Maggie McClure

"Sitting behind her piano, she had a Disney princess presence, the type of aura that reminds you about Hollywood light comedies and musicals, and when I was precisely thinking about this, she said she had five songs (including the happy-hooky ‘Coming Home’) featured in an upcoming movie, 'A Cowgirl's Story', directed by Timothy Armstrong and starring Pat Boone, which should be out very soon (April 18th to be exact). Maggie has actually been really good at placing her songs on TV shows (Cougar Town, The Real World, The Vineyard, The Hills, to only name a few) as well as in films. Surrounded by a full band, including a childhood friend from Oklahoma, she and her musicians even performed the very freshly recorded ‘Magic Man’, which sounded like a melancholic waltz on piano, and the Disney princess impression could not have been more obvious than during the cute song she sang with her husband, fellow musician and Oklahoma native Shane Henry, who backed her up on vocals and whistling. Maggie McClure’s performance at the Hotel Café may have been far away from the over-produced stadium-show happening in the desert at the same moment – didn’t Lady Gaga perform at Coachella that same night? – but it was a sincere and heartfelt one. She is more a Carla Rae Jepsen type (to whom she has been compared), with a solid foot in a big city like Los Angeles and a heart still in her small town in Oklahoma,… but her sugar-coated vocals mixed with playful melodies were certainly here to bring a feel-good moment of sweetness." - ALYSON CAMUS

“Maggie McClure sings with sweet innocence and profound insight at the same time. That's why we felt her song "Good Morning and Good Night," would be the perfect music to start our movie, Cowgirls 'n Angels.” - TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG

Maggie McClure is one of those transplanted L.A.-based artists who might make you wonder why you’ve never heard of her before . . . she’s that good. For those not up on all their indie artists, Maggie McClure is a singer/songwriter-musician who puts the focus more on sharing her personal life through her music as opposed to a detailed bio.

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A veteran of more than 750 live performances, McClure says: “Each show is a blessing. “I can’t go up there and push the ‘routine’ button. I make each one count and give the audience my best.”

McClure has been recording music since 2007 when she released her 10-track eponymous disc Maggie McClure. The CD included such songs as “Believe” and the album end-note “All Of Me”. Three years later (2010) she whetted her fans’ audio appetites for more with her 6-song EP Good Morning & Good Night. It featured such cuts as the titular track and the realistic “Everything We Don’t Say”.

Just last year McClure followed it up with another EP. This one was the seasonal First Thing on My Christmas List which she did with Shane Henry. They left listeners wanting more with only four Christmas cuts included. They also released the noteworthy single “Kiss for Christmas” off the EP. It was not the first of her singles, of course, but it certainly proved McClure could work well with others.

In between the live gigs and recording sessions McClure expressed her tuneful talents in other ways. She worked as a featured background extra on Matthew (Mr. Schu in “Glee”) Morrison's music video for “It Don't Mean A Thing.” Her songs have been included in the movie Cowgirls N' Angels as well as such TV shows as “Dr. Phil”, MTV’s “The Real World’, “Worst Prom Ever”, “The Hills” and “The Young And The Restless”. McClure is currently playing Violetta on the English version of Disney Channel Latin America's “Violetta” now showing in the UK and other countries.

Her upcoming February 2014 release is titled Time Moves On. On this 9-track recording McClure (lead and background vocals, piano and keyboards) musically chronicles her mental and physical travels from her home in Oklahoma to her base of operations here in California. She is backed by an assortment of other artists including producer Justin Glasco (drums, percussion, bass, programming, banjo and additional keys and guitars), Brandon Walters (electric guitar and lap steel), Shane Henry (acoustic and electric guitar and background vocals), Steve Miller (acoustic and electric guitar) and Christopher Wray (pedal steel guitar).

The album opens on “Reset.” This one was co-written with Glasco with strings by Alexander Tseitlin. This is both musically mournful and melancholy complete with a hopeful, whispering cry for a new beginning. It’s followed by one of the best tracks on the disc—“Liar, Liar”.

“Liar, Liar” is reminiscent of 1970s Kate Bush with a chorus that is a clever twist on a childhood rhyme. This original composition belies something spiritual and emotional and seems to touch upon refocusing or remembering priorities in life. It’s followed by “Uncertainty” which continues to demonstrate her writing abilities.

“Closer Than Before” comes next. It’s an upbeat cut co-written with Glasco and focuses on that moment in a relationship when one discovers and somehow tries to express the fact that despite everything that could have gone wrong somehow you are still growing together and are “closer than before”.

