Meredith Rounsley of Salisbury, Md., dove into music when she was just 14. She recently began playing full time—performing everywhere from Nashville to Toronto—and describes her sound as a mix of acoustic, pop and soul.
As Rounsley works on writing new music—slated for a 2018 release—she will “road test” new material at 99 Sea Level (Dec. 1 and Dec. 23), Harvest Ridge Winery (Dec. 15), Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats (Dec. 20) and Good Earth Market (Dec. 9 and Dec. 21). For more information and tickets, visit her website.
Favorite place in Delaware:
99 Sea Level in Bethany Beach
“The people are friendly, they have a great happy hour and it’s a beautiful part of town.”
Best place to eat:
Good Earth Market in Ocean View
“They do organic and really healthy eating, but it’s not super boring. It’s really great stuff. I’m always on a hunt for a great taco, and they do a really cool twist on a taco.”
Best venue to perform at:
Milton Theatre in Milton
“It’s really cool—really open and spacious. It has all of the old school décor from when they remodeled. It’s a super great venue.”
Music she recommends:
Electronic pop and acoustic
“I listen to a little bit of everything, but Kimbra has a new album coming out if you’re into electronic pop. I’ve been listening to a little bit of Julia Michaels—really good pop. If you’re looking for something acoustic—Johnnyswim.”
When she’s off tour, she’s most likely:
Reading
“I’m reading “Tenth of December” by George Saunders. It’s a collection of short stories. I love it when you can start reading a short story and the story assumes you already know what’s happening. Saunders is really good at doing that. “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck is my favorite book. I read it once every year or two. It’s beautifully written in terms of imagery. He’ll take the story from the beginning of someone’s life to the end with just enough twists and turns. It’s what makes a good song and a good book.”
Her musical inspirations:
KT Tunstall and Sara Bareilles
“My inspiration changes all the time, but I grew up on KT Tunstall. Sara Bareilles’s first records were important to me, in terms of writing. They’re my comfort artists, the ones I go back to.”