In the Country with Dave Woods:
Haley McNeil

Teeswater, Ontario’s Haley McNeil is a rising star on the Canadian country music scene. With her rich, nostalgic blend of Contemporary Country & Classic Southern Rock – influences from Miley Cyrus to Stevie Nicks, Lainey Wilson to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Zach Bryan to Janis Joplin – Haley’s sound resonates with audiences of all ages and music genre preferences.

She debuted her first original song, “Guardian Angel,” live onstage at the age of 13, and released her first original single, “Dear Future Self,” on Spotify in March 2020. The latter was named Song Of The Day by Front Porch Music within a few short weeks of its release.
In the Spring of 2024, Haley completed her final year at Fanshawe’s acclaimed Music Industry Arts Program (MIA) – where she was honoured with two awards: Artist of the Year and Roots Vocalist of the Year – in addition to touring with the London City Roots concert series.
Haley performed as one of the Top 8 Finalists in the Emerging Artist Showcase at the North of Nowhere Music Festival in Lindsay, Ontario and tied with Steven James for first place. Together, they blew the judges away by collaborating on a surprise duet during the ‘head-to-head Top 2 finale showdown’ on July 20th. She was also selected as one of the Top 6 Finalists for Lucknow’s Music in the Fields 2024 Emerging Artist Showdown.

In December 2024, Haley moved to Toronto, where she’s already beginning to gain momentum in the local live music scene. When she’s not out gigging all over Ontario, Haley is actively writing and recording new original songs.

Welcome to the Spotlight, Haley! Let’s start by hearing about some of the artists who have influenced & inspired you – and why they’ve had a positive impact on you.
My biggest inspiration is definitely Miley Cyrus. I spent my childhood watching Hannah Montana, and then continued to listen to Miley once the show was over. She made me want to do what she does. Other artists that have had a big influence on my music and style would be Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, Pink, and Sheryl Crow. All of them have this powerful and confident presence that I look up to so much, and they all have unique voices that set them apart from anyone else.

When did you realize that a music career was something you were going to pursue and work hard at?
I had always had the dream to be a superstar when I was a kid, and I spent most of my time at music lessons and performing whenever I could. In high school, there was a period where I didn’t think it was what I was meant to do until I applied to colleges and got into the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College. The day I got accepted, I was super emotional and called my mom crying because in that moment, I knew that was all I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It just took me some time to realize, almost like I had to miss it to find my passion again. During college, I learned so much and got to really dive deep into this career path I chose, which just made me love it more. I finished the program, winning the Roots Vocalist of the Year Award as well as Artist of the Year. The moment that happened, I knew this journey was meant to be. Since then, my life has been full of great surprises, and I can only look up from here!

What is your favourite part about songwriting?
My favourite part about songwriting would have to be writing songs that really resonate with me, but also other people. As soon as I write something I’ve gone through, I can think about other people in my life who have gone through similar things, and that makes me happy to create a song that those people can listen to and relate to in their own way. I write from a place of experience. I get really vulnerable when I write, like when I was in public school & high school, I would come home and write songs every day about things that happened to me at school. Expressing my feelings and emotions in songs about good and bad things that have happened to me, and knowing someone else could get help from it, brings me joy.

What advice do you have for new songwriters to write the best songs possible?
Write from your heart and experiences. Trauma writes the best songs, in my opinion. If you experience a heartbreak, if you’re grieving, if you’re in love, if you are struggling in some way — those songs are relatable to your listeners and will pull at people’s heartstrings in the best way! Also know that it’s okay to go through periods of time when you can’t write, it can refresh your mind, and sometimes you come back writing that song that changes your life because you went through it and have so much to say about your experience.

What is your favourite song to cover and why?
My favourite cover is and always will be “Me & Bobby McGee”. Although it’s a popular one that many artists cover, it’s the song that really changed my life musically. I was 11 years old when I heard it for the first time. It was Pink’s live AOL version from 2003, the year I was born. I remember sitting in my aunt & uncle’s basement listening to it with my family, and I just felt this sort of feeling that I can’t even explain. The song spoke to me. I started practicing the song a lot and singing it at any gigs I had from 12 years old to now, and every time I sing it, the crowd gets really quiet & I sing my heart out. I get chills every time, the crowd seems to love it, and God, does it ever make me feel amazing! It’s an incredible song that was written by one of the best songwriters of all time, Kris Kristofferson (in my opinion). Then sung by one of the greatest, Janis Joplin, a true legend and gone far too soon. All in all, “Me & Bobby McGee” feels like my soul song that helped me shape part of who I am as an artist.

If you could choose any artist for a duet recording, who would you choose & why?
A dream duet artist for me would have to be Charles Wesley Godwin. I’ve listened to him for a couple of years now and just love his style & voice. I feel like our music is similar in ways that a duet together would be really cool. Another artist who isn’t necessarily a singer, but is an incredible guitar player who I’d love to record with one day is Grace Bowers. I came across her Instagram at the beginning of last year and was blown away, and I have hoped that one day I will get to work with her!

What is your dream stage to play on one day?
My dream stage is definitely the Grand Ole Opry. If I ever get the chance to sing on that stage where so many of my idols have sung, I would probably have some tears. A Canadian stage I would love to perform on one day though is to be a headliner at Lucknow’s Music in the Fields, it’s very close to home and every time I’ve attended I’m just in awe of seeing the performances and hope that one day I’ll be there singing to all of my friends, family and so many people I know from home!