wyler had a young son with a number of demanding medical needs. "It was my honour and privilege to make him my priority," says Wyler. "Being a mother is and always will be my first job ahead of anything else." During this time, Wyler found herself in a bit of a creative "freeze-over" as she calls it. "It was like I could see songs, ready to be born, but I couldn't access them somehow." As things calmed down at home, however, her creative freeze began to thaw.

Now Wyler is returning in full force. Upside Now's first single "The Calling" was used as the opening title music of the Amazon Original Series Tell Me Your Secrets and her performance of the album's title track, "Upside Now," was recently featured by American Songwriter. Both singles have been featured on a number of top Apple Music playlists including New Music Daily, Acoustic Chill, New In Alternative, Breaking Singer-Songwriter and Wax Eclectic.

Listen here:

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