Kat Harlton
Ten time CCMA nominated artist, actor and director Wes Mack recently released his new album Soul. Co-produced by Mack and Jordan Orbek (George Canyon, Chris Buck), Mack digs deep into his life stories for his sophomore record and gives listeners everything from high energy anthems to slow burning ballads. “I feel very happy to be releasing this album. The launch day itself felt very much like a birthday or Christmas when I was a kid, which I think is a good sign. This album was me finding my way back to everything that I love about making music… Allowing creativity and imagination rule the day and letting worries and commercial value be a footnote. Still a work in progress for me but I truly feel proud and love every song on here. It is the first album I’ve released where I am a co-writer and co-producer on every song, and all of it just feels more personal and very close to my heart. I am excited to share these songs with the world and for people to find their own meaning and story in the tracks I’ve made.”
In advance of the album, Mack recently released his new single titled “Best Hangover” co-written with Gordie Sampson (Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton), and features the winner of CTV‘s The Launch, Maddie Storvold, which surprisingly he has never met, “Funny story…. Maddie and I have NEVER met in person. I hope we do someday hahaha… I was looking for a feature on the song and a mutual friend suggested her…. I listened to some of her music and interviews and felt really excited by what she could bring to the song. So in both the song and video we did all of our parts in different cities which is a first for me…. 2019 is a wild ride! Happy to have her on board. I did however have a dream where she drove by me on the highway driving a giant boot that was hoping along…. I called her and told her and she laughed a lot.”
The singer songwriter took a hands-on approach for his sophomore album, writing or co-writing on every track. The Alberta native wrote both of his previous top 10 Country Billboard hits and has written with veteran songwriters in Nashville and abroad. Working alone and with a variety of writers, Mack penned some 100 songs to put together Soul. The lyrics dig into life, and all the changes you go through. “The thing I LOVE about releasing music is that I do not have any idea or control over what songs will resonate with any given person or why…LOVE that. When I did the Shania tour I had a meet and greet every night and at one of them someone came up to me and told me a very personal story about my song Before You Drive Me Crazy and what it had meant to them and what it helped them get through in their life. I was happy and inspired by what they said, but in the back of my head I was thinking… “but that’s not what I wrote that song about”…. Then later that night I was thinking on it more and I realized they were right and I was wrong. Once I put that song out there it belongs to the listener. To anyone who finds it. Not me. And once I accepted this it was tremendously liberating as a writer. It’s not my job to make sure my songs are clear or make a certain point. I need to make songs that mean something to me and that I connect to. Beyond that it is all up to the listener…I think this takes a lot of pressure off me.
SOOOOO…. For my new album, I cannot say who will feel what about any given song and I love that…. For my two cents I’m very fond of the title track, Soul, as it is the first song I’ve released that I wrote alone and really tried to just produce it to be as interesting and dreamy as possible…. It makes me happy. But there is so much…. The airy opening to Just Getting Warmed Up, the ripper solo in House on Fire, the Brash drums and wailing steel on Never Have I Ever, the wacky bridge in PBR State of Mind, the full on rock out of Hideout in the outro, the massive woven harmonies in SOUL and Best Hangover. I hope everyone finds something they love and that makes them feel alive.
Mack’s debut album, Edge of the Storm contained 4 top 20 radio singles, was nominated for Album of the Year at the CCMA Awards and landed him a spot on tour with Shania Twain. His music to date has amassed over 9 million streams and earned him 10 CCMA nominations including a Director of the Year nod at the 2019 CCMA Awards for the video for Jess Moskaluke’s top 10 hit, “Camouflage”, which was also nominated for Video of the Year. Asking Mack about the inspiration behind the video for “Best Hangover”, a stunning slow-jam that gives listeners a new side of Mack and showcases his rich vocals, he shares that it’s all about capturing those intimate moments with someone new, “continuing in a bit of a trend I’ve been pursuing with my videos, I wanted to do less on this one. I wanted to capture atmosphere and the feeling of pathos, celebration and lament that can follow those breathtaking nights with someone new. The way you feel before, during and after the mega rush and all the feelings that flood over you. I wanted to shoot this to simulate the look of 60s film stock and to heavily contrast the rush with the void you feel when the rush is over. Most of all I wanted to shoot something that is a bit up for interpretation. I know what I think this video is about but as for what YOU see…. That is beyond me.”
On the road Mack has performed alongside acts like Eric Church, Luke Combs, Midland, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and many others. Apart from his musical career, he is also a successful director and actor. He most recently appeared in the film Cold Pursuit co-starring Liam Neeson, Laura Dern and Emmy Rossum. When asked what’s next, Mack shares that we can expect more of everything, “album 3 is underway! I’ve got a new show coming out in 2020. And I’m writing a show of my own right now. That and a whole bunch of living to do. But for now, I’m just a grateful boy to have my little baby SOUL all grown up and out in the world. ENJOY!”
For more on Wes Mack, please visit: http://wesmackmusic.com