A healthy work-life balance is a sweet spot that’s as sought-after as it is alien. For every promotion and relocation, there’s a compromise to be made with a partner or a different closeness on the horizon with friends. In our capitalist economic system especially, the personal clashes with the professional time and time again.
Kelly McMichael took it upon herself to explore the impact that professional artistic fidelity has on relationships in her brand new single “Stepping Stone.” The St. John’s multi-instrumentalist adopts a suave mix of classic rock and R&B for a release that’s chock-full of nuance and artistic fidelity itself.
McMichael expertly transforms the personal into the universal, utilizing vague lyrics with thematic precision as she navigates the emotions that come with being left behind, as it were.
“The song is more about questioning the relationship than pointing a finger,” says McMichael. “More of a friend/collaborator-inspired story; a combo of experiences rather than one specific person.”
Draped in themes of jealousy, ambition, nostalgia, and loyalty and bolstered by striking musical talents, McMichael laments the loss of a relationship as a result of the other person making it to the musical big leagues.
Each instrument pops with a soulful zeal as McMichael dips between melancholy, acceptance, and a touch of cynicism as she grasps with the reality that this person’s journey didn’t seem to include her in the final destination; a feeling we may all become familiar with at some point, for better or worse.
It also continues to showcase McMichael’s personal transformation as she moves away from fronting her electronic-based project RENDERS, into the role of a solo artist, and leaning into the influences of ’60s and ’70s classic rock.
“Stepping Stone” is the third single from Kelly McMichael’s debut full-length album, Waves. The album, co-produced with Jake Nicoll (The Burning Hell), will be available on May 20, 2021.