For Julianna McKenna, who plays Edie McKenna, songwriting is a deeply personal act of documentation. Like diary entries, his songs capture specific moments and feelings, creating a compendium of his life.
“I consider a song to be a moment,” McKenna said. “And the clearer that moment is – whether it’s a story or a feeling I’m having – the more it comes through in the music.”
The musician, who is best known for her work with the band Modern Nun, is at her most publicly vulnerable on her debut EP, “For Edie,” which is now available to stream. Written primarily during her teenage years, “For Edie” is a collection of earnest folk songs about personal and family challenges.
Growing up in Minnesota, McKenna, 26, was immersed in music from a young age. His childhood home was filled with instruments — a piano, several guitars — and the sounds of folk music, especially regional heroes like Bob Dylan and The Jayhawks.
She later taught herself guitar in eighth grade and maintained a constant connection to music through choir and personal practice. Yet, unlike other pastimes that have come and gone, music has remained a constant.
“Sometimes you can pick up a hobby and then give it up,” McKenna began. “But it was a hobby I never wanted to give up. The pleasure has not disappeared.
For McKenna, songwriting is an act of wordplay. It also provides emotional release. Working on a new song allows him to channel his thoughts and emotions more directly, using diction and meaning for creative, juicy lyrics. And because she likes to start and finish a song in one day, it makes for a succinct set of work.
McKenna wrote the songs for “For Edie” between the ages of 17 and 22. She described this as a time of significant personal change and family challenges. As with many artists, music became a source of comfort for McKenna, who used his songwriting during this time to address things like homosexuality and his religious upbringing.
You can hear this on songs like “Kick in the Shin,” which uses a bright, sunny disposition throughout the melody and chords to contrast the dark lyrics. “I’m the girl with a kick in the shin / E-waste filled to the brim,” she croons in the chorus.
“For Edie” also channels the sound of the music she heard throughout her youth. “I definitely came into it with that in mind and wanting to be more folky,” she recalls.
But rather than keep things simple, McKenna collaborated with musician Seth Beck to expand his sound, incorporating influences such as Neil Young’s signature distortion to match the weight of his lyrics. “Hail Mary,” the EP’s third track, executes this structure best. “Can you say I cleaned my shoes on the way back from your house?” » she asks over a mountain of distorted guitars in the song’s second verse. “There is no more mud on my heels, no more blood flowing from my mouth,” she concludes.
“These songs are about deeper things than what I usually write about,” McKenna said of the lyrics. “Seth helped me a lot with this EP, so I didn’t feel so vulnerable that (the instrumentation) was just the three chords I had written at the beginning.”
With this focused sound, McKenna felt more open to sharing this music with the world. “I feel like I can move forward,” she said. “It feels good to release and let go of these grudges and things that I’ve been through.”
Now that “For Edie” is out in the world, McKenna will continue to work on her music, both as a solo artist and with her band Modern Nun. Although she admits to wanting the traditional markers of musical success – bigger audiences, bigger venues – her ultimate goal is sustainability, both creatively and in her life in general.
“I just hope to reach more people with the art we create and have fun along the way,” she said. “It’s about the joy of the process.”
“For Edie” is now available on streaming platforms.
Britt Julious is an independent critic.
