Square Spotlight: Vivi McCracken
Square Spotlight: Vivi McCracken
By: Liv Briley
Dedicated graphic design student, freelance artist, and up-and-coming singer-songwriter are just a few of the titles Austin-native Vivi McCracken has under her belt. With Friday’s release of her debut single, “My Everything,” she is adding one more thing to that list: recording artist.
McCracken has been writing lyrics for as long as she can remember, her first being written in a Hello Kitty journal at just five years old. By nine, she was in guitar lessons, and by thirteen, she was performing in as many open-mic nights and local gigs as she could. After being introduced to producer Blake Mohler, McCracken was given the opportunity to turn her childhood dreams into a reality. “The best part about working with Blake is that he understands the importance of authenticity,” she said. “He builds the track around the lyrics and the message so that they always support what I am saying through the song.”
Her music isn’t her only outlet. McCracken is also an avid artist, both for her graphic design emphasis in the Ole Miss BFA program and her freelance art sales on Instagram. “Expressing myself through creativity is the most natural inclination I have ever known,” said McCracken.
According to her, music and art go hand-in-hand. “It is so important to convey the feeling of a song or album through cover design and posters,” McCracken said. “As I am recording and releasing my music, I am also doing all of the graphic design work for this process.” From concert posters to the album artwork, McCracken demonstrates her passion for her music through the art she creates. She explained, “everything about this project is so personal to me, and I find myself lucky to be able to take the messages of these songs even further through the artwork that reflects them.”
When it comes to the music itself, McCracken draws inspiration from everything around her. Artists like Mandy Moore, Norah Jones, and Taylor Swift have all played a role in her lyrical growth. “My Everything” is a perfect example of her songwriting process, the concept stemming from personal experiences. “After trying to make various relationships work countless times but always finding complications that left me heartbroken, I began to consider what it means if someone is literally your everything,” she said. “My favorite line of the song is ‘I’d rather feel everything than nothing at all’...because I always end up choosing messy and exciting over comfortable and stagnant.”
The single, which we were lucky enough to receive early access to, is a beautiful pop ballad that follows a bittersweet love story and the idea of loving everything about someone, the good and the bad. “Releasing this single feels like the biggest step toward achieving my dreams that I have ever taken,” McCracken said. “I am so excited for people to finally hear what has been living in my imagination for years.”
“My Everything,” which is now available on all streaming platforms, is just the first step in what will hopefully be a long career for McCracken. After graduation in May, she plans to move to Nashville to continue creating music and art, and may even have a few more songs around the corner. If you want to celebrate McCracken’s debut single, join her for a concert at Lost Dog Coffee in Taylor, Mississippi this Sunday, February 19 and keep up with upcoming announcements on her Instagram.
Listen to “My Everything” here!
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Images by Abby Burgy.