Malea McGuinness

Malea McGuinness

Malea McGuinness
Background information
Born November 20, 1982
Ft. Hood, Texas, United States
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres Electronic Dance Music, Pop rock, Pop, Alternative rock
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1997–present
Website maleamusic.com

Mary McGuinness (born November 20, 1982), referred to professionally as Malea, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her career in musical theatre, understudying the role of Tuptim in Broadway's The King and I. In 2007, she moved to Los Angeles, where she has focused on songwriting, recording and performing music.

As Malea, McGuinness has recorded four albums and appeared in numerous live performances. She is known for her 2014 single "Give", which reached the Billboard Top 20 Dance Club Songs chart in 2014.[1] She has also been active in philanthropy, performing to raise money for animal charities and other causes.

Early life

Mary McGuinness was born into a military family in Ft. Hood, Texas, the daughter of a Korean mother and Richard J. McGuinness, an Irish father who served as a Green Beret in the United States Army.[2] Her grandfather, James J. McGuinness, was a member of the United States Marine Corps during World War II, part of the infantry division who fought at The Battle of Iwo Jima.

At age two, McGuinness moved to Korea where she lived with relatives until returning to the States at age five, then moving to Long Island, New York, where she and her younger sister lived with her father's parents. During high school, McGuinness attended several music programs including Tanglewood Music Center, Oberlin Conservatory and the Chautauqua Institution.[3] She attended college at the Manhattan School of Music, where she majored in vocal performance.[2] In 1997, while attending the Manhattan School, McGuinness was cast in the Broadway revival of The King and I, singing in the ensemble and understudying the role of Tuptim.[4] She also performed in some commercials in New York.[3]

Recording career

In 2007, McGuinness moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and began attending songwriter circle events. A self-taught guitarist, she eventually began to write songs and perform on the Los Angeles club circuit while bartending.[3][5] In 2007, she recorded her debut album True Believer with producer Scott Hackwith. The independently released collection of songs included the singles "Deeper" and "Sweet Light", which went into rotation at Sirius XM and other radio stations throughout the U.S.[3]

McGuinness's second studio album Close As Air, produced by Jamie Candiloro and Michael Patterson, was released in April 2010.[2] The first single, "Spinning", was played at AAA radio in the United States,[2] with the accompanying video having its debut on MTV.[6] From the same album, the song "Time Will Show" was selected as a winner of the SongwriterUniverse "Best Song of the Month" contest. SongwriterUniverse called the song "a soulful, mainsteam pop song which has a thoughtful, heartfelt lyric theme ... a strong, expressive vocal performance."[2] Her song "Memories" garnered similar recognition in the SingerUniverse "Best Vocalist of the Month" competition.[7] Sweet, McGuinness' third full-length album was released in September 2011. Produced by Jim Scott, the album includes the title track "Sweet", co-written with Nathan Meckel, and "Always Something (To Believe In)", co-written with Gary Burr. Artists on Demand wrote that the album "is a vibrant backdrop for the sound and soul of a compelling artist."[5]

In 2012, McGuinness began writing and performing electronic dance music and dropped her surname, opting to perform under the single name Malea. She independently released her 4th studio album, Prism, produced by Mark Needham, through her label Malea Music on September 17, 2013.[8] In November 2013, dance music collective Papercha$er released a remix of the song "Rainbow Girl", the first in a series of remixes of singles from Prism.[9] The second single from the album, "Give", was released in January 2014.[10] reaching No. 17 on the Billboard Top 20 Dance Club Songs chart.[1] A collection of remixes of "Give" by Ralphi Rosario, Baggi Begovic, Promised Land, Smash Town and Bit Error was released by Water Music Records in April 2014,[11] with a follow-up remix collection entitled Give Reloaded – The Dubs in September 2014.[12]

Live appearances and philanthropy

McGuinness has made multiple appearances at Summerfest in Milwaukee, sharing the bill with Train,[13] The Counting Crows,[2] B.B. King, Bon Jovi and John Mayer.[3] She is the first Asian-American woman to lead her own band in the 40-year-history of Summerfest. She has toured with Kenny Loggins,[2] Gin Blossoms,[14] Rusted Root and John Waite.[15] McGuinness has been invited to appear supporting a number of other artists, including Shawn Colvin,[16] The Crash Test Dummies, Augustana, Gavin DeGraw, Ambrosia, Marc Ford, Donovan, Tyrone Wells, Terri Nunn, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Boy Hits Car, Todd Rundgren, The Bacon Brothers, Ed Burns and The Blue Jackets, Green River Ordinance and Willie Porter.[3]

McGuinness helps to raise money and awareness for animal charities in direct partnership with humane societies and animal shelters through her performances, titling her 2011-2012 tour "Save a Life, Adopt a Pet."[14] She collaborated with The Amanda Foundation to put on the 'Paws for Patterns' fundraiser.[16] McGuinness blogs on PetLvr.com.[17]

McGuinness' other notable philanthropic work includes donating the profits from sales of her merchandise to Milwaukee Art Museum and the Wisconsin Humane Society.[18] McGuinness also participated in The Avon Foundation's 'Drink Pink Night', a breast cancer charity concert.[16] Her philanthropic and humanitarian work was featured in the "Good Works" column of the May 2012 edition of Billboard Magazine.

