About

Megan Palmer is an artist’s artist, who has carved a singular path in the East Nashville music scene. Originally from Ohio, Palmer moved to East Nashville 10 years ago and quickly became one of the most sought after multi-instrumentalist and singers in the scene, backing up artists such as Tim Easton, Amy Speace, Anne McCue, Darrin Bradbury and many others.  But lately, it’s her own work as a songwriter that has been catching notice and gaining critical raves. A naturally gifted musician, her voice sings an unembellished truth and her songs are portraits of longing and hope.  Alongside her music career, Palmer has been a Registered Nurse for over 20 years and currently works at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. It is that unique dichotomy, artist and healer, that defines Megan Palmer’s healing music. 

In March of 2020, the week after East Nashville was hit by a deadly tornado, the pandemic basically shut the world down and shuttered the doors of the music industry. Clubs were closed, tours were cancelled and the live music scene was abruptly brought to a halt. Palmer’s work at the hospital was amplified by the dramatic intensity and anticipation of Covid-19 arriving at its gates. As the coronavirus spread fear and paralysis, Megan turned to music. She began writing songs with her Palliative Care colleagues to process the complex emotions and highlight an important part of what she and her co-workers use daily in end of life care: Compassion. “What started as a simple conversation about work transformed into a deep and healing discussion about how they viewed what was happening in the setting of empathy in life and death situations” says Palmer.  

“Take Good Care,” a 5 song EP is the project that emerged from these sessions.  Palmer co-wrote the album with her nursing co-workers, many of whom had never before written a song. ‘You never know how the storm will blow, and how it will affect your tempo. This is how the day is gonna go,’ starts the opening track ‘Wide Awake 5AM.  The album weaves 60’s soul arpeggios with darker, new-wave inspired minor notes in the title track. “Take good care of me, and I will take good care of you”. Palmer, also a breast cancer survivor, compares the pandemic to the nadir of receiving chemotherapy in the song ‘New Way to Be’ saying ‘it’s hard to believe a new way to be… by the time the sun came up I knew the work had just begun.’ 

The project was recorded at the Bomb Shelter studio in East Nashville and produced by Andrija Tokic (St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Alabama Shakes, Hurray For The Riff Raff) the music features Jack Lawrence on bass (The Raconteurs), Megan Coleman on drums (Yola), JJ Tourville on guitar and pedal steel (Deslondes), and Derry DeBorja on synth and organ (Jason Isbell). Palmer showcases her keyboard, violin, voice and guitar skills as well.