“There are honest country-music songwriters in Nashville, and then there’s Travis Meadows…”
– Rolling Stone Country
Watch Travis Meadows’ Associated Press video feature HERE.
Acclaimed hit songwriter Travis Meadows will perform at 3rd & Lindsley on March 18 in support of his latest release First Cigarette (Blaster Records). The new album features Meadows’ unflinching candor and peerless songwriting, which have been praised by press including NPR Weekend Edition, Associated Press, American Songwriter and more. Rolling Stone Country applauded First Cigarette as “an album that’s equal parts hurt and healing, and one that may linger long after the smoke has cleared.” View their extensive feature HERE and see more press highlights HERE.
Though Meadows is overwhelmingly recognized by his peers as a masterful songwriter and unforgettable live performer, his incredible personal story and how it has shaped his music is equally powerful. All before the age of 14, Meadows had to cope with abandonment by his parents, the loss of a sibling and a near-death experience with cancer. While music became his sanctuary, drugs and alcohol became his crutch. “I’m an orphan who turned into a preacher, a preacher who turned into a songwriter, a songwriter who turned into a drunk, and a drunk that is learning to be a human being,” Meadows says, describing his journey. To hear more of his incredible story, listen to Meadows on NPR Weekend Edition.
First Cigarette paints a somewhat brighter outlook, reflecting where Meadows is currently at in his life. Expanding on the themes of recovery and survival, Meadows delves deep into topics including the healthy expression of emotion, finding contentment where you are in life and the quest for satisfaction. Uproxx said, “First Cigarette is Meadows working at the height of his powers, plumbing the depths of despair, and delivering everything from brutal, buzzy lullabies like the title track, to bluesy, zydeco kiss-offs…” The album’s sound is sparse, and raw, very similar to what you’d hear at Meadows’ live show. Travis Meadows’ story of survival and success is inspirational and his songwriting connects deeply to those who have listened or even more so, can relate.