New York based singer-songwriter Rebecca McCartney is back with her latest release “Just Air,” and Celeb Secrets had the opportunity chat with the artist and hear all about the new track.
McCartney opened up about the inspiration behind “Just Air,” saying that it was a way to look back at old relationships, and the struggle of ending one.
“I wrote this song about a long-term relationship I was in, where eventually we just got to a place where I couldn’t keep going,” McCartney says. “It was taking all the life out of me, and we had grown into different people.”
We sat down with Rebecca (virtually) to talk all about “Just Air,” and the inspiration process behind the song, her upcoming EP and future live shows.
Check out the full Q&A below and don’t forget to let us know what you think of “Just Air” by leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can also connect with Rebecca by giving her a follow on Instagram at @rebecca.andmusic.
Celeb Secrets: Hi Rebecca, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Can briefly walk us through your musical journey?
Rebecca McCartney (RM): Hey! Great to be here. I was born into a musical family and started singing at a really young age. Through the years I started piano lessons, guitar, and songwriting. In high school I played my first show with a band, and my world changed — I became obsessed with that process of rehearsing with your friends, making songs your own, and then getting to perform them for a crowd of friendly faces. I studied jazz and composition in college, and cut my first album at 20: an indie folk duo project with my old friend, Jakob Leventhal. It’s called Garden Party. This year I worked on my first solo EP, How You Feel, which is an ode to all the genres I grew up in (musically), and feelings of in-between-ness.
CS: When did you start singing and what inspired you to get into music? When did you decide to pursue singing professionally?
RM: My parents say I started singing practically right out of the womb. I think growing up in New York, put me in the middle of such an active cultural and music scene at a young age, that I became so attached to that energy. It wasn’t until last year, though, when I was facing my impending college graduation, that I decided to pursue music professionally and full-time. Strange timing with the pandemic, but my love for this stuff isn’t going anywhere. Well, until I have to start working eight jobs at once just to play a show every year, at least.
CS: Your new single “Just Air” came out on Oct. 22. Could you tell us about how you created this song and your inspiration behind it?
RM: Definitely! I wrote this song about a long-term relationship I was in, where eventually we just got to a place where I couldn’t keep going — it was taking all the life out of me, and we had grown into different people. But of course I couldn’t walk away so easily, because of how close I felt to this guy. So this song is me processing those conflicting emotions. I wrote it on just acoustic guitar — really simple, really raw. Then working with my friend/producer Jake in the studio, we built out a sonic landscape that’s meant to just wrap up the listener in this world. You can still hear the acoustic instruments still peek through at choice moments, revealing how it all started.
CS: What do you hope fans take from “Just Air?”
RM: “I hope people can hear the tension they’ve had in their own lives, of feeling like you want something but knowing you need to leave it behind. It’s a super vulnerable cut into my life, and I hope listeners relate to that rawness.”
CS: You’re getting ready for the release of your upcoming EP How You Feel; what was the inspiration behind it?
RM: ‘”How You Feel’ is a collection of five songs, all of which I wrote in about three months before recording, and all of which are about processing my mixed feelings on various relationships and friendships in my life. Songwriting is how I work through those moments of tension, and lean into them, so this EP is quite reflective of some of the tough things I’ve been feeling the past few years.”
CS: If you could describe your upcoming music in three words what would they be and why?
RM: “Hmmm… tough one. Let’s say reflective, groovy, and raw. You can hear why.”
CS: With everything opening up again, do you have any plans to hit the road and have any live shows?
RM: “Yes! Booking some live shows in New York as we speak. Some will be for my indie-folk duo that I mentioned earlier, Garden Party, and some will be for my EP music I’ll be playing with a band. Hopefully I’ll get out to other cities later this year.”
CS: What’s your favorite part about performing live?
RM: “I’d be lying if I didn’t say the first moment of stepping into stage lights and seeing the faces of the crowd. It’s honestly magic. But I’m also a sucker for that moment when your band locks into a collective pocket and you’re just all in sync and feeling each other’s grooves.”
CS: Do you have any dream collaborations or goals for the future?
RM: “I would kill to collaborate with Lianne La Havas or Moses Sumney. Too many goals to count (laughs).”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets (fun facts) about yourself or your music that people wouldn’t know?
RM: “Let’s see — I’m a vegetarian, big into climate action, hiking, and public transportation. You know, granola. Something a little more fun is that, growing up, I sang in a quasi-professional youth chorus and got to tour around the world and perform for people like Pope Francis and President Obama. Not hard to develop a performance bug when you get to do things like that.”
