On Saturday, August 2, singer-songwriter Miggie Snyder will return to a familiar stage at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights. But if you think you’ve seen this show before, think again.
“This one’s different,” Snyder said with a smile during a recent Zoom interview. “I’ve got a surprise guest coming up during the second set, and I won’t be behind the piano the whole time. That’s a first for me at Hey Nonny.”
Known for her emotionally rich lyrics and warm, genre-bending sound, Snyder has been steadily building a following with music that pulls from real life. The upcoming show will feature fan favorites, unreleased tracks from her next project, and something special to celebrate the five-year anniversary of her breakout song Legend Lake.
While she now lives in Nashville, Snyder has deep roots in the Chicago suburbs. Her ties to Arlington Heights are personal.
“My mom taught in District 214 for her whole career,” she said. “And my grandma, who I wrote Legend Lake for, used to say the sky looks better in Arlington Heights than anywhere else. It’s a place that holds so many memories for my family. Playing there feels like coming home.”
Snyder’s family still lives nearby, and many will be in the audience. “They all love Hey Nonny. Honestly, I think I might be playing this show partly just to make my mom happy,” she joked.
Snyder’s music doesn’t hide behind vague metaphors or radio polish. It’s direct, heartfelt, and often deeply personal. Take Pledge of Allegiance, for example, a song inspired by a breakup that happened over FaceTime on the Fourth of July. Or Music Man, written as a birthday gift for her father.
“I wasn’t making much money at the time,” she recalled. “I had just moved to Nashville. So I wrote him a song instead. He’s a lifelong musician and always dreamed of doing more with it, so I tried to capture all these pieces of his life in the lyrics. He even came to Nashville to play on the recording, which was his first time in a studio. That was huge for both of us.”
The response to Music Man surprised even her. The song has become something of an anthem on TikTok, where users regularly pair it with photo montages of their dads. “I see a new video almost every day,” she said. “It’s one of the most meaningful things that’s come out of my music.”
Try to pin down Snyder’s genre, and you’ll get stuck. There’s a little folk in there. Some country influence. A bit of theater. And pop. Definitely pop. But nothing fits neatly in a box.
“I’ve started telling people I play ‘theatrical pop’ or pop with a theatrical flair,” she said. “But honestly, I just write what feels right. Whatever the song calls for, that’s what I lean into.”
Her influences are equally wide-ranging. She points to Sara Bareilles as one of the biggest. “I remember hearing Love Song and thinking, oh wow, you can sing and play piano and tell stories like that? I wanted to do that.”
Although she’s based in Nashville, Snyder doesn’t rely on the mainstream music machine to get her work out. She distributes her music through Symphonic, a service that allows artists to release to all major platforms, including free services like Bandcamp and YouTube.
“I try to make sure people can hear my music no matter what,” she said. “You don’t need a subscription to support independent artists.”
She plays regular shows around the country, with stops this year in Wisconsin, Tennessee, and across Illinois. In Nashville, she often takes part in “writers rounds”—small, informal showcases where artists play their original songs for intimate crowds. “It’s where I’ve met most of my co-writers,” she said. “And it reminds me why I started doing this in the first place.”
Snyder’s performance at Hey Nonny will include two 45-minute sets, with new songs, some familiar favorites, and a few things she’s never done on stage before.
“There’s new music I’ve never played in front of an audience, a special guest joining me on stage, and I’m doing something really unique for Legend Lake to celebrate its anniversary,” she said. “It’s probably the most fun set I’ve ever put together.”
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 7:30. Tickets are available now at miggiesnyder.com/shows.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or hearing her name for the first time, this is one of those rare opportunities to catch a rising artist up close before the venues get bigger and the tickets get harder to find.