We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jamie McDonald. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Jamie, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Recording music does that for me I think. I get lost in it and the world kind of stops spinning so fast for a second. It’s really nice.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Jamie! I record and write music for my band “oh, hooray” – an alternative folk band specializing in celebratory sad music. While we do operate as a traditional band (guitars, vocals, keys, drums, etc.), we try to broaden our story telling using multi-media as an emphasis. We have performed two feature length immersive shows based on our music, have filmed various music videos featuring local actors, dancers and musicians, and regularly implement projections, printed media and more in our live shows. We like for our shows to be something you hear, see and feel. In a lot of ways we consider “oh, hooray” to be more of an art project than a band – if that makes sense.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My high school english teacher Jake. He listened to my music when I was 15 and would read over my lyrics. He would speak to me about the themes I was exploring and would recommend bands & authors to gather more inspiration. He was the first ears to hear new songs I was chipping away at and is the first person I think of when composing new work. He passed away when I was 19 and I wish I could share “oh, hooray” with him. I know he would love it. In 2023 we composed an immersive work about him called “you are the dust and i miss you.”
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. Probably as recent as last week! Haha… if you give me enough time I will certainly find room to question myself and my dreams. But my friends, the band, my partner, my community… they help me find purpose in my art every day. They keep me inspired and reassured that our world is better with expression in it. It makes our lives and world more colorful. It’s worth it.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yeah, I think so! My music is, for better or for worse, my internal dialogue. I actively work to strip away any subconscious censorship; to get to the root of how I feel and how I’m thinking in the moment. I certainly still use metaphor and whatnot but I try my best to not let it dilute the sentiment.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Using reddit, probably.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jamieheyjamie.com/ohooray
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohooray/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieheyjamie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohooray/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ohooray
Image Credits
photo by jamie mcdonald & sara pressley
