Erin McCarley Brings Love, Save the Empty on the Road
September 2009
If you sat in a movie theater last winter and paid any remote attention to the content of the pre-previews, you might’ve heard in the background Erin McCarley’s heavily promoted single “Love, Save the Empty,” a.k.a. the featured track on the funny February flick He’s Just Not That Into You. Likened to a softer Fiona Apple with a sound in the same vein as Priscilla Ahn or Brandi Carlile, McCarley’s other hits including “Pony (It’s OK),” “Pitter Pat,” and “Lovesick Mistake” have been heard on shows like "Grey’s Anatomy," "One Tree Hill," and "Kyle XY." Now headlining her first tour in promotion of her debut album, Love, Save the Empty, McCarley shared her story with WaldenPonders.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?
I sang since I was a little bitty, but I was more into dancing.
I was performing since I was four, but singing kinda came later as a focus. I think once I hit high school I knew that I wanted to sing as a profession, but that’s about as far as it went. I wasn’t really diving into who I was as an individual and able to articulate any sort of story that I had.
So, I think in the past five years or so, writing become something that I wanted to do and something that I found myself having to sit down and do, just to be able to get it outside of myself.
You have described your writing as philosophical. Where does that inspiration come from?
I would always kind of be inspired by something that happened to me but then turn it into something that happened to somebody else. Once the inhibitions fell, I was able to hone in on what I was really feeling and turn it into something that I could say out loud and put into the song. All of my songs don’t necessarily mean that they 100% happen the way that I say ‘em, but they did in a way that’s more metaphor than actual occurrence.
Describe the process behind Love, Save the Empty.
I made this record with Jamie Kenney, a producer in Nashville. We did it on our own. We didn’t have a record label or a manger yet telling us what we needed to do and when, so that was such a luxurious time. When it came time to release the record out into the world and see if anybody wanted to come on board, I signed a record deal. I want this career for a long time, and I made it very clear I don’t want to just be known for one song and then done, you know? I want to grow and grow with fans, just have fun and have fans forever. It’s almost like putting an exclamation point on [the album] - that’s what this tour is. I’m able to go out and be the headliner and bring a full band and be able to play every song from the record.
Most people recognize your music from various television and film soundtracks. Do you ever fear being pigeonholed as a soundtrack artist?
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. My songs aren’t Britney Spears. They’re not 100% pop songs…so I knew that my songs weren’t necessarily gonna be the biggest thing that ever hit radio. TV/film is another avenue that’s a lot more eclectic and willing to take risks on who they present to the world. So, I definitely had [that] in mind once I released the record. "Grey’s Anatomy" [does] a really good job featuring music in the right place. It’s just fun to see what they pair your song up with what visual. Most of the time, I’m pretty satisfied. It’s been pretty exciting to watch.
If your music could be featured on any TV show, which would you choose?
"30 Rock" is my favorite. Did you see [the finale] when all the artists were on there? I was like “Oh, what a dream! That looks so fun to be there right now!”
What are your plans for a second album?
There’s no date set. As soon as this tour is over, I’m gonna bury my head and focus in on what’s been written over the past year and a half. You have to learn what you wanna play every night ‘cause I’ve had to play this whole record every night and I love playing it. I know the things that I wanna do the same and things that I wanna do differently now.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Grocery shop! I’m not kidding. I’m obsessed. That’s always the first thing I do when I come home is make French press coffee every morning and then grocery shop. I really love to cook, I just don’t get to do it, but I will.
What has been the best thing to happen since releasing the record?
Two things came to mind. One event that happened that was so fun was playing "Late Show with David Letterman [sic]" the day the record came out. We were in New York, which is one of my favorite cities in the world. I had my whole band up there that had played on the record. We were playing the CD release show that night at Joe’s Pub, which I’ve always wanted to play, and then we played "Letterman" that day. Just this whole magical day of “this really happened,” you know? It was just so exciting and special. Then, just overall…I’ve just appreciated the personalities that have been out on the road with me and what I’ve learned from them.
Links: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?
I sang since I was a little bitty, but I was more into dancing.
I was performing since I was four, but singing kinda came later as a focus. I think once I hit high school I knew that I wanted to sing as a profession, but that’s about as far as it went. I wasn’t really diving into who I was as an individual and able to articulate any sort of story that I had.
So, I think in the past five years or so, writing become something that I wanted to do and something that I found myself having to sit down and do, just to be able to get it outside of myself.
You have described your writing as philosophical. Where does that inspiration come from?
I would always kind of be inspired by something that happened to me but then turn it into something that happened to somebody else. Once the inhibitions fell, I was able to hone in on what I was really feeling and turn it into something that I could say out loud and put into the song. All of my songs don’t necessarily mean that they 100% happen the way that I say ‘em, but they did in a way that’s more metaphor than actual occurrence.
Describe the process behind Love, Save the Empty.
I made this record with Jamie Kenney, a producer in Nashville. We did it on our own. We didn’t have a record label or a manger yet telling us what we needed to do and when, so that was such a luxurious time. When it came time to release the record out into the world and see if anybody wanted to come on board, I signed a record deal. I want this career for a long time, and I made it very clear I don’t want to just be known for one song and then done, you know? I want to grow and grow with fans, just have fun and have fans forever. It’s almost like putting an exclamation point on [the album] - that’s what this tour is. I’m able to go out and be the headliner and bring a full band and be able to play every song from the record.
Most people recognize your music from various television and film soundtracks. Do you ever fear being pigeonholed as a soundtrack artist?
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. My songs aren’t Britney Spears. They’re not 100% pop songs…so I knew that my songs weren’t necessarily gonna be the biggest thing that ever hit radio. TV/film is another avenue that’s a lot more eclectic and willing to take risks on who they present to the world. So, I definitely had [that] in mind once I released the record. "Grey’s Anatomy" [does] a really good job featuring music in the right place. It’s just fun to see what they pair your song up with what visual. Most of the time, I’m pretty satisfied. It’s been pretty exciting to watch.
If your music could be featured on any TV show, which would you choose?
"30 Rock" is my favorite. Did you see [the finale] when all the artists were on there? I was like “Oh, what a dream! That looks so fun to be there right now!”
What are your plans for a second album?
There’s no date set. As soon as this tour is over, I’m gonna bury my head and focus in on what’s been written over the past year and a half. You have to learn what you wanna play every night ‘cause I’ve had to play this whole record every night and I love playing it. I know the things that I wanna do the same and things that I wanna do differently now.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Grocery shop! I’m not kidding. I’m obsessed. That’s always the first thing I do when I come home is make French press coffee every morning and then grocery shop. I really love to cook, I just don’t get to do it, but I will.
What has been the best thing to happen since releasing the record?
Two things came to mind. One event that happened that was so fun was playing "Late Show with David Letterman [sic]" the day the record came out. We were in New York, which is one of my favorite cities in the world. I had my whole band up there that had played on the record. We were playing the CD release show that night at Joe’s Pub, which I’ve always wanted to play, and then we played "Letterman" that day. Just this whole magical day of “this really happened,” you know? It was just so exciting and special. Then, just overall…I’ve just appreciated the personalities that have been out on the road with me and what I’ve learned from them.
Links: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter
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