The titular track follows in what sounds like an audio album of intimate offerings straight from the author’s heart. This, too, was co-written with Glasco. The sixth selection is “Troubled Heart”. It is almost a prerequisite piece in that it has that “lone wolf” 1960s feel to it. It touches on that moment in life when one realizes a change has to be made.

“Daydream At Midnight” is co-written with Shane Henry and reminds older fans how well the pair works together. It’s followed by the “Critic’s Choice” “Central Time”. The song touches the heart and soul of anyone who left their home and family behind to follow their dreams and totally captures that fluctuation of feelings that can pull on in both directions. This McClure-Henry mix has definitely made your rockin’ writer’s personal playlist. (In fact, expect to see yours truly doing a duet with McClure at her next show as he’s been practicing in his car for weeks now . . . yeah, right.)

The closing cut is “It’s Alright”. This features some strings assistance from Tseitlin and effectively marks the end of an album that is expansive and ethereal as well as honest and introspective. It’s a tuneful tale of an unpredictable journey in hopes of creating a new future. Check out Maggie McClure’s new album, Time Moves On, and you might find that you’ll be even “Closer Than Before” to loving her music. - Will Phoenix

Maggie McClure isn't wasting any time. The Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and pianist is celebrating the release of her latest album, Time Moves On, and visited BFTV last week to tell us all about it.

"I am extremely proud of this project for many reasons," she said. "The process has taken about a year from the time of writing to the time of releasing, [and] I am just extremely proud of every single song. I'm excited that my producer, Justin Glasco, and I were able to find a certain sound without even trying that hard. I'm proud of the fact that this album is just a natural progression from my album before. The production value, I think is very high. I'm just proud of it in every single way. From the songs, to the production, to my working relationship with Justin, to the musicians that played on the album, even to the artwork."

"The important stuff I think people should know is that I play piano. I've been playing since I was five, and I write all of my songs at the piano. I'm also a musician as well as a singer-songwriter," Maggie continued. "I also really think it's important to get across that I try to have a lot of substance in my music. When you say pop, it can be so generic. I try to write songs that are from my heart and can impact people in a positive way."

Maggie will be hitting the road in support of the album, beginning in her native Oklahoma and then returning to the West Coast for a series of shows across California, ending at one of BFTV's favorite venues, Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. While a sold-out tour or a smash hit album would be great, that's not what drives her. "I honestly think that if I do anything in msuic for the rest of my life I'm going to be fulfilled and happy. That's what really matters," she told us.

"For me, music is my passion and my life and I love it so much. Being involved in the music business, however possible, and being able to pay the bills, that's the ideal goal. Definitely for me it is not a matter of wanting to be famous. I just want to have a positive impact on people that listen to my music and be able to still create music."

Since her move to Los Angeles, she's seized on the opportunity to get her music into the entertainment world. You've heard her songs on shows like Dr. Phil, The Real World and The Young and the Restless. Maggie lends her voice to the title character in the English version of Disney Channel Latin America's animated series Violetta. And you might have spotted her in the background of Matthew Morrison's video for his song "It Don't Mean A Thing."

How has she been so productive? Maybe because she does almost everything herself: in addition to being the artist, Maggie also functions as her own record label, manager, and booking agent. And maybe because she has her heart in the right place. Just listen to her recount the music experiences that have meant the most in her life, and explain why they moved her.

"Probably three or four years ago," she reflected, "I got to see Paul McCartney in Tulsa, and that was an incredible concert. I was just so impressed with his stage presence and confidence and humbleness. I was extremely impressed with the fact that he never took a drink of water for about three hours, and he played non-stop for three hours. I just was reminded how much perseverence and time and dedication it takes to get to that level. That concert was just very eye-opening.

"[And] when I was starting out, I would say I was probably thirteen years old, my mom took me to see Sarah McLachlan in Oklahoma City," she continued. "She sang like an angel, beautifully. In between songs, her voice sounded horrible [because] she was so sick, but when she sang, no one would know. It was absolutely perfect. And I just remember that being so inspiring to me."

Now she's hoping she can touch the lives of others. "I hope that people will be encouraged and inspired by [my songs]," she told us. "I hope that each one of them makes the listener really think about their life, and I hope that the music that I'm releasing is making a positive impact on people in general."

