Opening for Kathleen Edwards at the Majestic Theatre in Madison this Saturday is The Last Town Chorus, the nom de plum of Megan Hickey’s musical endeavors. In preparation for the show we sought out and have been spinning her most recent record, Wire Waltz, finding along the way she’s an absolute perfect choice for starting off the evening. I caught up with Megan on the road for our continuing 5 Questions with Muzzle of Bees feature.

Tickets for Kathleen Edwards + The Last Town Chorus are still available, don’t wait too long and find yourself shut out.

Could you lend some information on the recording process of Wire Waltz? Where and how was it recorded, and were there any lessons learned that you’ll apply towards future recording sessions?

I recorded most of the album in my own studio, one track at a time….

Covering David Bowie”s “Modern Love” seems like a daring undertaking, which I think turned out great. Were you nervous touching a song by someone whose as well-positioned/renowned as Bowie?

I stopped thinking of it as a Bowie song after the first time I played it. Turns out some die-hard Bowie fans love it, others not so much…one one UK radio show, a guy called in and said, live on air: ‘it’s a disservice to everything ‘the man from Brixton’ stood for” or something along those lines. I wasn’t sitting in the studio when he called, which is perhaps best, as I would have laughed.

You’ve got almost a months worth of opening dates with Kathleen Edwards, were you a fan of hers prior to joining the tour? Sticking with the cover theme above, what song of Kathleen’s would you most like to cover and alternatively, if she was to play one of your songs, which would you like to hear take on?

Yeah Kathleen rocks. She can do that gritty rocking thing without giving up femininity. I’m kinda hooked on her song ‘Alicia Ross,’ from her new album. Maybe we’ll have a chance to play it during soundcheck some night on this tour.

We’re always looking to uncover new favorite artists, are there any band(s)/record(s) that you could recommend to our readers?

I’m digging the Brooklyn collective Balkan Beat Box…gypsy music textures put in a blender with electronica…infectious awesome stuff. And I’m heavy into classic soul right now. Go get some Otis Redding.

The internet has dramatically altered the way artists can reach an audience. With things like blogs/myspace/etc, what are your thoughts on the power of the internet in terms of helping (or hurting) your music?

There’s certainly no point in being ‘for’ or ‘against.’ Technology unfolds organically - we can simply roll with it, and be passionate about its possibilities. As a working musician, a business owner, a music lover, and a bit of a tech geek, I’m so delighted that this particular musical revolution is happening during my lifetime.

Photo: Jalapeño
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Myspace: The Last Town Chorus
MP3: The Last Town Chorus - “Loud And Clear”

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