Duo McKinney James Debut Single, “I Don’t Care” — “…the inspiration for IDC didn’t come from any chapters directly out of life’s book. It stemmed more from wondering where were the songs about girl-gets-over-boy-on-an-island.”
2010. First novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me. Worked with Producer Eric McKinney of Wonderland Studios ATX to release an original music soundtrack for the book. “Time is flying; we must be content? “Sometimes the life you end up living is better than the one you pictured yourself in.” -Harley LeBeau, The Boots My Mother Gave Me #almostmissedit #sothankfulforthem” For new fans can you share the backstory to your first book?
Before Boots became a novel it was a New Year’s resolution to journal and get rid of excess baggage carried around from a dysfunctional childhood. In journaling it became evident that one’s truth can be quite painful to tell. Therefore in between pages directly out of life’s journey I began to add in fictional elements of romance that served as a “carrot” to get through the more difficult retelling of childhood trauma and an early adulthood spent reckoning with that trauma (ie. chasing my tail).
As I got to the end of journaling, and was in the process of meeting with an editor who thought the journal would make a poignant novel, I thought it would never work. Unbelievable that a girl who couldn’t trust her own father, of all men, could/would trust any other man. The romance element was a bit too happy-ever-after, wasn’t it?
In my mind Harley would ride off into the sunset in Charlene the Chevelle, a different yet triumphant happily ever after. My editor begged to differ, stating that the ending was much more powerful with Harley making a conscious choice to face her fear rather than continue to run, to ultimately trust in love. Readers seemed to agree with my editor, Boots an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter Finalist.
And as fate would have it life imitated art. “You wrote him to you,” a dear friend said of my husband, whom I met and married and started a family with shortly thereafter. I couldn’t have known at the time of reflective journaling, but perhaps my subconscious writing mind did, that Harley was right: “Sometimes the life you end up living is better than the one you pictured yourself in.”
Along with journaling, a whirlwind of songwriting inspiration took root, songs themselves having much in common with the topics of my emerging novel, track titles matching chapter titles here and there. Movies have soundtracks, why not books, I thought.
Between Austin and LA at the time I lucked out and found Eric McKinney at Wonderland Studios ATX. Eric welcomed the concept and so graciously signed on as producer of the original music soundtrack to the novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me.
Over the past 13 years together you’ve collaborated with Eric on music and voice-overs for educational materials and audiobooks. And continued your Sunday Songwriting Sessions. Just released your first single as McKinney James, “I Don’t Care,” a fun and feisty tune in production and lyrics imagining what a girl would do if a guy took back the ring. What was the inspiration for the song? How did you choose it as the first duo single?
When I first played the acoustic version of I Don’t Care for my husband, he said, “Cool song, babe. But should I be worried?” To which I replied, “You’re the bartender in this one.” Thinking he should know by now that he is the “hero” in all my musings.
That said the inspiration for IDC didn’t come from any chapters directly out of life’s book. It stemmed more from wondering where were the songs about girl-gets-over-boy-on-an-island. There seem to be numerous island-vibe tunes from male singers drowning their sorrows and partying it up to get over a girl. Perhaps Jimmy Buffett started the trend with Margaritaville — “Some people claim that there’s a woman to blame…”
It didn’t hurt that the hub’s, kids, and I had just returned from Maui where we celebrated ten years of wedded bliss; we’ve been on island time ever since! Writing in any fashion is an emotionally explorative process. Most often you write what you know from personal perspectives of love and heartache, blessings and loss, joy and grief. For writing is creative therapy — a way to reflect on, make sense of, and often come out the other side of emotionally provocative experiences. Yet any eternal optimist can sit in the “heavy” for only so long before it’s like, Okay, enough of that. Let’s just write something fun.
Something completely made up and imaginative, far from where you are personally in life and love. Something that at the time you never really expect to turn into anything. Something that is more a “palate cleanser” than the next new single.
I walked into studio with my trusty little notepad lined in hen scratch — “Woke up this morning, got on a plane, can’t cry anymore that I don’t wear your ring…” — with a blip of melody and a general idea. Eric picked up his guitar, plucked out the melody while offering on-the-spot transitions from verse to chorus to bridge, all the while imagining production elements: “We’ll add some reverberated guitar, some ukulele, some steel pans, give it some island flavor.” The “can’t cry anymore” line gave rise to the underlining rock-and-roll rhythm in the vein of Sheryl Crow, an artist whom Eric and I both admire.
It’s a rare joy of the songwriting process for something to come together effortlessly. I Don’t Care was one of those songs. It really shaped up in just a few sessions. And the island-feel made for a natural summer debut single choice.
You shared a series of questions for fans on how they ‘consume’ music … “Do you have a fave streaming service? Do you actually sit down and watch music videos? Or does your YT playlist croon in the background while driving or making dinner? Are CDs viable? What’s your opinion on lyric videos?” For the first single you did a lyric video. How did you settle on showcasing the new music in that format?
The replies to that series of questions on how listeners currently consume music was eye-opening. One listener divulging that her daughter doesn’t even know what a music video is! Streaming seems to be the new MTV. Yet in the music industry it also seems a requirement to have a video that accompanies single releases. A Catch-22, perhaps. And it does feel a bit indulgent to feature oneself over and over again in music videos.
In mulling over how we might “brand” the duo McKinney James altogether, Eric and I considered lyric videos that lend themselves to showcasing more the song and the lyrics than the performers. Thereafter Eric and his team at Texas Time Artist Services took on the task of creating the lyric video. We knew immediately that we wanted some kind of writing in the sand, sticking with the whole island vibe. Add in a few scenic shots and some effects, and they did a great job. It’s pretty cool to have a built-in one-stop shop. Writing, producing, mixing and mastering, lyric video — it all comes out of Wonderland Studios ATX, genuinely local, independent, sustainable creations.