Time Moves On is out now. For more on Maggie, you can visit her website (maggiemcclure.com), her YouTube page (youtube.com/maggiemccluremusic), and follow her on Twitter (@maggiemcclure). - Brittany Frederick

“Singer/songwriter Maggie McClure is loathe to let time pass her by. The Norman native and now Los Angeles resident worked hard bringing new album “Time Moves On” to fruition. The Justin Glasco-produced record of nine new songs dropped earlier this week. McClure will be performing all these compositions and more at a CD release party scheduled for Feb. 21 at the Will Rogers Theatre in Oklahoma City. “This album is very dear to my heart,” McClure said. “The songs were written throughout the past few years with the majority just recently.” The process began about a year ago with writing new material, searching for a producer and developing an overall game plan. It wasn’t lost on McClure that she and partner Shane Henry had relocated to the entertainment capitol of the world that is L.A. Daily reminders of potential career opportunities, even when encountered randomly, impressed on her the need for any new work to be the highest caliber possible.” - Doug Hill

“The young songstress invites us into her world with intimate stories about her life and the unrest that plagues it. However, her sweet voice and keen sense of melody are more on the sunny side of pop-rock, as she pens breezy atmospheres that are as dreamy as they are enjoyable. A pleasant mix of guitar versus key driven gentleness, she occasionally takes nods to the ’60s and certainly knows her way around a hook.” - Tom Haugen

It helps when your better half is an incredibly talented singer-songwriter, especially when you’re in the same line of work. Such was the case for Shane Henry on Saturday afternoon at Norman Music Festival.

Having recently lost his voice — a suave, soothing, soulful one at that — Henry found himself ill-equipped to perform his 2 p.m. set at The Brewhouse. However, having recently married fellow Oklahoma musician Maggie McClure, Henry luckily had an able partner by his side to cover his set. And, conveniently enough, McClure was originally scheduled to play right after Henry’s set.

It was a win-win situation at The Brewhouse for what, in any other circumstance, would’ve been a bit of a letdown.

McClure opened up the back-to-back couple’s sets, performing just more than half-an-hour’s worth of piano-driven tunes, her crystal clear voice setting nicely atop.

After covering for Henry’s original time, McClure called her whole band to the stage — which oddly enough included husband Henry on electric guitar. McClure and her band then proceeded to weave through a handful of old and new McClure originals.

The vibe at The Brewhouse was personal and intimate, an atmosphere other acts hadn’t been able to achieve there in the previous two days. McClure’s songs shone in their Norah Jones-y, Jamie Cullum-ish tone — tasty key chord progressions sprinkled with addictive guitar licks.

You couldn’t ask for much more from the four-piece band. The sound was full, the lows were driving and the highs were just flashy enough to keep your ears glued.

Although the sound quality in The Brewhouse was a little less than pristine, McClure’s voice and talent were clearly evident. Having recently moved out to the Los Angeles area with Henry, McClure introduced a number of her songs that had been featured in TV shows and movies.

Despite Henry’s vocal setback, the improvised group performance was quite a success, and the crowd at The Brewhouse did not seem disappointed — I know I wasn’t.

(Nick Williams) - OU Daily

"The new EP from Norman-based Maggie McClure was recorded & mastered in Nashville, but don’t expect hayseed twang. No steel guitar in any of these tracks. While McClure’s pretty soprano sounds child-like on the title song, it’s a very attractive introduction to a sweet set of tunes.

McClure would be a natural performing at Lilith Fair, reminiscent of Lisa Loeb, Sarah McLachlan and more recently, the pop confections of Colbie Callait. Her music is soft & sensitive, and the lyrical subject is relationships. Searching her heart for clues when there’s no answer in mere words is at the center of “Everything We Don’t Say.”

All compositions, save “The Girl You Want to Be,” are writing collaborations with men. Some of their names are found in the album’s player credits. If you’re a young man with a propensity for being non-committal, “Are You Here to Stay” should be a scary song. There’s a quiet fierceness & determination in the lyrics that belie McClure’s seemingly gentle vocals.

That ethereal quality is found in spades on “Nothing Was Left,” and brings to mind an old grin.

