“After a decade of dreaming, chasing, embracing, and growing, ‘Dream Catcher’ defines my sound and my life. Today – as an artist and as a person – I am exactly where I want to be,” says McMillan.
Co-written in Nashville by McMillan and Andrew Beason and produced by Simon Gugala, “Dream Catcher” was inspired by McMillan’s own love of dream catchers that started when she first made them at a festival. The song is both an honest reflection of her unwavering belief in the cultivation and manifestation of goals, and a compelling snapshot of her own journey towards fulfillment.
A performer since age 5, the Edmonton-born McMillan gave up her day job in Stony Plain, Alberta to move to Nashville after winning a 2008 Country Music Television Canada contest. This bold choice has led to an array of moments, like opening for the likes of Trisha Yearwood and Blake Shelton, releasing her self-titled debut 2014 EP, appearing on stage as part of Kenny Chesney’s 2014 CMA Awards performance, showcasing at the 2018 Diamonds in the Rough series during Canadian Country Music Week, making the Top 10 of ole’s “Play for Publisher” for her 2018 single “Chasin’ the Ace”, playing in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, and showcasing at Whiskey Jam.
Now dividing her time between Stony Plain and Nashville, McMillan wants her new music and her journey to empower others to act on their own ambitions.
She says, “Every dream is worth catching and when you can turn them into reality, it is so worth it in the end. I want everyone who discovers ‘Dream Catcher’ to pursue whatever their souls desire. With the right manifestation, we can all be the little dream catchers that our hearts want us to be.”
BIO:
Born in the small village of Wabamun, Alberta, Canada, Mandy McMillan has never known a moment when performing wasn’t her destined path and or when musical storytelling wasn’t her chosen language. With a diverse musical personality that organically mixes a country core with a contagious pop energy, Mandy’s open heart and love for people lights up her lyrics and live shows, allowing her to effortlessly form lasting connections with fans on stage or off.
Mandy was all of five years old when she began her journey into music and started performing at Christmas concerts with her younger siblings. Her passion for singing found its muse when she was asked to sing the Canadian national anthem at the local rodeo in her hometown. In high school, she started her own rock band, which developed her chops as a musician and led to singing competitions across Canada.
The stars aligned for Mandy when she shifted towards country music as a solo artist. In 2008, she won a Country Music Television Canada singing competition by singing “When You Say Nothing At All” by Alison Krauss. This achievement prompted her to follow her ultimate dream by moving to Nashville. In Music City, her career as an artist has propelled her to new heights that have included a self-titled album in 2014, an opportunity to open for Trisha Yearwood, and a performance alongside Kenny Chesney at the 2014 CMA Awards.
After playing showcases at the Calgary Stampede and Canadian Country Music Week in 2018, Mandy released the empowering anthem “Chasin’ The Ace” to digital platforms in October of 2018, following it up with an appropriately high-energy music video in the spring of 2019. Co-written with Lynn Tessari, the song made the Top 10 in “Play for Publisher” event in Nashville presented by ole. Mandy will follow this up with a full-length album due in the summer of 2019.
A carefree, vegan-loving spirit with a gift for expressing life’s most honest moments through music, Mandy McMillan is the embodiment of hard work, dedication, and pure talent.
