Musician Susie Mclean attends the HELLO! Canada's 2014 Toronto International Film Festival Gala held at Ritz Carlton on September 6, 2014 in Toronto, Canada. - Getty Images

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Susie McLean has just been nominated for her original song "Sing Your Song" at The Independent Music Awrds! - Martin Folkman

Susie McLean, a promising jazz/soul/pop singer & songwriter based in Toronto, ON, Canada, has won the May SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, for her performance of her song “Sing Your Song". This song will be included on her debut album called 'Til The Morning Comes, which she will release independently later this month (May 22)..

“Sing Your Song” is an elegant, graceful jazz ballad which is pleasant to listen to. The song has an understated but effective arrangement, consisting mainly of piano, upright bass and drums, with cello added later on. "Sing Your Song" provides a fine showcase for McLean's expressive, soulful vocals. The recording was adeptly produced by Roy Oommen, a Juno Award winner who also played keyboards on this cut. Other musicians on this song are drummer Mark Kelso (who has played with Diana Krall and Michael Buble) and bassist Pat Kilbride (a Grammy nominee).

McLean was born and raised in the Toronto area, and she started singing and playing piano at a young age. When she was 12, she entered and fared well in local talent shows. McLean was inspired by listening to such favorite artists as Whitney Houston, Jann Arden and Stevie Wonder. For high school, she attended Etobicoke School Of The Artists near Toronto, which is a music theatre school.

Following high school, McLean attended Sheridan College for a year, and she also attended a business school in Toronto. Although she remained interested in a music career, she settled into a regular (non-music) job. However, three years ago her younger brother Jonathan (who had leukemia and has since passed away) encouraged her to aggressively pursue her music. "Jonathan said, 'Susie, you have a gift for music and you need to pursue your dreams'," recalled McLean. "It was heartbreaking at the time. Then I sat down with my husband Anthony and created a plan for my music career. He suggested that I find a good producer, so we found Roy Oommen and I started working with him."

McLean ended up recording her entire album, 'Til The Morning Comes, with Oommen. The album was recorded in February 2012, at Phase One Studios and Emmanuel Studios in Toronto. 'Til The Morning Comes includes two songs written by McLean, one song by Laura Woodley, plus seven cover tunes (by Bob Dylan, Ray LaMontagne, Bryan Adams and others). McLean said, "Putting this album together has been an amazing journey. I've discovered so much more about myself and the creative process of it all."

McLean is looking forward to releasing her album later this month, and she has also been performing live at venues in Toronto, mostly with her band. Notably, she was selected as the top emerging jazz artist to perform live at the 2012 Toronto International Music Summit. And her music can be heard on Indie Castle Radio, Radio Crystal Blue, Women of Substance Radio and Los Angeles-based Indie104. - Dale Kawashima

Nominee at the TIMA's! Scroll down for my name when you open the link. - Aesthetic Magazine

Sometimes the best new talents sneak up on you, not hitting the radio or the popular music scene for many months, meanwhile a select few are in on the secret – and they understandably like to keep it all to themselves. Susie McLean is one of Canada’s such secrets, but since the release of her first album in May, we must face the truth: the secret is out.

As a mother of two, happily married to her perfect match, Susie McLean has, admittedly, done things backwards when it comes to standards in the music industry. Although she started playing the piano at age eight, began singing lessons shortly after, and attended Etobicoke School of the Arts all before meeting her husband, Susie’s career as a musician didn’t begin until she had everything else in her life figured out. “I was an executive assistant for a company,” she explains as we sit down at the chic downtown Toronto restaurant WISH. “I think it was the fifth year I was there that I was like, you know what? I need to do my music. It was a feeling that just didn’t go away.” Now, a few years and plenty of onstage experience later, Susie has released her first album and is adjusting to life as a full time singer.

After making what she says was a family decision to pursue her love of music, Susie spent nearly two years writing three original songs, “Sing Your Song”, “Falling Down” and “‘Til The Morning Comes” an original song, written by Laura Woodley.” She also spent the time selecting the seven other tracks, hand-picked and pored over cover songs, that would complete her debut album. “The album took me so long because every single song on it means something special to me,” she says, placing a heartfelt hand on her chest. And of course, when it comes to writing, you can’t always predict when inspiration will hit. “ Sometimes I’ll be out with people, and someone will say something, and I’m like… that’s beautiful, that’s a song!” Susie says, laughing. Once the writing process was complete, however, she confesses it took only two days in the studio to record the entire album – albeit, early mornings and late nights for the two-day recording marathon.

