Emerging pop-country singer-songwriter Malachi Gagnon is a small town all-American
16 year old who found his love for singing and songwriting where many of music’s
biggest stars first discover their inner artist; the church worship band. Born and raised in
a small town of New Hampshire, Malachi was raised on small town values and credits
his family and their encouragement for giving him the confidence to believe in himself
before he ever played his first chord. “When I was 12 I sang out loud in front of my
family for the first time at an impromptu living room family talent show” the next day
Malachi’s dad took him to the music store and bought him his first Taylor guitar.
“It was about a week after getting my first guitar that I learned to play my first cover
song, which was Jon Pardi’s ‘Ain’t Always a Cowboy,’” Malachi recalled. “It wasn’t that
good, but it was a start and I knew in my heart I would get better if I just kept at it.”
Malachi continued practicing on his own and playing with friends and at his church any
chance he got. He began working hard at learning a song called “giving you up” by
Cameron Marlowe and posted his cover of that song to his instagram page. He received
positive feedback from many people including Marlowe himself, which gave him another
dose of confidence to keep pushing forward.
“That really meant a lot, and pushed me to start thinking I could actually do something
with the whole music thing,” he said. “When someone you look up to takes time to
encourage you and believes in you it can really impact you.” Malachi continued
performing covers and growing in his craft.
As much as Malachi enjoys singing cover songs from his favorite artists he loves writing
his own songs and has written hundreds of songs that he keeps on his iPhone notepad.
“Before I could play the guitar I was writing songs, and have many that I’ve written,”
Malachi said. “Writing songs is one of my greatest passions, which is one of the reasons
I love country music. I’m a storyteller and country music tells a story like none other.”
He initially thought that it was going to be a challenge to be a country singer because
Malachi doesn't have a natural southern accent, which most country artists do have.
However, as he started working with various industry professionals and producers, he
quickly learned that Country music is more than just an accent.
“It’s who you are that makes Country music. Not the accent you have,” Malachi
confidently asserted.
Over the years, Malachi has drawn a good amount of his inspiration as a songwriter
from modern day recording artists like Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, HARDY and pop
icons like Shawn Mendes and Charlie Puth. He also cites country legends from past
generations like Johnny Cash, Brooks & Dunn and Garth Brooks as artists who were
able to appeal to non-country music fans, which is something he hopes to be able to do
one day through his music, by expanding the country genre’s audience and appealing to
music fans of other genres.
“One of the coolest moments I get to experience is when someone hears about my
music and says, ‘I don’t like country music.’ and I pull out my phone, play them a song
of mine and their respect for the genre grows.”
In 2018, Malachi relocated to Tampa, Florida with his family, where he began working
with music producer Spencer Bradhan who has helped him craft and evolve his own
style from the various influences he’s grown up with. It was also in Tampa where
Malachi performed his first show at the popular locale’ New World Brewery, where he
ended up drawing nearly 150 people for his first solo show. From that experience also
came some of Malachi’s first media features with Creative Loafing Tampa and
Hollywood Life, which gave him more hope for what the future may hold.
“I’m really not into the idea of doing something for fame, as most people my age seem
to be after,” Malachi said. “Music and writing is just who I am, with or without records,
followers, fame or money.”
Over the last two years Malachi has emerged as an up-and-coming original pop-country
singer-songwriter who has released eight singles since 2022. More recently he’s been
collaborating with established songwriters and producers in Nashville like Phil Mosely,
Brandon Hartt, and David Ray Stevens, the latter who has several co-writes with
breakout crossover recording artist Jelly Roll.
“I love the feeling of writing a song and finding the perfect melody to fit the emotion,
then watching it come together and being able to share it with people,” Malachi said. “I
really adore writing from my own experiences and stories which my friends tell me
about.”
Out of some of those songwriting collaborations came the feel good pop-country sounds
of “Some Are Love” and the heartbreak pop ballad “Haunt My Dreams,” both of which
Malachi released as singles in 2023. He also released his own self-written song “She
Will'', which continues to build out his profile of writing songs about the ups and downs
of relationships as a teenager. Next up is the mid-tempo pop-country’ish rocker “No
Thanks To You” which is set for a Fall 2023 release, and he’s already working on about
five more new songs for 2024 that are also coming together in Nashville.
“I think being able to make music and do what I love is just an amazing opportunity,”
Malachi said. “If my music gets listened to by a lot of people and God opens doors for
me, then I’m prepared to walk down that path knowing that he’ll be at my side no matter
where it leads.