Growing
up in Tucson, singer/songwriter
Courtney McKenna loved music.
Now
the artist is pursuing her dream in LA, living in Manhattan Beach.
McKenna
will return to Tucson to perform as a duo with drummer Diego
Rodriguez at Bacio Italiano on Wednesday, Nov. 23. They plan to
perform covers and acoustic originals. Frequently, she joins the San
Diego-based Sweet Myths.
“I
think we inspire each other. They have their own solo project, but
then we work really well together,” McKenna said.
McKenna
was born in Orange County and raised in Tucson. She attended Catalina
Foothills High School and the University of Arizona.
McKenna’s
newest song “C.S.R. (Corporate Social Responsibility)” was
released Nov. 9. The grunge-rock tune is about the protests over
building the Dakota Access Pipeline and corporate greed in general.
“For
me, I’ve worked in and out of corporate jobs as I’ve been pursing
music,” McKenna said.
“It
just feels like we have technology, so it shouldn’t be as much of a
grind as we are forced into… Socially, we are going through a point
of change on so many levels. The corporations really run this country
and the globe. I just wanted to bring awareness to that.”
In
September, McKenna released the single and corresponding video for
“galaxies collide,” which was inspired by the film “Leaving Las
Vegas.” She premiered the video at The Federal in North Hollywood
during a Virgo Birthday Party, which she hosts each year. The song
shares her experience with her father’s alcoholism.
She
shot the video in Barstow, California, to capture desert scenes
similar to Tucson. In it, McKenna dons boots she has had since she
was 16.
“In
high school, we used to wear them every Friday. It was a thing. My
Tucson roots came out in the wardrobe,” McKenna said.
Drone
shots captured at Joshua Tree National Park also reminded her of
Tucson.
“That’s
one of my favorite parts about Tucson is the sunsets and the
mountains. That to me was reminiscent of being home,” McKenna said.
The
video has shots of McKenna and her band performing at the Jenny Rose
Café, an iconic spot featured on Sheryl Crow’s debut album
“Tuesday Night Music Club.”
This
year, McKenna also released “Save Yourself” and the corresponding
video. It was also inspired by her relationship with her father.
McKenna
said writing personal songs are difficult and emotional, but
cathartic.
“The
songs definitely take on new meaning as I continue to play them,”
she said.
“At
first, it’s that initial release. And then I grow and heal from
these things…I’m into personal development. I love journaling. I
also work with different healers and therapists because I want to be
my best for other people and show up in the world.”
She
hopes her listeners connect with the songs.
“I
don’t want to be just another pop writer,” McKenna said. “I
want my music to actually challenge people but in a good way, just to
help people think and let them know they aren’t alone. For me, that
was the biggest part about living with my father, who was an
alcoholic. I felt like I couldn’t talk with anyone else.”
McKenna
is working on her first LP, which will feature her most recent
singles. They carry the sounds of pop-rock, psychedelic, classic rock
and country-blues-inspired sounds. The tunes will delve into
different topics, including romantic relationships.
“It’s
good to have the different emotions. That’s the power of music. You
can really go through everything…. I want people to feel refreshed,
inspired and have a new perspective,” McKenna said.
Growing
up, McKenna sang in a church and school choirs. She played the
clarinet and soccer, too.
She
tried to learn the guitar in middle school but struggled. McKenna
didn’t get serious about it until after college.
“Anytime
you are starting out on guitar, it’s hard. Your fingers need
strength to get used to it,” McKenna said.
McKenna
graduated from the UA, where she studied consumer science and
retailing. She started out as a business major. Upon graduation, she
moved to New York, where she lived for nine years. It was in New York
that she started to find her voice and aesthetic as an artist.
“I
really loved singing, and I never really knew any musicians who were
on that path to make a career out of it,” McKenna said.
“When
I got to New York, my first boyfriend out there was a musician. I
started playing his guitar, and then I taught myself. I had always
written songs, but it took years to really decide that this was
something I could do. I met a lot of other artists that were doing
it. I always say I got my rock ‘n’ roll education in New York.”
While
in New York, she performed at venues like Rockwood Music Hall and
Bowery Electric and took part in community events such as the Lower
East Side Songwriting Contest and the “A Revolutionary Woman”
podcast launch.
The
artist went on her first tour and released a mixtape of original
songs in 2017. The following year, she offered a three-track
Christmas EP.
She
moved to California in 2019. For a time, she split her time between
California and New York as she was a tour manager for the Gary
Douglas Band.
Singing
backup for them allowed her to get road experience.
“I
got to meet all of these amazing musicians who we were opening up
for,” McKenna said.
In
LA, McKenna tries to organize community events that bring together
local musicians, including her series “We Are Everyday Sunshine.”
Getting
her footing has taken some time because of COVID-19. During the
height of the pandemic, she organized outdoor patio concerts at Goat
Hill in Manhattan Beach and Hangar 24 in Irvine.
“It
was mostly the neighbors coming out. We would invite other local
artists. Sometimes, we would have bands from the Eastside, Santa
Clarita or San Diego. I think that really helped me to get plugged in
here because there was not that much going on,” McKenna said.
Right
now, she is a part-time musician, working also in marketing.
“Music has
always been a priority for me because it fuels me. It’s my therapy.
It’s my love,” McKenna said.
Courtney McKenna
WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday,
Nov. 23
WHERE: Bacio Italiano,
943 E. University Boulevard, Tucson
cost: Free admission
INFO: courtneymckenna.rocks
This article appears in Nov 17-23, 2022.