Although she speaks with confidence and her laughter can easily capture all ears in the room now, it wasn’t always a smooth ride for Susie. First was her struggle to find the right genre for her voice, which she says took a couple years until she became an avid Ella Fitzgerald listener and broke into jazz. Interestingly enough, as Susie has grown over the past two years of album creating, so has her genre. “I think that my voice is really different, and I wouldn’t even say that my music is strict jazz, it’s a mixture of folk, with pop in there, and even a hint of country,” she expresses in her super relaxed manner, clearly realizing that the evolution of an artist is inevitable. The second, and perhaps bigger dilemma that Susie experienced was her reluctance to perform in front of audiences. But she now explains that “the more I performed the more confident I got, the more feedback I got the better I felt,” and she is now performing more and more, and hopes to break into more summer festival performance gigs. Of course throughout the entire process, the support of her husband and two children certainly helped her to become the soulful performer she is today. “My son is 5 and my daughter is 4,” she confides, “they’re so cute, they always say ‘mommy sing me a song’!”

Now that she’s begun to carve her path in the music industry, Susie admits that she’s glad she gave herself time to mature before her musical career started. “I love that because I’m older, I really know who I am now,” she says, adding that with her comfortable lifestyle in family oriented Mississauga, her focus is her love of music, rather than huge fame or monetary gains. To keep her life balanced, Susie makes sure to still dabble in her other hobbies, photography and interior decorating. And of course, relaxing at home watching a movie with her husband is als - Jenny Lugar

Click on Link above to read review. - Bian Lush

Review on page 45. Click on link above - Senseitional - reviews editor

Review on live performance at Canadian Music Week. Click on link above to read review. - Uriel Mendoza

After hearing Susie Mclean sing, you will feel better about your day. Putting Susie in one genre is limiting, as she soars through contemporary jazz, to folk, and back to soul. With a new album release, Til The Morning Comes, Susie is having a very successful year. Susie’s music can be heard on Indie Castle Radio, Radio Crystal Blue, Women of Substance Radio and LA-based Indie104. She was selected as the vocalist of the month by an Advisor Board of the Top A&R Executives from Sony, EMI/Capitol Records, and she will be featured on www.singeruniverse.com for a 1 year contract. It was a pleasure speaking with Susie! Here’s our conversation below…

Q: When did you realize you wanted music to be your career? Was this something you would dream of as a child?

Yes, I had dreamed of it as a young girl but as I journeyed through life I realized I had other passions too. The only difference was that even though I did those other things I just could not shake the feeling of pursuing this as my one true love. Once I accepted it and started advancing more towards it I was blown away by how alive I felt when doing it.

Q: You’ve performed in different mediums of entertainment (model, actress), but you still created music. What is it about this form of art that hooks you as a musician?

I believe that I express myself way better in writing than I do verbally, so when I find it hard to express myself or get in touch with something that is bothering me, I write it down and sometimes a melody comes along with it. I am more in touch with my feelings through music. I can touch the deep and most vulnerably part of me in this medium more than any other.
Q: Your latest release Til The Morning Comes is a mixture of your own songs and covers. What inspired you to choose certain cover songs?

I wanted to make sure that I chose songs that I could relate to in some way, that I could be true to and re-live as if it were my very own. Billie Holiday said it best “If you find a tune that’s got something to do with you, you just feel it, and when you sing it, other people feel it, too.”

Q: Was it always this sound you produced? Or did it take time to find your voice in music?

It actually took me a very long time to find my voice. While growing up I had so many people telling me “this is your voice, you should do it like this and like that”. I really had to find myself aside from what other people were saying. I am so glad I followed my heart in being true to me.

Q: We remember at your CD release party, your husband mentioned how your album was a work of Faith. How has faith helped you in regards to your music and drive to make it happen?

My faith has been a huge help. It grounds me and helps me to stay focused on what’s really important.

