Bio

When writing the songs for Revolution, Michels delved deeper into her personal history, both as an autistic person and bisexual woman. “I found out I was autistic a few years ago,” she said. “When I was younger, autism wasn’t generally considered as a diagnosis for young girls, unless their autism mimicked the stereotypical autistic traits seen in boys. Now, there’s research showing a lot of differences between the way autism presents in people assigned female at birth, which in retrospect make a lot of sense for the way I existed as a child. I always had a really hard time socially and never quite fit in anywhere, and that was really difficult for me.

“I discovered that I was bisexual right before high school, though I had earlier signs growing up that I didn’t fit into the hetero-normative spectrum. I talk so openly about being bi, because there’s a part of the general population, and even the gay community, that doesn’t consider bisexuality to be valid. If I’m in a straight-passing relationship, people assume I’m straight. If I’m in a gay-passing relationship, I’m automatically a lesbian. People make a lot of generalizations, depending on appearances. My goal is to break down a lot of the stereotypes and stigmas surrounding bisexuality.”

Like her previous efforts, Revolution was produced by Jon Muq. “Jon is a perfectionist,” Michels said. “When he thinks someone can achieve the level he wants, he trusts their creative process. The players were all session musicians. Jon put it together remotely, on individual files. If the people he wanted were in LA, or on tour in Europe, they sent us a track. I made a click track demo with the melody, that he sent to the musicians. After he had enough instruments, he did the mixing, then I did the final vocals. I wanted to use real instruments, so I could replicate it on stage. He made a few production tweaks here and there, but most of it is real.”

Michels wrote and composed the songs on the album, with some input from Muq, her friends Mike Meadows and Alyce Benavides, and her sister, Lauren Michels. “The melody and lyrics were done when I went into the studio, but they’d help me change a line or a word. It was usually on the opening verse, so the song would grab your attention from the first word.”

“Queen of Venom” is a dramatic ballad, introduced by muted piano chords. Michels sings softly, addressing the persona she presents to the world, telling herself to let go of her resistance and let her light shine. The band comes in on the chorus, to emphasize the struggles between her defenses and her desire to be free of restraints.

“’Queen of Venom’ is a song about masking, a very common part of coping with autism, Michels said. “Masking, to define it in my own words, is the suppression of ‘autistic traits’ in order to fit in better in society and present more ‘normal’ to people in my everyday life.

“A lot of autistic people mask to feel safe in social interactions and, in adulthood, it’s often an unconscious action. Because of this, autistic people can experience extreme anxiety, depression, burnout and struggles remembering or understanding their own sense of self. I’ve experienced this intensely in my own life, and I wrote this song as a dismissal letter to my masked persona, seeking to reclaim my authenticity and allow myself to be unashamed to show my autistic traits.”

A slow loping beat played by staccato guitar chords, kick drum and bass opens “Monster.” Michels delivers her vocals in a matter-of-fact tone, telling a friend she can recognize the monster inside of them, because it’s a reflection of the traits that used to rule her emotions. The melody blends country and R&B, with a gospel-like bridge halfway through. Her lead vocals are subtle, an inner voice
submerged in the wordless harmonies of the backing singers.

“I Don’t Know” is musically bright and upbeat. The song opens with a funky pop hook, mixed down to keep Michels upfront, as she describes the conflict of desire, excitement and anxiety one feels at the beginning of a new relationship. Her vulnerable feelings are expressed by long sustained notes, double tracked harmonies and a slip into her higher register as she confesses: ”I don’t know how to trust myself about you.”

The set list of Revolution is short and powerful, a reflection of the current state of the music business. “The climate for independent artists is changing,” Michels said. “Long form projects, without major label backing, aren’t doing as well. When you’re starting out, it’s hard to get people to listen, despite digital platforms and your presence on social media. It’s my plan to get out there, play live and build a following.”

McKenna Michels has been singing for as long as she can remember. “I remember listening to the original cast recording of Phantom of the Opera in the car with my grandma as a toddler, being in awe of the range and depth of the voices I was hearing through the car stereo. I dreamed of singing anywhere and everywhere, to anyone that would listen. When I was old enough, I was always in choir, playing piano, and doing musical theater. The discovery of artists such as Lady Gaga and Adele inspired my decision to pursue a career in music and made me especially passionate about writing my own songs.”

