I have been around it my whole life. I come from a musical family, it has always surrounded me. Growing up in that environment instilled in me a strong passion for creativity and expressing myself through my songs. I’m a pretty solitary person. I often spend days without sleep writing songs. Some I scratch and some I keep for a later day. Some come quick, some not so easily…nonetheless, it’s all a labor of love.

A few years back, I auditioned for the Berklee College of Music’s World Scholarship Tour. My audition was held in Miami, which is about an hour from where I was born, Boynton Beach, FL. I performed a song I had written and a cover of Don Henley’s “Heart of the Matter.” I love Henley’s music; he writes with such class. One fine day came and I was awarded acceptance to the school on a scholarship. Studying music and living in Boston was a phenomenal experience.

Last summer, I toured Central and South America with Latin superstar Christian Castro as a keyboardist and vocalist in his band. Taking French in high school quickly became a big regret, because I had to memorize a lot of lyrics in Spanish. It was a thrill being on the road with those guys performing in front of thousands. Some songs on the album were inspired during this experience and written while on tour.

I had known my producer, Zach Ziskin, for years before we began recording this album. We met when he engineered my first demo recordings when I was 16, even before he became a producer. He has been such an inspiration to me over the years. Zach introduced me to bassist Fernando Perdomo and drummer Derek Cintron, who are two of the funniest, most genuine, and most talented people I know. I have learned so much from playing music with these guys. Together, they really brought this record to life.

I absolutely love horns. I’ve always been fascinated with them, probably because I grew up listening to a lot of Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire. I picked up a saxophone in middle school, and I’ve kept with it ever since. Charlie Calello, who has done arrangements for Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen, came up with the stellar horn parts on the album. I was amazed at how much they added to the feel of the songs and the overall recording.

I pour my heart out through every note I compose and sing. Each song is a close representation of how I’ve felt (and perhaps we’ve all felt) at one point or another. Writing out my situations somehow makes it easier for me to come to conclusions. I went through a few major turning points in my life while I was writing this album, that’s probably why these songs are so raw.

Now, at age 21, I’ve written more songs than I can count. They’re all very personal. My first album tells a lot about me. Each song on the record, in some way or another, speaks of the trials and tribulations of life and relationships, themes we all can probably relate to. - Hilary McRae