Incredibly heartwarming and comforting, ‘Fair Weather Wife’ reveals a wholesome, relatable listening experience, a slice of Country and Americana goodness with a traditional twist. Penned by Los Angeles-based creative Verna Margaret, the EP sees her embracing a lyrical outlook packed with introspection and romantic themes; all evocative storytelling driven by Margaret’s dynamic and nuanced vocal tone.
While most of the tracks in ‘Fair Weather Wife’ have already been released, ‘Lookin Back’ is the last piece of the puzzle, a nostalgic piece that feels sweet and cathartic. Human connection is the keyword here; the record doesn’t pretend to reinvent the wheel, finding a path forward in familiar territories and timeless stories about love and relationships. Such a crucial subject matter is approached with kindness and gentle flair, a quality that well fits Verna Margaret’s overall creative brand.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with the Californian artist to learn more about her musical journey and future goals… Interview below!
Hey Verna, thanks for chatting with us! I dived into your artistic universe, and one thing that struck me was the project’s nostalgic country and Americana flair; I suppose those are genres and scenes you were exposed to growing up?
Thanks for having me! I do love those old, traditional 60s, 70s country sounds. I grew up in a rural part of Virginia Beach, around a lot of country culture. I got really into country music, becoming obsessed with CMT in elementary school. Like most teenage musicians in Virginia, I spent many years learning the ins and outs of performing through a classic rock turned jam band, but I’ve always listened to a pretty wide variety of music from punk to mariachi to hyperpop. I’m not sure how much of those influences make it into my songs, but I hope there’s a bit of that spirit throughout.
I just always find myself returning to that traditional country sound as a home base, and it’s where I really began to define my own voice and sound.
I am rather curious about the public reception of your material; ‘Fair Weather Wife’ is not conventionally mainstream, perhaps not cutting-edge from a cultural perspective, yet there’s likely a wide number of people resonating with it all; have you found your community yet? How are people responding to Verna Margaret?
I’ve definitely begun to find my community in Los Angeles. The country scene here is so close-knit and supportive, and it’s been great to get to meet more country musicians and fans to bond with over shared musical tastes and inspirations.
I think there’s a growing desire for country music that leans into the tradition while still pushing the genre further, either sonically, thematically, or all of the above. Many people love country music and may find the genre through different avenues or different stages of life. They may not see themselves or what they love represented in the mainstream Nashville sound. The underground country scene is also more supportive of female artists, which is a big limiter in the mainstream country world, where women are still seen as the tomatoes in a salad. So I hope people find an EP like ‘Fair Weather Wife’ that blends bluegrass, honky tonk, and 70s rock, and they get excited to see what else is out there.
If you had the opportunity to pick any artists in the world for a collaboration, who would be your first choice? (and second choice, perhaps?)
I think the best people to collaborate with are people you trust who can also push back on you. Someone there’s a good back-and-forth with. So hard to say a specific person without that rapport, but I think it would be fun to collaborate on music, going all in with different genres. Maybe do a bluegrass album with someone like Water Tower. Lean into the vintage sound and make a traditional country album with Emily Rose. Maybe go full folk punk with a band like PUP or Amyl and the Sniffers. Who knows. I just think it would be fun to try something new.
As mentioned, ‘Fair Weather Wife’ is your latest offering, a three-track EP delving deeper into human connection and the strange dynamics regulating it. How proud are you of the record, and how meaningful is it for you?
I’m extremely proud of this little collection of songs. It was fun to go with a theme for an EP and use this as a way to explore the ins and outs of personal relationships. From stepping out to fully become yourself, to travelling through sleazy bars, to ultimately finding love that celebrates independence. I think this record really defines my sound. It also has the only love song I’ve ever written, so that’s gotta be worth something too!
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
Oh no, writing is a deeply isolating experience at first. I spend a ton of time by myself iterating on the music and lyrics until the idea of the song is well conveyed. After that, I like to work with trusted friends and artists to basically challenge all that, and the end result is often far from what I had in mind, but it is much better due to that creation/destruction process.
‘Fair Weather Wife’ is my second EP. The first one, ‘Coyote Calling’, was a much more close-knit experience as I worked on it mostly by myself with a family friend to fill in on instruments outside my wheelhouse. ‘Coyote Calling’ was also primarily self-produced. For ‘Fair Weather Wife’, I had so many awesome musicians add their talents, and I think that makes a much stronger record. Working with Ryan Schindler and Devon Geyer on production really opened my world and made these songs shine. It was a much more fun process because music’s more fun with friends.
I love the balance between the EP’s nuanced lyrical storytelling and its playful, organic arrangements, full of traditional Americana and bluegrass goodness. It makes for a heartwarming, comfortable record that’s still packed with purpose and vision. Can you tell us how the recording/writing process usually unfolds? Do you have a certain workflow you like to follow?
I do a lot of my initial songwriting by hiding out in Joshua Tree. I find a lot of inspiration in the locale, and it helps to go on a trip with the purpose of writing and singing and entertaining whatever impulses come to me. My aim for both the lyrics and instrumentation is to build upon those nostalgic Americana and country sounds without tying strictly to tradition. I shared my demos with Ryan and Devon afterwards, who brought great ideas and a great crew to elevate the tracks.
How are you navigating the modern music industry? Is there something in particular you understood and that you can share with any upcoming artist out there?
There is so much in the modern music industry that I did not know I was signing up for! I am new to social media, graphic design, and self-promotion tactics. I’m still learning as I go along and am still trying to develop my presence both as an artist and a member of the industry. So I’m not sure if I should be giving advice, I could use some!
But I think the best thing I can say is that even though so much of the music industry feels online through social media and algorithms, nothing beats going out to shows and meeting people in your scene. Regardless of the number of streams, I think that’s the best way to get the most out of being a musician. Supporting other artists, playing out, and becoming part of a community.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
The next step is to play more live! I think of myself much more as a live performing artist than a recording artist. Performing with a full band is what it’s all about. Nothing beats that energy. I’m so grateful to be getting opportunities to put a full band together and play some awesome shows in LA. Next up is Neon Moon at The Goldfish on August 30th, where I’ll be playing all songs off the EP with an awesome band!
