(Tegan Pilon, a Stittsville musician who has already made a name for herself, releases a new single, ‘Echoes’. Tegan has performed at Bluesfest and recorded in Nashville.)
How many kids grow up saying they want to be a rockstar? Or the next Taylor Swift? For 17-year-old Tegan Pilon, that childhood dream is becoming a reality. Tegan is a singer-songwriter from Stittsville who has made a name for herself as a local talent and is branching out to reach a greater audience.
Tegan has been taking singing lessons since she was 8 years old and has done many performances since then, but she says, “it wasn’t until I recorded in a studio that I knew just how much I loved it.” Pilon describes singing and recording as something that is fun and that she is passionate about. Being on stage is always fun, but Tegan shares that once she was in the recording booth, she knew “it was where [she] wanted to be.” With her time in the recording studio, Tegan has released two songs; “16” her debut single released in August of 2022, and “Echoes” released February 24th.
However, Tegan Pilon’s success comes in more than just the recording studio. Some of her most impressive accomplishments include performing at Bluesfest, recording in Nashville, performing at many festivals and fundraisers, and singing on La Voix Junior. Despite her long list of achievements, Tegan shares that her biggest accomplishment is actually something quite recent. She reveals, “I knew music was what I wanted to do in post-secondary and I knew Berklee College of Music in Boston was one of the best music schools, so I said ‘why not try?’” As important as pursuing a passion is, Tegan felt it was important to get an education while putting herself out there.
She sent in her audition and “had no clue what was going to happen, as it is one of the most famous and prestigious music schools in the world.” However, she happily shared, “I finally heard back that not only was I accepted but I was given a scholarship. This was an incredible accomplishment and I think my biggest so far.” Berklee ranks among the top five music schools and often comes second only to Julliard. So, being accepted, let alone accepted on a scholarship, is no small feat! Yet, it is just another item on the long list of accomplishments for the incredibly talented Tegan Pilon.
As excited as Tegan is for the future, she is still very much focused on her present. Not only is she graduating high school this year, but she is still releasing original music. These two things actually overlap more than one would think. Tegan likes writing songs that she thinks someone else might be able to relate to, especially as a young girl today. When talking about her songwriting process, Tegan says, “I found it so cool how I could express what I felt and put it into a song, it physically made me feel a release after too.” Many people listen to songs that make them feel certain things in a therapeutic way, but for Tegan, that feeling comes from writing the songs.
When talking about “16” her debut single Tegan shares, “16 was honestly like my therapy because I was having such a hard time with my mental health and writing about it definitely helped.” That is one thing that Tegan executes perfectly in her writing, the ability to relay emotions and make listeners feel heard. Her songs are full of feelings and lyrics that resonate with listeners who are often going through very similar situations.
Tegan’s new song “echoes” is a stark contrast to her debut single. As Tegan describes it, “it was completely different to record since 16 is a slower more piano-based song, while echoes is upbeat and lots of guitars.” This change was intentional as Tegan wanted to show that she could do more than one thing and also to switch things up and have some fun in the studio. That is a sentiment that certainly comes out in this new song, despite having a powerful message, and once again being relatable, “echoes” is an upbeat song where the fun Tegan had recording it definitely shines through.
The sound isn’t the only difference from “16” though, Tegan shares that the writing process was actually much different as well. When asked about her inspiration for the new song, Pilon says, “to be honest I was lacking inspiration when I wrote it. I was like this might be crazy but I’m just gonna think of a concept or someone else’s situation around me and write about that.” Writing about someone else’s experience can be hard but Tegan shares, “as a girl in high school, I feel like I hear about relationship issues every day so I was like that’s what I’m gonna write about. It was very different but honestly kinda cool, as everything could be whatever I wanted it to be, I made up my storyline and wasn’t stuck to any rules.”
That is the most significant contrast between “echoes” and “16.” In her debut single, Tegan wrote about personal experience and her own emotions, but in “echoes” Tegan highlights the adventures, frustration, and other emotions of her friends, classmates, and anyone else who can relate when they listen.
“Echoes” is ultimately a song about the many different “boy problems” teenage girls experience today. However, its clever lyrics can resonate with anyone who may be having relationship problems or anyone looking for a fun upbeat song. The song may be a little out of Tegan Pilon’s comfort zone, but the beat is catchy, the lyrics are witty, and you can tell that she had fun recording it.
What is the overall vibe Tegan was aiming for with the song? She says, “I want people to hear it and want to scream it in their cars and for it to make them excited. Plus it’s a song for anyone that has been cheated on so, I got you!”
Tegan’s new song is available on all streaming platforms including Apple Music and Spotify. Click on this link to see where you can listen!
https://outnow.io/t/teganpilonechoes?fbclid=PAAaaJqPDWT0XY3kVHMctxwGRKrB3_eljynw2z05HPj
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