Liv McCune Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Liv McCune is an outstanding singer whose debut EP "See Me" should be streamed on repeat as often as possible. I was glad that she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Liv McCune visits Section 36 Music!

I absolutely loved your debut EP, “See Me”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you so much for the support! This EP comes straight from my heart and is absolutely representative of my journey as an artist and human being. The timeline of when I wrote these songs range from September 2019 to August 2022 so naturally I feel like the songs grew up and experienced the first (almost) three years of adulthood with me. It’s my story of growing up, moving away and all the emotions that go along with that.

What was your favorite part about the recording/production process?

My favorite part of the production/recording process was just how much of the final song developed as we recorded it. I had the opportunity to work with incredible musicians and I really wanted their own style to show through my work! I gave them the chord changes and pretty much told them to do whatever they think will sound great (with the exception of a few specifics I wanted included).

You’re attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing Berklee is doing for your career?

Berklee has been life-changing for me. I grew up in a small town in Utah where I didn’t have access to in depth music education so being able to attend class at such a high quality institution has been a dream come true. I’m a songwriting major so I take a lot of classes that teach me ways to make my music unique in regards to the lyrics, arrangement and production. I have been able to rewrite sections of previously written songs in a way that I feel represents my artistry better than before because I have the tools to do so! Along with that, Berklee has provided such a great community for aspiring artists. As a graduating senior, they really make sure you have the tools and connections to transition from college to the industry. That is probably the biggest thing it’s doing for my career currently. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

My number one artist on Spotify has been Phoebe Bridgers for the last two years. I adore her songwriting and find a lot of inspiration in her. I also grew up listening to folk-inspired music like Ray LaMontagne and Dave Matthews Band. While I have expanded my listening pool, I have to credit them with the foundation of my musicianship and voice as a songwriter. I take a lot of inspiration from life experiences. Songwriting has been so cathartic for me and I’ve always promised to be as honest as possible when storytelling. Authenticity is something I’ve learned through my dad. He is probably my biggest influence and everything he played while I was growing up. For my debut EP, he had a huge hand in creative direction and even co-wrote the last song on the project with me. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

If you were to ask me a year ago, I would say my biggest career challenge is my fear of putting myself out there to be seen and letting my music be heard. Releasing music was always something that was so daunting to think about, it’s surreal I have actually done it. Now, my biggest hoop would be the jump from streaming services to live shows! It’s been tricky to put together a live band because I don’t know how long I’ll be in Boston after graduation or where I’ll end up afterwards. It’s a huge goal of mine to perform live and I’m super optimistic that I’ll be booked on bills in the near future! 

What are your immediate career goals?

My number 1 career goal currently is to put together a band to play live shows! My hometown has a great DIY music scene that I’m dying to break into. I’m also wanting to work on my next project! I’m always writing but I really want to be intentional about the storyline and sound of my next project. With the release of my first, I am so eager to get into the studio and discover what is waiting to be created! 

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I'm so glad she got over her fear of releasing music. I can't wait to hear more!

As always, I want to thank Liv for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow along with her to see what she's up to. I would definitely follow her on Instagram, and/or Spotify. In fact, go do both right now!

Thanks again Liv, and good luck reaching your goals!