“My great grandma was a nationally competing opera singer. I remember hearing her sing. She let me play her piano when we visited her house. She left it to me when she passed. I play it every day.”

Michels took piano lessons briefly, but was teaching herself to play by the time she was nine. She wrote her first song in high school, as an assignment for her choir class. That opened the creative door for songwriting in the future. In 2017, she performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., through a program with the Washington National Opera. She settled in Austin after being recruited to the University of Texas Women’s Division I rowing program. She studied Management Information Systems at the McCombs School of Business, graduating in three years.

She began her path to a professional music career following a back injury that left her unable to continue rowing. “I was depressed as a business student. I was unable to pursue opera, and had no creative outlet. This is when I started songwriting. I remember a moment in the midst of my pain where the music started flowing out of me. One night, there was an event for the rowing team at a restaurant near Mozart’s Coffee Roasters. I’d seen a musician playing there a few weeks earlier. I’d only written a few songs and had extremely low self-confidence, but something told me to walk over there and ask about playing a show. I remember having this ultimatum in my head: ‘If I get a gig here, I’ll pursue a career in music. If I don’t, I’ll go work in corporate or be a lawyer.’”

Michels introduced herself to the owner. “She told me to send her a couple of demos. I went home and recorded the two songs I’d written, and ‘Hello’ by Adele. I sent them off, and to my surprise, she wrote back and asked if I could play the next day. That was Mother’s Day, 2019. After that, I started playing gigs anywhere and everywhere; open mics to showcase and refine my songwriting, or back to back three hour cover song shows. I maintained a great relationship with Mozart’s. Just before the pandemic, their booking agent at the time introduced me to Jon Muq, who became my producer, and John “Moose” Dismukes , who is now my manager.”

During the pandemic, with live shows not a possibility, Michels began working as a Software Product Manager at Dell Technologies. “My team there was supportive of my musical career. A lot of my global coworkers were musicians as well. When I had enough songs to make Renaissance, my first EP, they gave me two months of paid time off, to record the songs and music videos. While I ended up leaving my position there shortly after this, my team at Dell still follows along and supports my music. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the support they gave me in those early days, especially in the middle of the pandemic.”

Michels followed up Renaissance with her first album, Enlightenment, also produced by Jon Muq. “Born To Die,” the first video from Enlightenment, got over a million hits on various platforms and won a Best Music Video award at 2022’s California International Shorts Festival. Another track, “Survivor,” made Spotify’s list of Top Heartbreak Songs of 2023 and “Broken Like This” landed at #20 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Charts.

“Survivor” is accompanied by a comic book that tells the story of Michelle (@mishi.chu,) a good friend of Michels, who has had a lifelong battle with epilepsy. It was created by Terry Parr and Marvel Comic artist John Lucas to depict the intersection of reality and fantasy in Michelle’s life. The comic has been supported by The National Epilepsy Foundation, the In Your Shoes Foundation, which supports children and families dealing with Congenital Heart Defects, The Texas Autism Society and CASA, which helps children who have survived abusive situations and/or are in the foster care system. A second comic in the series will support “Monster,” from the Revolution EP, and a third is in the works for “Queen of Venom.”

Michels has 25,000 subscribers on YouTube, 40,000 followers on Facebook and 14,000 on Instagram, but those numbers don’t necessarily translate to sales figures or attendance at shows. As she awaits the release of Revolution, she’ll be playing shows and working on her next collection of songs.

“I write intensely and sporadically. I write a melody in my head, putting my whole body and soul into it. I have to hear a melody before I write the lyrics. I don’t listen to the radio in the car, don’t wear headphones walking around. I exist in silence in my own house as well, except when I’m playing piano. I find that helps create the best melodic story line. If its catchy enough to stay in my head, I know it’s good.

“On my early albums, my music was coming from a place of self-deprecation, loneliness and sorrow. This time out, I find I’m able to display a wider range of feelings, which is refreshing for myself and, hopefully, for the listener as well. I hope they can hear the emotional growth in my music. I want my songs to remind people that they’re not alone in any situation they’re in. You can always get through. Authenticity is scary in the world we live in, but it’s worth it for the sake of yourself. It’s very freeing.”