From California Backyards to Òran Mór: Meels Brings Her Woodland Americana to Glasgow
Two years ago, I stumbled across a girl on TikTok sitting in her backyard in California, quietly picking banjo covers. There was no huge production, no attempt to chase virality – just a beautiful voice and a sound so distinctive that it stopped me in my tracks instantly. Last night, watching Meels perform at Òran Mór in Glasgow as support for Kaitlin Butts, felt surreal seeing that same humble authenticity translate so effortlessly onto a stage thousands of miles from where I first discovered her music.
Fresh from the release of her January EP, Meels has quickly carved out a distinctive voice within the modern Americana landscape. Her songwriting carries shades of John Prine in the way it finds emotional depth in the seemingly small and ordinary. Much like Prine, she builds entire worlds through tiny observations, humour and deeply human storytelling.
Even before the first song began, her stage presence told a story. Her guitar hung adorned with a raccoon tail – a fitting symbol for the woodland imagery and critter-centred storytelling that runs through her music. It felt less like a gimmick and more like a visual extension of the strange, gentle world her songs inhabit.
Performing several originals from the new EP, one standout moment came with “Willow Song”, featuring the lyric: “I’m one with the willow…they’re gentle with me because I’m not thick skinned.” The metaphor lands beautifully, drawing on the willow tree’s long-standing symbolism of sensitivity, grace and resilience. Like much of Meels’ writing, it feels delicate on the surface while quietly cutting much deeper underneath.
Switching between guitar and banjo throughout the evening, she demonstrated both versatility and an effortless command of traditional Americana textures. Her rendition of “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” by Dolly Parton felt entirely her own – stripped back, intimate and full of longing. It’s one thing to cover a classic country song, but another entirely to reshape it without losing its heart.
Keeping the banjo in hand, Meels moved into “The Wizard”, a song that has become something of a TikTok sensation thanks to its references to her “obsessive compulsive degree.” In another artist’s hands, the line could feel novelty-driven, but Meels delivers it with such sincerity and self-awareness that the song becomes oddly poignant – balancing humour, vulnerability and eccentricity in equal measure.
Swapping back to guitar, she then delivered a stunning version of “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young, further reinforcing both her wide-ranging influences and her deep connection to the Americana tradition. The warmth of the performance seemed perfectly suited to the evening’s ambience, the audience hanging onto every line.
Perhaps the evening’s most striking moment came with a brand-new song centred around finding a fawn, taking it home, nurturing it, only for it to eventually run away. Beneath the woodland imagery lies a heartbreaking metaphor for love and lust, attachment and the impossibility of truly holding onto something wild. It’s the kind of songwriting that reveals itself slowly – simple in concept, devastating in implication.
Closing the set with “Goodnight Irene”, Meels turned the room into a communal singalong, the audience joining in softly as the evening came to a close. It felt like the perfect ending – warm, unpretentious and deeply human.
Supporting Kaitlin Butts is no easy task given Butts’ reputation as one of Americana’s most exciting live performers, but Meels more than held her own. If last night proved anything, it’s that the quiet girl posting banjo covers from her California backyard may not stay a hidden gem for much longer.