How many sopranos does it take to change a light bulb? Just one. She holds the light bulb, & the world spins around her. "

-Doug Hill - The Norman Transcript

Maggie was GREAT! We had a good turn out from students. Maggie was wonderful to work with and Shane was a very nice addition to her show. I was very impressed with the way they created music together and that she still maintained the "lead" person. Maggie and Shane are both people that both Marist and myself would like to work with again! If anything says great show, it was the fact that students actually bought CDs. Marist students never purchase CDs so, major props to Maggie and Shane for being able to sell as many as they did! It was also a pleasure working with you and I look forward to doing more shows.
Jenn Unterbrink - Asst DSA - Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY - Marist College

"Maggie McClure is one of the bright young stars of Oklahoma's growing community of spiritually-oriented musicians making the crossover into mainstream music. Her 2007 release 'Maggie McClure' is mellow, polished light rock that suggests a more secular-oriented sound. Lyrically, the songs blend concerns of faith with the challenges of everyday life, yielding a more grounded, practical feel than many modern Christian recording artists. McClure's voice is a great asset toward accomplishing this sound, expressing pain, uncertainty and curiousity. The end result is uplifting but not preachy, melodic but not trite, pensive but not plodding; a track that strongly exemplifies her smooth blending of joyful praise with the more temporal joy of performing is 'All We Need'.
Whether or not this style of music is the future of Christian rock, McClure's level of musicianship means it's only a matter of time before the talented, enthusiastic, thoughtful young pianist/singer gets snapped up by a major label." - Pop/Norman Transcript

"Stand back Vanessa Carlton: there's a new singer, songwriter and pianist ready to take the nation by storm - she's Oklahoma native Maggie McClure."

-Katie Parker - Oklahoma Daily

Songwriter Maggie McClure brings a boldly emotional pop sensibility to Freeplay's catalog with her soulful debut self-titled album. Passionate vocal work and poignant lyricism characterize these tunes, with compositions ranging from smooth melancholy rock to breezy, toe-tapping funk. For instance--"All of Me" is an evocative, sentimental track --sweeping strings bolster heartfelt vocals and piano that impart a tone of rumination. Check out Maggie McClure for a set of inspiring tunes sure to move and affect audiences.

- FreePlay Music

KOAR New Music - Maggie McClure — in Music News

Check it out KOAR readers!

Twenty-year-old ‘Do it Yourself’ Oklahoma bred singer/songwriter/piano player, Maggie McClure is getting her name out there. She has been performing at various churches, youth groups, theatres, festivals, clubs and in-store events for six years. Some say Maggie is breaking down walls between secular and sacred audiences.

Check out the “What’s It Like” Music Video that will be featured on MTV Networks. - Kings of A & R

Featured Pop Artist on MyCoke.com

Maggie McClure has been selected to be the 'Featured Pop Artist' starting in mid-August 2007- on the MyCoke/MyTracks New Music Program presented by "Coca Cola" and "MyTracks". Maggie's music will be available to over 7,500,000 subscribers currently registered at www.mycoke.com. Thousands of artists were considered for this featured spot and Maggie's great new CD entitled "Maggie McClure" was their choice. The single 'What's It Like' will be featured and available to download for free. This great news comes just over a month after the same song was featured on the MTV Music Networks, MTV-U . The promotion will run for one month so don't forget to check out the site and register to receive a free download and other special offers.
- MyCoke.com

Vocal artist Maggie McClure is getting her time in the national spotlight.

The Norman, OK native is the featured artist this week (June 11-17) at mtvU, where her music video “What’s It Like” is to be broadcast nationwide. The video also can be seen on mtvU online at www.bestmusiconcampus.com

McClure, 20, graduated from Norman North High School in 2005. She attends Oklahoma City University and has chosen a major in music business.

She said the journey to stardom began last December at one of her performances in Norman. After the show, a high school friend, Mike Morgan, (a student at Full Sail: School of Film in Florida) approached McClure about producing a music video.

“He called me up and showed me his ideas,” McClure explained.

McClure was receptive and production on the music video started in January. The video was filmed entirely in Norman.

McClure said the process lasted 12 hours but editing took longer.

“We got the video finished in March,” she said.

McClure said her manager Marty Marmor lives in Austin, Texas, and inquired with mtvU about featuring the singer. The college student has signed contracts that can allow her music to be heard on mtvU, MTV and VH1 channels.

The cable channel reaches at least 800 cities with colleges in the United States, McClure said.

“The exposure is really cool,” she said.

McClure said she always knew she wanted to pursue a career in music.