As with the vintage vinyl cover art for I Don’t Care from MKJ, the plan is to follow suit with subsequent singles. Listeners will have no trouble identifying McKinney James music. Vinyl cover art and lyric videos will stamp it.
More singles over the next few months. What else does McKinney James have planned for the rest of the year?
The plan is to release a new single every six-to-eight weeks until we run out of viable material and have to go back to the writing den. As with penning books, once a single is released, as artists we’re moving on to the next one and the next one. Artwork and lyric video creation is already in process for our follow-up single, One of Them Boys — an homage to those men who aren’t the life of the party but who are nevertheless rock solid in life and in love.
Your side projects include a ‘lil indie vamp movie.’ While you can’t share particulars yet on this role, how did you get into acting?
When I was in LA writing music I got an (acting) agent because everyone in LA seems to have one. Landed a few gigs, my first as a Paramedic in a Weezer video. Then when I moved back to Austin the film industry was in full swing here, so I signed on with a casting agency in town which led to some stand-in/stunt-double and extra work on a Bruckheimer pilot and a Linklater film, respectively.
I loved participating in theater in high school and in college. Still enjoy the stage as a volunteering mama for my daughter’s elementary musical theater program. And I have learned over the years that I enjoy the behind-the-scenes aspects of film and music — the writing and the brainstorming of — more than the spotlight of performing. Even when actively gigging it was natural to me to choose laid-back acoustic sets, myself and a guitarist, at intimate venues.
In films I’ve been fortunate to be a part of, my curiosity persistently meanders to the inception of the project: who wrote it, where did the inspiration come from, how did they put it all together. However being on the set of films, watching actors and directors and production crews work, and then viewing the final creation onscreen is great schooling for any writer. And there is nothing quite like swinging wide open a door when opportunity knocks. Particularly if said opportunity pushes me out of my comfort zone (ie. into the spotlight). For discomfort is a catalyst to growth.
The latest indie films I worked on — American Teen & Teenage Vampire 3 — were actually a result of my husband attending an annual charity golf tournament with teammates/friends from his college football days. One of those friends is an active supporter of the San Antonio film industry who was chatting with my husband about some projects for which they were casting “moms.” The friend and I linked up, passed back and forth a few scripts and demo reels, and there you have it.
The two aforementioned films are the brainchild of Mutt Productions who often feature local up-and-coming actors/actresses and crew members (many in college for film/stage), providing them a springboard to build upon education and to beef up resumes. Even a small role in both films was totally fulfilling, particularly being a mom to a child who has a bit of an acting bug. Just to witness these kids/young adults work, the enthusiasm and the hope they have for a future in film, was pretty darn cool.
Another side project is a 1970 Scout restoration project. “Not bad for a 52-year-old engine? Hadn’t been running for 2 years when I got it. Blew out fuel lines, cleaned plugs, threw some new wires at it, rebuilt carb (hardest part, can you say learning curve ☺), new battery, and voila! Now that I know she runs and once the garage is complete, I look forward to the challenge and the reward of a total restoration?” Any tips for others interested in getting into car restoration projects of their own?
I’ve always found satisfaction in basic maintenance of vehicles I’ve owned, something truly rewarding about getting my hands dirty and figuring it out. Not to mention that my eye is perpetually drawn to classic vehicles (ie. Charlene the Chevelle from the Boots cover). But a full frame-off restoration? I’m wondering what I am getting myself into! And therein lies the “carrot” — I’ve got to attempt it simply to see if I can do it.
As a restoration novice who is in over her head with this 1970 IH Scout 800A project, I have no better advice than give it the old college try. Jump in and doggy paddle until you swim; Google/YouTube your butt off. With the advent of DIY videos, it’s all there for us. Nothing left to do but the failures and successes of the doing.
Research, critique, and formulating a plan can’t hurt. The IH Scout community, rather large and supportive, has helped me immensely in that area. Check out some forums, podcasts, and social media pages dedicated to your dream vehicle restoration. Ask around at your local auto parts stores and mechanic shops. I’ve found mom-and-pop shops to be a wealth of information. A seasoned mechanic in my area so graciously got me started on my first carburetor rebuild by pointing out some “obvious” things that were not so obvious to me.
Be aware of what you want as opposed to what you need. Patience and flexibility will get you far in the buying period. I think cars, specifically of the vintage type, have ways of choosing their owners. Like a horse I had in my late teens who was as green as I was. I may have wanted a gentle, fully-trained mount — “bomb proof” they might say in equestrian terms. But I got exactly what I needed. That young, spirited horse taught me more than I would ever teach it.
For a few years I’d been casually looking for what I wanted, a Scout II frame-up restoration. Called on and followed up on a few, but didn’t find any that I couldn’t walk away from. Then this 1970 800A series came up out of nowhere. Right time and right price, but it wasn’t a Scout II. Wasn’t what I wanted and required more work than I had bargained for. Yet it called to me — imagine what I could teach you, lol. So I drove home with it on the bed of a trailer.
Lo and behold when I verified the serial number from the frame rail and ordered my Line Set Ticket, I was excited to find that this little gem I couldn’t walk away from was originally a Promotional Scout — an SR2 Doll-Up series in Burnished Gold, one of about 500, a bit of a rare find. And I’d wager that’s not the only “surprise” this gnarly lil classic has in store for me!
Brooklyn James