What is your name?
Mandy McMillan!
What is your genre of music?
I would classify my genre as Country Pop with a twist of Rock.
Give us a little bio about you.
I am from just outside of Edmonton, Alberta in Western Canada. I started singing when I was five years old at Christmas concerts and have always loved being creative. After I won a CMT Canada contest years ago, I moved to Nashville where I had a blast living, breathing, and playing music. I spent almost 10 years in Nashville before coming back to Alberta last year. Now that we’re in 2021, I’m excited about what’s to come on the next chapter of my musical adventure.
What made you go into music?
I have loved music ever since I was a little girl. My mom loves to tell the story of how I could sing before I could talk. I believe that music is in my soul.
Who are your influences?
My influences include Fleetwood Mac & Stevie Nicks, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette and a lot of classic rock!
Are you signed?
I am not signed. Although it would be fun to be signed to a deal, I am enjoying my time as an independent artist and making the most of it.
You released your new single ‘Haven’t We All Been’, tell us more about the single.
I am so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to write, record and now release this song. I co-wrote it with the incredibly talented Chris Roberts while I was living in Nashville. The spirit of the song touches on challenging moments in my life and overcoming them. It’s my third single release from my new album, “Dream Catcher”, that will drop later this year!
What is the meaning behind the Single?
The meaning of “Haven’t We All Been” is that we all go through tough and vulnerable times, but what gets us through is our connection that we’ve all been there. It’s important to acknowledge sadness but it’s also very important to believe in our ability to heal and know that even though today may be difficult, tomorrow is another day towards a brighter future.
What was the writing and recording process like?
The writing came very easily as my co-writer, Chris Roberts, already had the idea when I arrived at the write that day. It was like he could read my mind as to what I needed to get off my chest. We talked a lot about what the song’s meaning was and it flowed so effortlessly. It was the exact message we needed to put down at that time of my life. Chris is an unreal songwriter and it was a magical experience.
Recording was another amazing experience as I got to co-produce it. My producer Simon Gugala and I spent quite some time perfecting the guitar tone and vibe that we wanted. It’s also a fun fact that the vocals on the final version were the scratch vocals. I channelled my raw emotion when we were recording the scratch tracks and it was too perfect to try and recreate, so we kept them.
Describe the track in two words.
Reflective Hopefulness.
Who did you work with on the song?
My partners in crime were Chris Roberts (co-writer) and Simon Gugala (co-producer).
What was the creative process like for the music video like?
Creating the music video was a fabulous experience! We filmed it while I was back home in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and needed to look for creatives to collaborate with. The people I sourced were amazing and as I looked around the set that day, I realized that we all grew up in the same hometown and all graduated from the same high school four years in a row. It was amazing to see all of us highlighting our creative abilities and doing what we love all these years later. I sent off the footage to my beautiful friend Jenny Marvin in Colorado to edit and the music video turned out better than I could’ve hoped!
What else can we expect in Early 2021?
You can expect a lot of positive and genuine content on my social media accounts. This “down time” from the last year has really allowed me to do some deep diving into who I am and what I want to represent as an artist. I really hope to give more inspiration to those out there who are chasing their dreams. After that, you can look forward to new music and the eventual release of my album.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I see myself sitting under a palm tree, on the beach with my guitar – writing songs and loving life. I want to be playing music at festivals that are uplifting and just be spreading positivity to those around me.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
Believe you can and you’re halfway there!
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
I cannot forget my throat coat tea, honey, shot of Jäger, capo and a pair of heels.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes! Fans can follow me right here:
–Instagram
–Facebook
–Twitter
