Essential 8: M Callahan

Courtesy: Fourth Gear Ent.

Born into a blue-collar military family, M Callahan grew up to respect common values and a deep work ethic. His acclaimed debut album Trailer Park Paradise and following release Chicken on a Chain touched on these values, producing two #1 charting songs on Europe’s Hot Disc Country Charts and garnering him Indie Music Channels Country Artist of the Year in 2015. Due February 16, his new album, Working Man delves further into the heart of this singer-songwriter with songs that weave between issues like class distinction (“Johnny Cash and Jesus Christ,” “Chicken Feed and Barbed Wire”) and personal narratives speaking to life, love and lessons learned (“A Smile Won’t Hide The Pain,” “Real Love Isn’t Blind”). In advance of it's release, Callahan took the time to answer his Essential 8 and talk about the significance of his album's title, songwriting, and more.
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What’s the story behind your album’s title?
The album title is really a tribute to my Dad. He was always doing whatever he could to make money for the family when I grew up. Whether it was working the night shift, working two jobs, fixing CB radios or climbing towers. He’s always been a down to earth get your hands dirty type of guy. Most of the time if we went anywhere people would ask what he did for a living and he would just simply say I’m a “Working Man.” 

With “A Smile Wont Hide The Pain”, what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
My “a-ha” moment was when I finished writing “A Smile Won’t Hide The Pain” with my co-writer/producers Matt Rollings and Michael Ochs. I had this song for a while, but it didn’t really have that magical touch on it so I brought it out on a co-write one day. The whole tune took on a new life and energy with the words falling into the right place. I think what really sold me on it was the simplicity of the arrangement and it still captured what I was feeling when I originally wrote it. It gave me that “a-ha” moment along with some goose bumps.
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Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
I usually write a few songs and then release them on a project. I don’t go through and listen to hundreds of songs from a publisher and pick what I think will be a “hit”. I record songs that I have written and I like the most at that time. I do try to mix it up between up-tempo and slow songs so people can listen through the whole album and enjoy it.

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Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I draw inspiration from something that’s deep inside. It’s a drive to express ideas and melodies that I want to relay to other people. It’s sort of like I write for the sake of the song. It deserves to have a life of it’s own and I’m the conduit to help it come to fruition.

When/where do you do your best writing?
I get a lot of ideas while I’m driving. I think the routine of driving eases my mind off other things that cloud my creative side. For some reason I have more clarity so ideas will just flow in easier without forcing them. A lot of my titles, hooks or song concepts will come about this way.

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
For the most part it’s all the above, but I will say I think the best songs I have written come from personal break ups. I guess the heartache gives you a heightened awareness of your emotions and they break like a dam into the song.

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
1. Surround yourself with better writers and musicians than you are.
2. Write it, Re-write it and Then Re-write it again
3. Forget No.2 if it feels right it is right. Don’t over-think it.

What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
Be authentic. It’s hard to fake that.

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