We were lucky to catch up with McAndress recently and have shared our conversation below.

McAndress, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I knew early on that my path was a creative one. As a kid, I spent a lot of time drawing. I was pretty quiet and observant of my surroundings, and I found comfort in creating art because it was fun, peaceful and introspective. Thinking back, I cherish those memories because it was a time where imagination and reality were really intertwined, and as kids, you don’t really question your “worth” or doubt your abilities, you just do what you like and believe in it. I didn’t have any grand ideas about what my art needed to be, and so I try to remember that — the importance of simplicity and just allowing yourself creative freedom.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My stage name is McAndress, I’m a singer songwriter here in Orange County. The last couple years I’ve worked on a blend of folk, rock, rhythm and blues, recently releasing a single co-written with my father, Mark Reynolds, who’s a classical guitarist. I also share a band with my drummer husband, Yoyo Bianchi, called Teravolt. The band has gone through some significant changes this last year, as we shift our focus from Hard Rock to Drum & Bass. I’d say a lot of our influence for this next stage is coming from groups/artists like Massive Attack, Portishead, Richard Spaven and Morcheeba. Making music with my family is one of the highlights of my life, it’s been especially meaningful and rewarding, keeping us all connected.

In your view, what can society do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

As technology continues to excel, there’s a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds for the music industry. If ever there were a time to be mindful of supporting your favorite artists and small businesses, it’s now. We’re really at the genesis of a new reality, especially with such crucial decisions to be made about Artists rights. My hope is that we can embrace Ai just as a useful tool, without having to rely on it entirely. In the meantime, supporting your fellow musicians, engaging with and sharing your favorite artists’ content, showing up to shows and being present in these social situations for the sake of just keeping connection and creativity alive — is so important right now.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I’ve gone in quite a few creative directions, especially through the pandemic, and have found each project to be enlightening and rewarding in different ways. Whether it’s a Fine Art piece or a new song, I believe we learn and grow from it all. Maybe as we get older, it’s easier to see the value in how your time is spent, and I’d like to think there’s a piece of you in everything that you do, so why not do it with passion and enthusiasm.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/mcandress
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathermcandress/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcandress
• Twitter: https://www.threads.net/@heathermcandress
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mcandress
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@heathermcandress

Image Credits
©McAndress