Argyle Living Magazine December 2020

Page 30

Heart S

HER

N G I N G

OUT

by Steve Gamel | photos courtesy of Jessica McVey

J

essica McVey was 26 when she went to an Illinois bar with a few friends and entered into a karaoke contest. One by one, contestants were eliminated by a lively but tough crowd with high standards. That is, except for McVey.

McVey made it to the finals that night, and as a treat, she got to sing with a live band. “I performed Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar, and I ended up winning the competition,”

said McVey. An Illinois native, she moved to Flower Mound in 2014. “I knew the

owner, and they came up to me and said, ‘Hey, so … we had no idea that you could sing like that. Do you think you can get a

band together so that we can book you?’” The rest, as they say, is history. For the last 12 years, McVey has been

selling out shows in venues ranging from Piranha Killer Sushi in Flower Mound to

House of Blues in Dallas and Lava Cantina in The Colony. She labels herself as a

country music singer and songwriter; she

does killer renditions of Miranda Lambert

and Carrie Underwood that you absolutely must hear. But to be honest, McVey loves

all music genres and can pretty much belt out anything. She’s continually booking sold-out shows locally, giving us a true

music sensation right in our own backyard. “It’s been so much fun,” McVey said. “I’ve

always been a very social person, so music is a great way for me to connect with 30 | ARGYLE LIVING | DECEMBER 2020

people. We’ve played in small venues and big ones, but it doesn’t matter how many people I am playing in front of. It’s the

energy you get from those people. Music

takes them away from regular life — even if just for a moment.”

Having an escape — especially in the

form of music — is very important in this

day and age as we continue to fight as a nation against the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, singers and musicians like

McVey have continued booking shows at local venues near and far. In fact, McVey

said she performs roughly 200 shows per year, including a few house parties and

private events, and is quickly developing a following for tunes such as Haunting

Melody and John Deere in the Headlights. McVey said music truly is an escape for people, and she takes a lot of pride in what she does.

“I’ve been blessed with every event I’ve been able to have this year,” she said.

“This is when we need music the most,

and being able to sing in front of so many people means the world to me. I have a

hard time relaxing when I get home after www.ArgyleLivingMagazine.com


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