When we heard Amanda McCarthy was releasing a new single, we immediately pre-saved and couldn't wait to hear it...and by 1am on release day, we already had all of the lyrics memorized. The New Hampshire native has been making quite a name for herself in Music City, recently playing a sold-out show at Nashville's famous venue The Listening Room, with another show booked there for July 9th.
The incredibly talented and uber-humble Amanda posted on Instagram: "I’ve played a lot of rooms all over the country. Some had 3 people, some were packed with people who love me. Some were even for some pretty dope headliners at bigger venues. But, this is the first time I’ve ever gotten to type the words Sold Out - and for one of my dream venues, I wouldn’t have chosen it any other way. It was worth the wait."
Amanda may be one of the most versatile artists we've ever listened to. Her last single, "Don't Stop Me" (released in March 2022), was a traditional country power anthem mixed with some radical rock elements.
One of the many reasons why we love Amanda so much revolves around her fierce support of other women in the music industry. Amanda stands-up for what she believes in and is not afraid to write a song about it - much like one of her idols, Taylor Swift. Her newest tune, "Sunset," a story about letting go of an ex-lover, just became our new favorite female empowerment song of the summer. The track is a beautiful mixture of 80's synth-pop and 90's country - think Wilson Phillips' "Hold On" meets Stevie' Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" with a twist of Cher's "Believe"- proving that Amanda can sing just about anything.
With whimsical lyrics like singing me to sleep with your melody so sweet, like a cherry on a sundae after a long day, Amanda's retro-sounding new single will be a delicious addition to summer playlists.
"The origin of Sunset is partly literal and partly metaphorical," Amanda explains. "The hook line came to me while watching the sunset in Los Angeles over the water. I knew instantly who the song was going to be about and started brainstorming. The weird part was this person texted me 5 minutes later - after we hadn't spoken in months - so, that was my sign that I was on to something. My sound isn't usually quite this pop/electronic, but I always let the song lead where it needs to go...and I really wanted to capture that moment in Los Angeles within the production of the song. My producer (Kristian Veech) helped me really lean into that LA-pop vibe with 80's synth influences as well. This song will be part of my next studio album that I hope to have released by next spring."
She names greats like Aerosmith, Hall & Oats and REO Speedwagon as some of her musical influences, but we foresee many upcoming artists naming Amanda as one of theirs in the near future.
Amanda may be letting the sun set on her past relationship, but her career is only starting to rise...and we can't wait to watch her soar!
For more information, visit www.amandamccarthy.com and follow Amanda on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
