Crystal McGrath is a musician, activist, podcast host, and inspirational influencer. Her latest single, “About a Boy,” released on June 11, 2021. In “About a Boy,” McGrath blends a pop drum beat with a traditional country backing band to create a sound that is wholly her own. Like a chocolate-vanilla swirl ice cream cone, the song blends two very different musical flavors into something that any music fan will enjoy. “About a Boy” tells the story of a confident girl who still longs for the connection from a relationship and finds herself distracted with the memories of her past. Her style blends two very different musical flavors into something that any music fan will enjoy.
McGrath has performed all over the world. She has toured the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and Australia. Supporting Canadian country legends such as George Canyon and Aaron Pritchett, McGrath has proven that her stage presence is just as powerful as her songwriting. Her last release, “Game On,” produced by Spencer Cheyne, was released to radio in September 2020. The first week of the release, “Game On” hit the Sirius XM CBC Country Top 40, was added to rotation on Australia Commercial Country radio networks, and the video was added to rotations on the Australian MTV/CMT network.
McGrath is an advocate for women’s empowerment and wants women to feel that they can go after any goal that they hope to achieve. To promote this message, she founded “Live With Love,” an online platform with the mission of helping women live their best life through movement and mindset. She has partnered with thoughtful.co by Indigo to bring her movement, message, and music coaching as a part of their digital experience offerings.
She has a passion for connecting with people and creating an outlet for their stories to be shared. This is evident through her podcast Crushing Chaos where she interviews women pushing through the resistance in their personal and professional lives. McGrath also can be seen regularly hosting her video podcast The Artists Behind the Music. In each episode, she interviews her musical guest through inviting conversation around how they overcame obstacles to continue on their musical journey, followed by a performance by the guest.
In November 2019, McGrath was invited to participate in Canada’s Music Incubator’s Artist Entrepreneur West professional development program at the National Music Centre, where she spent five weeks developing her business.
McGrath lives by the words of poet John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem Don’t Quit “And you never can tell just how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.”
Treat yourself to an inspiring musical performance by Crystal McGrath next time she comes to a location near you.
McGrath says, “I love how the song clearly states, ‘why does it ALWAYS have to be about a boy’ and a huge part of what I stand for is female empowerment! I feel like this song in a way represents that emotion for me, and it’s really reminding ourselves and listeners that women are equally valid and can play on the same field! Ask any girl – they have had some moment in their life where their world revolved around a boy, there’s humor in it to me, as much as we are independent and confident, we are all still human and honoring the human emotions getting real with a feeling is something super important to me.”
Tell us about your new music and the inspiration behind it.
Really, the biggest inspiration is empowering women and making them feel like it doesn’t always have to be about a boy, and it can be about them.
What was the songwriting and recording process?
The song was written by Emma-Lee, Karen Kosowski, and Robyn Dell’Unto, and is the first song that I have ever recorded and released that I didn’t write! They are amazing songwriters, and I am so honored to have been able to record one of their song babies.
When I heard this song, I just loved how relatable it was; every girl can find a piece of this story to relate to. The recording process was definitely different than normal; we all wore masks, and there were no celebratory high fives or hugs…but we still got the job done in a safe and isolated manner!
What do you hope your fans/listeners take away with them when they listen to your music?
I want listeners to feel inspired and connected to a feeling, whether the feeling is joy, reflection, sadness, or excitement. When we connect to human emotion through music, it makes us feel understood and less alone knowing that someone else feels the same way somewhere out there!
When did you first pick up the guitar, and what drew you to that instrument?
As a kid, we went camping all the time, and my dad’s friends would spend the whole night playing and singing! I thought it was so cool how music entertained and inspired everyone that was there, and couldn’t wait to be able to do that for crowds of people!
Who are some of your musical influences?
I am a big fan of Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Shania Twain, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, and Kelly Clarkson.
What’s next?
I am excited to be sharing a new collection of songs with the world in 2021! Get excited for more music from me soon.
Connect with Crystal McGrath on Social media
@crystalmcgrath on Instagram and Crystal McGrath on Facebook.