Meet Jamie McDonald | Songwriter/Content Creator
We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamie McDonald and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jamie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’m not sure I have had a choice. I was an educator for a long time. Even in that career I was secretly creating records, writing songs, filming, etc. I ether will suppress that major part of my heart or I won’t. I have a hard time viewing that as a choice, to be honest.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a songwriter in Houston, Texas. I started songwriting when I was 13 and have written/produced records ever since. I feel like most song writers intend on glorifying or romanticizing their life. It’s a wonderful way to express but it’s not really where my voice speaks most clearly. In my art I try my best to de-glorify. You will absolutely still find metaphor and allegory but I tend to use them more brutally. What makes my art special to me is the juxtaposition of that writing style with a more upbeat or traditional folk musical pallet. The name of my band, “oh, hooray”, is the embodiment of that juxtaposition I suppose; an exclamation in all lowercase. Having this type of writing style can certainly be a challenge while trying to gig… It’s not exactly bar music and it’s not exactly crafted for mass consumption. We have to look for niche markets for exposure, certainly, but I would not have it any other way. The outlets we try to appeal to are ones I greatly respect. Most notably we were featured on NPR for our 2021 Tiny Desk Content Submission. It was a bizarre and rad thing to be involved in and is an accomplishment I will always remember.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Houston is packed with my favorite food on the planet. Tiny Champions, Better Luck Tomorrow, Roost, and Agora Coffee are favorite spots for sure but it’s really hard to pin it down to only a few. When people visit I take them to those spots first, for sure. Other spots like Avant Garden for open mic nights, White Oak Music Hall & The Heights Theatre are places I frequent quite a bit. If you haven’t been to any of these places you really need to stop reading this and go right now. Seriously. Get up.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shoutout Jake Sigman, my English teacher. He encouraged creation in my life and the courage to express unapologetically. I am not sure my art or voice speak the same way without his mentorship.
Website: jamieheyjamie.com
Instagram: ohooray
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamieismcdonald/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Eqs8R6zL-l5BKwX-fnGow
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