Discography

True Believer (2007)[19]

  1. Dreamer
  2. Love Me Don't Forsake Me
  3. True Believer
  4. Brave in Your Arms
  5. Deeper
  6. Too Beautiful to Stay
  7. I Never Cry
  8. Spinning
  9. Sweet Light
  10. No Man's Land
  11. Where Does Love Go
  12. In and Out of Blue
  13. Waves
  14. Ave Maria

Close As Air (2010)[20]

  1. Spinning
  2. Time Will Show
  3. Close As Air
  4. Moving On
  5. Tonight
  6. Stars
  7. Birthday Song
  8. Falling
  9. No More
  10. Memories

Sweet (2011)[21]

  1. Always Something (To Believe In)
  2. In the Next Life
  3. Stars
  4. Miss Moonlight
  5. Sweet
  6. True Believer
  7. Jesus Was A Crossmaker
  8. The Phoenix
  9. Looking For Love
  10. Girl In The Mirror
  11. Midnight Rider

Prism (2013)[8]

  1. Satellite
  2. Running In The Desert
  3. Light After Darkness
  4. Reason To Survive
  5. Follow The Thunder
  6. I Rise
  7. Rainbow Girl
  8. Shadow Dancing
  9. Stand Down
  10. Give

Give (2014)[11]

  1. Give (Promise Land Remix)
  2. Give (Baggi Begovic Remix)
  3. Give (Ralphi Rosario Remix)
  4. Give (Smash Town Remix)
  5. Give (Bit Error Remix)

Give - Reloaded - The Dubs (2014)[12]

  1. Give (Promise Land Dub Mix)
  2. Give (Baggi Begovic Dub Mix)
  3. Give (Ralphi Rosario Dub Mix)
  4. Give (Smash Town Dub Mix)
  5. Give (Bit Error Dub Mix)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Malea - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Kawashima, Dale. "Malea McGuinness' 'Time Will Show' Named October 'Best Song of the Month'", SongwriterUniverse, October 2010, accessed September 28, 2014
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Malea McGuinness: Winner of the Fall of 2010 Contest with Spinning", TennesseeConcerts.com, accessed September 28, 2014
  4. ↑ "Mary McGuinness", Internet Broadway Database, accessed September 24, 2014
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Malea McGuinness 10/10 by Artists On Demand | Blog Talk Radio
  6. ↑ "Malea McGuinness – 'Spinning'", MTV IGGY, accessed September 28, 2014
  7. ↑ Kawashima, Dale. "Malea McGuinness Named January 'Best Vocalist of the Month' With Her Song 'Memories'"', SingerUniverse.com, January 2011, accessed September 28, 2014
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Prism, Amazon.com, ASIN: B00ETQDLCK, accessed September 28, 2014
  9. ↑ "Exclusive Premier: Malea 'Rainbow Girl' (Papercha$er Remix) – New Electronic Music". Magnetic. November 1, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ Trust, Gary (January 20, 2014). "Chart Highlights: Pitbull & Ke$ha, Beyonce & Jay Z Score New No. 1s". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Give – Malea". Beatport. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Malea: Give Reloaded – The Dubs". Beatport. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Malea McGuinness", do512.com, accessed September 28, 2014
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Malea McGuinness brings her ‘Sweet' sounds to Havana on her ‘Save a Life, Adopt a Pet Tour'", Phillyburbs.com, November 10, 2011, accessed September 28, 2014
  15. ↑ Smyers, Darryl. "Over The Weekend: John Waite, Malea McGuinness at the Glass Cactus Nightclub", Dallas Observer, December 5, 2011, accessed September 28, 2014
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 McGuinness, Malea. "Introspective Folk/Rock Singer-Songwriter Malea McGuinness to Open for Shawn Colvin", Press release reprinted at Petlvr.com, July 27, 2010, accessed September 28, 2014
  17. ↑ McGuinness, Malea. "True Believer – by Malea McGuinness (My Friend Oscar)", PetLvr Blog for Pet Lovers, January 24, 2011, accessed September 28, 2014
  18. ↑ Shaw, Mary-Liz. "McGuinness takes stage", Journal Sentinel, July 1, 2010, accessed September 28, 2014
  19. ↑ True Believer, Amazon.com, ASIN: B000PHN9CO, September 28, 2014
  20. ↑ Close As Air, Amazon.com, ASIN: B003C9SRDI, September 28, 2014
  21. ↑ Sweet, Amazon.com, ASIN: B005Q2Y83C, September 28, 2014

External links