Atlanta-based artist Brianna McGeehan is poised to make a bold statement with the release of her debut solo single, "Home". With this evocative track, McGeehan blends Americana with subtle electro-folk elements, marking a departure from her folk and alt-country roots. Drawing from her deep Irish heritage and early influences in indie and electronic music, "Home" reflects McGeehan’s personal journey of finding belonging and community. In this interview, McGeehan opens up about the inspiration behind the song, her creative evolution, and the influence of her ancestral history on her artistry.
"Home" marks a departure from your previous folk and alt-country work. What inspired you to explore a blend of Americana with electro-folk elements for your debut solo single?
Honestly I have been talking about making this move away from more standard Americana or alt country to a more, what I think of as indie pop sound, for years. I listen to so many different kinds of music and feel that influence. I love Santigold and Ibeyi and various other artists that use a lot of electronic elements. I grew up to grunge in the Northwest (Portland, Oregon) and the whole menagerie of 90’s pop. I really wanted to create a sound entirely informed by my influences as an artist rather than following some form to fit in a genre.
Can you share more about the influence of your Irish heritage on "Home"? How do the stories of your ancestors shape the themes and emotions in the song?
We live in this post-colonial world and in America many people are so culturally fractured. Moving for work is normalized and many of us live on the other side of the country from our families. Many families have very little to do with each other. I find my Irish ancestors so inspiring. They truly had to find home in their people. Some of my ancestors left Ireland because they were Catholic in Northern Ireland, or left Donegal because of hunger, they didn’t have a choice but to leave home. Up until about the 1960’s my Irish family lived in insular Irish communities in and around Philadelphia. Once settled, my family would bring other family members over and they would even host Irish people they were not related to, who didn’t already have people in America, just out of a sense of solidarity. The way they lived lives in me. We are nothing without community.
You’ve mentioned that "Home" is about finding solace in the community. How have your progressive politics and collectivist worldview influenced your songwriting, particularly in this track?
I can’t help but get political in my music. Smart people say “The personal is political.” I look around and I see so many people suffering due to our current economic and political systems/ social structures. I believe our lack of collectivity and community (particularly in America) leads to isolation and ultimately mental illness and addiction. You can’t just blame the individual for their sickness as they are a product of their families and of the failures of larger society. I feel like Home encapsulates all of that for me.
Recording at Sunwapta Studio, a farmhouse in Athens, GA, seems like a unique experience. How did the environment and the co-production with Colin Agnew and Drew de Man contribute to the overall sound of "Home"?
Colin Agnew, Drew de Man and I really make a great little team. We all have different skill sets to bring to the table, Drew’s primary instrument is guitar, Colin’s is drums and mine is voice and then Piano next so between all of us we really have our bases covered. We are all multi-instrumentalists and music theory nerds so we really did just have a blast making art together. Colin’s studio has a southern gothic look but a sweet vibe. I really appreciated the secluded quiet nature of the space. When I wasn’t in the studio I was sitting outside, soaking in the serene rural Georgia vibes.
Your music has always been deeply personal, but "Home" feels especially intimate. What was the most challenging aspect of creating such a reflective and contemplative piece?
Honestly, I feel like at least secretly, all of my music is deeply personal. Sometimes I feel like if I don’t cry a little writing it, it’s probably not that good. I really feel that songs choose me, they are these sticky life experiences or notions that I just can’t get out of my head until I give them life in a song. I felt such urgency to write home, I was helping a loved one through a mental health crisis, it was a very challenging moment for me and I needed to process it. I think for me the hardest part is just being vulnerable so publicly. But I think that good art is vulnerable, it strikes a chord, it inspires a feeling.
The blend of traditional instruments with modern beats in "Home" creates a distinctive soundscape. How did you approach balancing these elements to maintain the song’s emotional depth?
I really focused on the delivery of the vocals, that to me is where a lot of the emotional depth lives. Perhaps I think that way because I am first and foremost a singer. This song is really a playful call to community and I wanted the vibe to be sunny and inviting. I do feel like we achieved that in the instrumentation.
Your family’s history, from your great-great-grandparents’ emigration from Ireland to your great-great-grandfather’s Civil War experiences, is woven into "Home." How do you think listeners with different backgrounds will connect with these deeply personal stories?
I think one thing that is universally true is that there is trauma in our families and our family histories. The McGeehans and Corrigans left Ireland at different times, and for different reasons…but they all came to America out of a sense of desperation and loss. Americans of all different backgrounds share this history of colonialism, racism, and dispossession. The artist’s goal should be to take a personal experience and put it out there in a way that others can connect with it and get some sense of healing from it. I am more in the “art is a hammer” camp than the “art for arts sake” folks. I want to change the world at least in my own little way, with what I create. My hope is that “Home” just feels relatable and relevant to people from all different backgrounds.
"Home" is described as an anthem for finding belonging in community. In today’s fragmented world, what message do you hope this song conveys to your audience?
I hope this song conveys the actual, tangible joy of being in community with others. There is a serious tone to the song, in that it’s really someone singing to someone they love who is suffering, but its also this playful call to join in. “Kick off your shoes and sing along!” It’s like healing and being a part of this paradigm shift away from the isolation inherent in our consumer-capitalist hyper individualist society, doesn’t have to be terrible and arduous! We can dance our way into a new better future. We can sing our way there. I am an optimist at heart, I have so much hope for humanity and I guess I wanted to share that piece of myself in this song.
Looking back at your early influences in indie and electronic music, how has your journey through various genres shaped the artist you are today?
I actually started with classical music as a kid. My dad is a classical pianist and It was pretty much a given that I would be classically trained on piano. I chose to also be classically trained as a singer. I didn’t love singing classical music though. It wasn’t me, so honestly once I left home and was able to study music in all different contexts, I really worked on unwinding a lot of that training. I wanted to find my authentic voice within all of that training. And yes I listen to so many different kinds of music and without a doubt absorbing and being influence by what I listen to. And I studied music in India, and Tanzania which were both very different experiences compared to my training in the US. Honestly though I just kind of go with my impulses I just figure I am an amalgamation of all of my influences and my training and it’s not super conscious for me. Like, I’m not sure exactly how studying Indian classical voice or Polyrhythms in Africa informs my creative choices, but of course it does. One thing I will say is that I have been a diligent student of music and I feel proud of the artist I am today after putting in all the hours.
With "Home" marking a new chapter in your musical career, what can fans expect from you next? Do you plan to continue exploring this genre-blurring approach in future projects?
Yes absolutely! My next release leans even more into this. I see “Home” as a transitional piece between my Americana days and this new sound I am inspired to create. I am so excited to share this whole collection of songs I am working on! “Home” is just the beginning.
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