Headbanging, Marketing Music, and a New Jam from Ella McCready

Born into a family of musicians, London’s Ella McCready has been crafting music for as long as she can remember. She started gigging at 14 years old and is now focusing on her solo project, led by the single “Fine On My Own,” co-written and produced by Moonwalker Music.

The track came to Ella after a bad breakup and uses metaphors of bruises to explain the pain of dealing with a toxic relationship. It’ll get your head nodding and drive a feeling of empowerment deep into your bones, which is something not every song can achieve.

Ella spoke with Good People, Cool Things about her music, her worst gig, and other big news from this summer.

What was the first song you remember hearing that made you want to be a musician? What impact did it have on you?

That is such a hard one to answer because I'm not sure I could pinpoint it to one specific song...I think my love of music started really young and I couldn't really separate the time when I used to just enjoy music from the time when it became what I wanted to do — it all just bled into one.

I used to headbang to “Song 2” by Blur when I was still in nappies. Maybe that was my defining moment?

What's your songwriting process like?

Usually, I start writing based on a lyric that’s come to me. Sometimes a first line just appears and the rest builds from there. I've also been really fortunate to write with other talented songwriters/producers — Yelmo Music and Moonwalker Music — as they create tracks that are so easy to write alongside and my songs have been formed really fluidly and collaboratively so far.

How have you marketed yourself before, during, and after COVID? Has it changed at all?

I actually only started releasing songs in January, so before/during the majority of Covid I would sing covers and perform as much as I could, but I wasn't marketing myself as a singer/songwriter.

The last few months have been strange because it's been hard to know how to celebrate each release when we've barely been allowed outside — for example, I put on a “virtual gig” for my debut single, which went really well but just wasn't the same...I don't really think we're in post-Covid times yet but when we are, I'll be focusing as much as I can on live performances. I miss the stage!

What's something that's surprised you about the music industry?

How expensive it all is! Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to invest as much as I can in my career and my future, but if you really want to do this thing properly, it is extremely expensive. I hadn't realized quite how much money I'd be spending until I started.

What was your worst gig?

I sang with a Motown band at a wedding down in Sussex. We were by the sea in a big marquee and the wind was horrendous. The chandeliers they'd fitted inside the tent were in serious danger of killing somebody and I spent the whole gig thinking we'd all be crushed at any moment...that was pretty stressful.

What's next for Ella McCready?

My new single came out on June 25th! I am incredibly excited to share this one with you all — it's a real summer banger.