- The Transcript

Having played and performed music since the age of 5, Norman native Maggie McClure, now 22, is beginning to attract attention not only here in the United States but overseas as well. Specifically, McClure is big in Japan. And it's all because of a commercial featuring a clip from her song, "What It's Like." Will Hunt, a Dallas-based producer, produced McClure's independently released debut album, "Out Of My Mind." It's that album, with Japanese liner notes but all the same music, which was released this month. But songs from her album are already garnering attention in that populous Asian nation, with her album charting at number 67 as of this past week and number nine in the rock genre. McClure chuckles at the thought of being considered "rock," since her sound is more of a polished pop sound with Christian overtones. The album features songs running the gamut from easy listening to funk to light rock. It's those sounds and her angelic voice that have captured attention here and abroad. "I've been getting a lot of e-mails from people in Japan," McClure said. "Some from fans as young as 10 years old." "It's been questions like, 'Can you send me an autographed picture' or they will tell me their favorite song or how they first heard me," she said. McClure said her exposure in Japan started when she contracted a California-based company which works to get major label attention via a three-month promotion blitz. "They gave a copy of the album to people in the industry -- top people," she said. "From there they had to decide if they liked it." One of the outfits that heard it was the Japanese label, Spinning Inc., that took keen interest in her music. "They liked what they heard and so I signed a contract and they sent me an advance," she said. The songs, thus far, have only been available at her Web site -- www.maggiemcclure.com -- and via iTunes. Additionally, though, MTV had heard about McClure's music. In fact they liked it enough to include "Life" and "Out Of My Mind" on the MTV-produced show "The Hills" and "The City" as well as "Out Of My Mind" and "All We Need" appearing on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless." McClure's producer, the aforementioned Will Hunt, who has worked with Amy Lee of Evanescence and Nick Lachey, made sure McClure's sound was crisp and prominently featured her strong vocals. "He's really good at what he does," McClure said. "I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him."
But back to Japan. Will she be planning a tour of that Pacific Rim nation anytime soon? "Not yet," she said. "Although I would love to. All the e-mails I receive from there tell me how much they want me to come to Japan." However, her new Japanese label informed her that American artists typically wait until the release of their second album before coming over for a tour. But that is OK, she said. She is a full-time student at Oklahoma City University, studying music business, appropriately enough. McClure expects to graduate in December, allowing her more time to focus on touring and the business side of things. And in the meantime, McClure said she is adjusting to the way things are done in Japan. For instance, the label wanted her to send something "personal" to them so it could be given away in a contest. Not sure what to send, McClure said she decided to send lyric sheets that were made to look like they had been used to write down lyrics. "It's made to look like a rough draft of a song," she said, adding, "Giving that away as a prize ... it's really odd." McClure keeps busy, having recorded a duet on a song with American Idol winner and one-time Tulsa resident David Cook. In fact, since Cook made the big time, she has neither heard the song nor heard back from Cook. McClure said her family has been very supportive of her music career, with her mother even serving as a manager. "They (my family) push me in an encouraging way," she said. "I'm lucky to have support from them for all my endeavors." McClure still performs locally, appearing recently at Othello's in Norman. She will perform at the Red Gorilla Music Fest in Austin March 18 and performs on occasion with her boyfriend, locally based blues-rock guitarist and singer Shane Henry. So, make sure to pay attention to Maggie McClure. If her international popularity is any indication, this young artist is going places.

-Andrew W. Griffin
- Pop/Norman Transcript

“All of her songs are impressive, thoughtful, and full of emotion. Also, Maggie herself is a pure beauty. We would be impressed if we had the opportunity to hear her sing and play the piano in person.
Her songs deal with breaking up with best friends, having and starting a new life, having a broken heart, and more... She discusses situations that everyone has experienced at least once in their lifetime. That is why her songs are so powerful to us.”

- INROCK Magazine (Japan) - INROCK Magazine

”She stirs our hearts with her encouraging melodies. Maggie is a new Piano Pop Star.”
- Grazia Magazine (Japan) - Grazia Magazine

“Oklahoma musician Maggie McClure will make her sitcom debut on tonight's episode of "The Middle," airing at 7 p.m. on ABC. The singer, songwriter and pianist, who hails from Norman but is now based in Los Angeles, will be making her acting debut in a hot-pink piano-key sweatshirt that she said on Facebook and Reverb Nation that she pulled out of her own personal wardrobe. Although its her most definitive foray into acting to date, it's not the first time since moving to L.A. a few years ago that McClure has found an opportunity to work in television. Soon after she and her husband, fellow Oklahoma native and musician Shane Henry, made the move, McClure answered a call for unpaid background extras to don vintage dress & appear in Matthew Morrison’s (“Glee”) “It Don’t Mean a Thing” music video. McClure soon found herself in the featured role of a saxophone soloist in the mini-movie. She & Henry were also cast as members of Demi Lovato’s band for the Disney Xmas Day Parade.” - News OK / The Oklahoman