Q: What do you hope listeners will learn about you through listening to Til The Morning Comes?

Well, I hope that they would learn about perseverance and that anything in life is possible. That no matter what they’ve gone through or where they’ve come from you can achieve your hearts desire. Just because it’s hard is never an excuse to give up.

Q: What inspires your songwriting these days? Are you looking to other music for inspiration, or life experiences?

These days I get inspired through life situations, art and sometimes when someone says a sentence that hits me and I say “that’s a song”.

Q: Now that this album is released what are your plans for promotion and sharing your music? Touring, more live performances?

I am planning to do a tour in 2013. In the meantime I want to sink my teeth into what’s happening here in Toronto. Doing more live shows, jazz festivals and bettering myself in my craft!

Q: What have you learned about yourself through this entire process of creating an album, producing it & releasing it?

I’ve learned that I am a very driven person. Once I set my heart on something I go after it with everything inside of me. I’ve got a lot of fight in me and it’s the p - Carcia & Telly

It is an elegant Susie McLean that took the stage last week at the Hard Rock Cafe in Toronto to present a few songs off her new album to the audience of the Toronto International Music Summit. In her gold sequel dress, she stole every heart in the room by serenading us with her beautiful voice. Her debut album 'Til The Morning Comes is now available. It includes three original songs and jazz covers. For more info on this artist and events, visit: SusieMcLean.com

Interview
Valerie: Explain how you came to singing and writing music.

Susie: My mom encouraged me when it came to singing. I was 8 years old when I really got into it. I was always making up songs, dressing up pretending to be some big performer and asking my parents what they thought. I loved writing out my feelings in poems and I started to add melodies to it. I was later encouraged by a teacher at my art school to continue writing and singing.

Valerie: 'Til The Morning Comes, your debut album is now available. What makes you proud about this album?

Susie: The thing that makes me most proud is that it’s a true reflection of me. Nothing is put on. Each time I look at it or listen to it I know that I was true to myself in everything I wanted it to be, down to the artwork.

Valerie: Releasing an album has been your long-time dream; tell us about what kept you going when times got tough?

Susie: My husband and family kept me going. They consistently poured into me and told me that they would support me and help me with whatever I needed. One of the other things that helped me was picturing myself succeeding and doing well.

Valerie: Explain why you chose the title ‘Til The Morning Comes to reflect the overall delivery of this album.

Susie: I chose the title ‘Til The Morning Comes because it speaks of hope and holding on cause tomorrow is a new day. Each song on the album has a message of hope. Hope for relationships, hope for love and hope for pain to end. That’s what I want listeners to take home.

Valerie: There are three original songs on this album. Can you talk about these songs please? What are they about?

Susie: "Sing Your Song" is about finding new love and the joy that you experience when it happens. "‘Til The Morning Comes" is about an individual that is in a committed relationship promising that no matter what life may bring their way they are in it together. "Falling Down" was written about my brother who passed away 3 years ago from leukemia. It speaks about pain and letting go.

Valerie: How did you choose the other covers for the album?

Susie: I wanted to make sure that I chose songs that I could relate to in some way, that I could be true to and re-live as if it were my very own. Billie Holiday said it best “If you find a tune that’s got something to do with you, you just feel it, and when you sing it, other people feel it, too.”

Valerie: Is there a song on the album that always puts you in a good place and makes you smile?

Susie: Yes, that song would be ‘Til The Morning Comes.

Valerie: What song is the most meaningful to you and why?

Susie: The most meaningful song for me on the album is “Make you Feel My Love.” The reason being is because it speaks to me of an unconditional love. Something we all desire and need. It speaks to me of what true love should be. The safety in knowing that there is nothing you could ever do to make me stop loving you.

Valerie: You come across as a very positive person. What do you hope for your fans to learn from you as a role-model?

Susie: Well, I hope that they would see that anything in life is possible. That no matter where they come from or what people may say, you can achieve your hearts desire. Just because it’s hard is never an excuse to give up.

Valerie: What are your touring plans in the near future?

Susie: I actually plan to do a tour in 2013. In the meantime I want to sink my teeth into what’s happening here in Toronto. Doing more live shows, jazz fes - Valerie Bastien

Featured artist in our summer 2012 magazine! - Fatima Badmus