Emily Mac Finds Her Strength on Fiery, Sassy New Single “Whiskey Like Me”
Watering oneself down to suit the fickle tastes of someone else is never a good idea, though we’ve all likely done it before. Toronto blues-rocker Emily Mac embraces the fact that she’s a strong shot of whiskey rather than a weak cup of tea on her scorching new single “Whiskey Like Me” – available now.
A fiery rock anthem with sassy vocals and dirty, bluesy guitar, “Whiskey Like Me” hits right where it hurts when Mac sings, “I’m a top-shelf queen/ And you keep staring at me/ But you can’t drink me tonight/ I ain’t your trophy wife.” Like all the best songs, it’s inspired by a true story.
“When I was writing ‘Whiskey Like Me,’ I was coming out of a bad relationship, and I didn’t understand why I was so heartbroken over a guy who treated me like I was worthless,” Mac divulges. “I made a joke to my co-writer about how I was this strong, whiskey-drinking woman who could drink this guy under the table while he preferred milk, and out of this conversation, ‘Whiskey Like Me’ was born.”
Co-written with Jay Stolar (Demi Lovato, Daryl Hall & John Oates), “Whiskey Like Me” features Ben Healey on guitar, Stacey Shopsowitz on bass, and Robert Sibony on drums. It was engineered by Theresa Gemma and produced by Dajaun Martineau (Moist, Big Sugar).
“I love that popular quote, “I’d rather be someone’s shot of whiskey than everyone’s cup of tea,’” Mac says. “As someone who has a problem with being a people pleaser, this was a very important lesson for me to learn. I hope that when people hear ‘Whiskey Like Me,’ they’ll embrace their inner badass and walk away from anyone who doesn’t value them.”
Listen to “Whiskey Like Me” below and learn more about Emily Mac via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey, I’m Emily Mac I’m a blues rock singer/ songwriter from Toronto, Canada. I’ve been playing in bands and bars since I was a teenager honing my craft in real-time in front of an audience. For years I sang in different cover bands playing around with different genres, but it wasn’t until I started singing rock n roll that I felt like I really found my voice. Rock has been the perfect vehicle for me to express myself in a raw, unfiltered way. I just released my first single this Fall: “Whiskey Like Me.”
Tell us about the process of writing “Whiskey Like Me.”
“Whiskey Like Me” was a cross-country co-write with me in Toronto and Jay Stolar in NYC. At that time, I was hung up on a guy who hadn’t treated me well, and I joked about why I couldn’t get over this dude who I could literally drink under the table and from that conversation, Whiskey Like Me was born. It evolved over time through playing the song live and also in the studio with my producer Dajaun Martineau. I love it when I can get a feel for a song live in front of an audience before I record it.
What’s it like being a musician in Toronto?
Toronto has a great community of artists that I’m grateful to be a part of. I’ve met many of my friends at open mics and festivals. I feel inspired by the quality and creativity I see in local musicians and bands. We also have a great history of music here. I love to soak up the historic vibes in places like the Horseshoe Tavern, the El Mocambo, the Opera House, Danforth Music Hall, and Massey Hall, to name a few. We must take care of our music history and keep these venues in good shape so they can inspire generations to come.
Who was the first Canadian artist to blow you away?
I remember being at my cottage while the radio was playing in the other room, and “You Oughta Know” came on. I literally ran across the cabin to be right beside the speaker, so I could hear who this artist was. Of course, it was Alanis Morissette, and she blew me away. I had never heard a woman sound like her before. She made me feel empowered, liberated, and strong.
You’ve been making music for while now. What’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
Keep learning and growing, and be open to advice from others but don’t lose connection to your own truth. That’s your most powerful thing as an artist. People will act like they know everything, but this industry is wild, and no one knows exactly what is right for you like you do.
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