 Courtesy of the Artist Hailing from just south of Toronto, Ontario Canada, Tia McGraff is an internationally-renowned, award-winning Americana singer-songwriter and author. Accompanying Tia on her musical journey is her life and musical partner, Tommy Parham. The two met and married while both were living in Nashville, TN and have enjoyed an extensive career performing, songwriting and recording together for more than 12 years. With the 2018 release of Stubborn In My Blood, first single, “Strong” is already reaching beyond all demographics and boundaries, having been adopted by “Me2” and women’s empowerment groups around the world! Second single, a cover of the classic, “One Tin Soldier” recently hit #22 on the iTunes Canada Country charts! Here, Tia answers her Essential 8+ and talks about the album, her husband Tommy, her love of the news, and more. Did you have a musical mentor? yes If so, who was it and how did they influence you? My Transylvanian grandmother. She had the most beautiful voice and I wanted to sing like her. With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? Let Em See Your Strong. We co-wrote this with our friend, Devon O’Day in Nashville. The song just took off and pretty much wrote itself. We all knew it was finished when we sang it through for the first time, let the ending happen “magically” and got the chill bumps. We were all blown away by the power of the message and spirit in the room. What’s the story behind your album’s title? Stubborn In My Blood is the title track and the whole album is a story of discovering your history, roots, strengths, beliefs, faith, future and passion. I am Transylvanian/Scott/ Canadian…….My husband accused me of being “stubborn” one day. I looked at him and said, “what do you expect I’m Transylvanian/Scott. I’ve got stubborn in my blood.” We knew we needed to write that! Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? We wrote and recorded a number of songs for this album. We were writing and recording right up to the very end. For the first time in my career, I didn’t set a ‘deadline’ for this album, but rather knew it was done when it was finished. We sequenced the songs and knew we had a story…something special. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Conversations, feelings of course, and a lot of times from current events and art! Pilot of Change was inspired by a wonderful painting by First Nations artist Shelly Niro. Tommy and I were leading a songwriting workshop at a local art centre and discovered this painting.  When/where do you do your best writing? There is no rhyme or reason to when or where I am most inspired. Sometimes I’ll be walking down the street and start writing a song, have to stop and record it on my phone. Sometimes it’ll be late at night when I’m able to unwind from my administration work. But it is important to find time to write every day or as often as I can. A writer writes!
Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? A combination. Whatever inspires me to capture and share the story with others. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Every day we get to wake up and make music is a great day to be alive! And….an artist needs to find their audience. Then go there often and consistently. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Please please please don’t just jump into this for the wrong reasons. Making music is so much more than being on stage and in the spotlight. The true, lasting joy you will find, the reason you will want to wake up and make music, is finding your voice and the song in your heart and keeping it real! Keeping it about you and your audience! Keeping it safe and protected and nurturing it everyday. What’s your favorite food on the road? Authentic Chinese Food Do you have any touring tips? Try to keep a routine. Eat healthy, exercise, and take something with you that you can set in your room that makes you feel like home.. a picture, nick nack, coffee cup, etc. What are your “must have” albums for the road? I don’t usually listen to albums on the road. I like to tune into the news and keep in touch with what’s going on in the world. I’m a news junkie. How do you kill the long hours in the van? Enjoying the scenery and talking with Tommy. We work on ideas, maybe write a song, or discuss future gigs and plans, or just enjoy listening to the news together. What’s the most frustrating thing about being on the road? Enjoying coffee in the morning from my own coffee maker. Tommy makes the best coffee for us at home….I’ve started buying a coffee mug on the road at the beginning of a tour and using it along the way. What do you love most about being on the road? The time to spend with Tommy. We have a blast together and never get tired of being together. What has been your biggest struggle so far? Accepting the fact that we may never get a major record deal. Trying to keep on making music and touring and promotion on our own dime. What has been your biggest success? Meeting Tommy! Seriously. He is my partner in life and music, and we just have a great time making music together and then going home and enjoying our simple life in our little town. What’s your favorite venue and why? I love performing our rounds at the Bluebird Café in Nashville. The history and honor of being among the best of the best who have played there….it was a dream come true the very first time I performed there. What’s your dream venue and why? I would love to perform a concert at the 1500’s church in Batos, Tranyslvania where my grandmother sang before moving to Canada in 1930. I am in the process of making that happen and hoping for 2019! Who would you love to collaborate with? Dolly Parton Which song of yours gets the best crowd response? Right now it’s "Let Em See Your Strong!" We like to end our concerts with the powerful message and send everyone home feeling empowered. What song are you tired of playing and why? Hmmmmm….I don’t let myself sing a song to death. I have the luxury of changing the sets up and singing for the moment and the mood of the crowd. I know some artists who’ve had huge hits will tend to get tired of singing the song over and over. I guess I have that to look forward to one day? LOL Is drinking at gigs a positive or a negative? I like to have a glass of wine in between sets and at the end of the night. I do not drink before the show. I guess I like to feel like an example needs to be set for young people who may be sitting in the audience. Favorite (or first) concert you have ever attended? Favorite. Eagles' Hell Freezes Over. Favorite thing to do on a day off? Play golf with my dad and go shopping with my mom. Do you have a favorite gift from a fan? We have a beautiful chimnea from a fan in El Paso we use in the summer outside and then bring inside at Christmas and put candles in it. Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? Tommy Parham……I married him! Song (of yours) you wish you would have released as a single and why? "The Fire." I believe the world needs to hear the message. Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off? Oscar for best song in a major movie picture. Have been believing and seeing this one since I started writing and singing. Website/Twitter/Facebook/Soundcloud
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