Mary McGuinness – Shadowcatcher

By starrymag | January 23, 2024

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?  

A) I love all kinds of music and I think that comes through in my upcoming record, which blends classic country, laurel canyon and yacht rock with cosmic, Celtic and folk influences.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Some of my main musical influences are George Harrison, John Lennon, the Eagles, Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Hozier, Ray LaMontagne, Burt Bacharach and Classical music as a whole.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Double Vision?”

A) I was inspired by something that happened to me years ago in NYC. I fell asleep on the subway ride home. When I woke up, there was no one in the subway car and I walked out onto a desolate platform. I had no money on me to get home and was at a dangerous crossroads. As I stood there frozen, a man appeared next to me wearing an orange type construction vest. He said, “You look like you need help.” I said, “I do,” and he told me he would grab me a gypsy cab (even normal cabs wouldn’t come to the area because it was a very bad area.) All of a sudden, a gypsy cab was there and as I was getting into it, I turned to ask him for his name and address so I could send him payment for the cab. He replied, “Don’t worry about it.” I got in the cab and as I turned to say goodbye, there was no one there. I know my life was saved/protected that night. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before or since, but I look back on that night and it always brings me comfort to know we are not alone in this world.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to? 

A) Every day as humans in this world we are asked to have faith, trust, surrender – whatever you want to call it. “Double Vision” explores humans relying on the unseen and what lies within us.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) As the director, I tried my best to use the kaleidoscope effect to capture the world that lies outside of our normal scope of vision. I also wanted to bring the solitude of the road we all walk into the picture since that is important in the single as well.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I usually start with the lyrics; I am always jotting down lyric ideas. Once in a while I start with the melody, but usually I find it much easier to craft a melody around the story. Once I know what the song is about, I can come up with the right “feel” of music to accompany it.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music? 

A) I have a big hand in how I want the instrumentation and the sonic landscape to land. So much lies in the tiny details.

 

Q) With your new album Shadowcatcher releasing soon, what are some themes you’ll be exploring on it?

A) There are several themes explored in this album – perseverance, hope, depression, renewal, higher consciousness and love.

 

Q) Which song(s) on the album are a personal favorite for you and what makes them so significant to you?  

A) I love “Bounded Beauty” because it is a personal story about my Scottish Great Grandmother. She spent her entire life in a mental institution because she had what they now think is postpartum depression. At the time I was writing this track, women in Iran were fighting for basic human rights, which is where the title came from. “Keep Dreaming” is another one of my favorites as it makes me want to dance. It is funky and fun. Lastly, “Double Vision” is important on this record as it explores my encounter with an angel many years ago in NYC and my belief in the unseen world.

 

Q) Were there any tracks that challenged you the most creatively? 

A) “Dreamy Feeling” was a challenge to fit lyrics that were modern to a more standard, American songbook type of song. “Double Vision” was a tad difficult as I was still rewriting it the morning that I recorded it. However, “Shadowcatcher” was the toughest song for me. I probably rewrote the music for that song 100 times as it took me quite a while to find the right music to convey the lyrics.

 

Q) What do you hope lingers with audiences that explore your music – whether it is a message or an emotion?  

A) I think every artist wants to touch the listener emotionally in some way. If someone feels a little better, a little less lonely, or a little more hopeful, I’ve done my job.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?  

A) One of my favorite venues to perform was the Summerfest music festival in Milwaukee, WI because I was the first Asian American woman in its forty plus year history to lead her own band. Meijer Gardens in Ann Arbor Michigan was one of the most fun shows I’ve ever done. And, lastly, the Neil Simon Theater on Broadway was a magical performance as well.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future? 

A) I’d love to collaborate with Hozier.

 

Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) I am really digging Stephen Sanchez.  I love his style of using the throwback to the 50’s done in a modern way for a new generation. Also, his voice is spectacular.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I am a firm believer that social media is a great way to connect to fans and gain exposure to people who would otherwise never hear your music.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) It means the world to me, truly, and it’s one of the things that keeps all us artists going!