Maria McKee on Music, Advocacy, and Personal Transformation

In this episode of the Passionista’s Project, sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington talk with singer-songwriter Maria McKee. As the former frontwoman of Lone Justice, Maria discusses her fearless, genre-spanning musical journey and her deep commitment to LGBTQIA+ advocacy, particularly trans rights. She shares her personal story of coming out as queer later in life and the profound connections she has formed with the trans community. Maria reflects on her tumultuous childhood, its impact on her creative endeavors, and her eventual transition from a band leader to a solo artist. She speaks candidly about dealing with fame, her advocacy work, and the importance of chosen family. The episode closes with Maria’s reflections on her future aspirations and a call to action for cultivating supportive communities.

Listen to the full episode here:

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IN THIS EPISODE

[00:18]  Meet Maria McKee: Singer, Songwriter, and Advocate

[00:49] Maria's Journey to Advocacy

[02:13] Understanding the Trans Community

[06:26] Maria's Childhood and Early Influences

[09:24] Musical Inspirations and Broadway Dreams

[13:52] The Birth of Lone Justice

[21:44] Transition to a Solo Career

[23:31] Maintaining Creative Integrity

[26:24] Maria's Recent Works and Reflections

[33:31] Supporting Young Artists and Advocacy Efforts

[38:26] Maria's Love for Greyhounds

[39:44] Final Thoughts and Dreams for the Future

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Passionistas: Hi, we're sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington, the founders of the Passionistas Project, an inclusive sisterhood where women find support, purpose, and empowerment. On each episode, we

share stories of passion-driven women who are breaking barriers and redefining success. Today we're talking with singer songwriter Maria McKee.

She first captured national attention as the front woman of Lone Justice, and over the years has carved out a fearless, deeply personal creative path, moving through genres while staying true to herself offstage. Maria brings that same authenticity to her advocacy, using her voice to stand up for LGBTQIA+ rights.

So please welcome Maria McKee. We're so excited to talk to you today.

Maria: I'm excited too.

Passionistas: So we mentioned a lot of things in the intro, but what is the thing that you are most passionate about?

Maria: Protecting my trans family and speaking out when I can and where I can about trans lives and rights.

Passionistas: Why is that so important to you?

Maria: It's interesting. I came out as queer very late in life. I mean, I always knew, and I always sort of in my heart of hearts, identified as queer and bi and, but you know, I lived a hetero a lot. I had, I grew up in a very heteronormative environment, even in the arts, you know, and even in the, in rock and roll in the music business.

And I just, um, I, I just wasn't fully ready to embrace my, a queerness and in and entirely until I was older, until about, I don't know, eight, 10 years ago. So when I came out and I was living in London, I, um, met, um, a lot of young queer folks, and so many of them were trans and gender non- conforming. And they just really, really, um, embraced me as, as, um, as an elder.

And, um, I felt very, I felt incredibly maternal towards them. And, and that was when I adopted my goddaughter. And, um, she's been my goddaughter now for about eight years. And, um, yeah, so it's just, um, I don't have kids and so she's like the closest thing I have to a daughter. So, yeah. And I have like, I don't know, maybe half a dozen trans and gender non-conforming kids that call me mom.

Passionistas: What do you wish people knew about the trans community? That, that, you know, the people who don't get it, what do you wish they knew about it?

Maria: Include trans people in your life. Befriend a trans person. Um, you know, don't be afraid to ask questions, but also really educate yourself. Um, there's so many avenues now and so many ways to learn about, um, the trans experience.

And you really need to know about this now because if you, um, support queer, uh, rights in any way at all, you need to really educate yourself about trans rights and try to try to center. Your advocacy around trans rights because, uh, trans people are, are threatened and, you know, and, and. It's worse now than ever.

Um, so many things have gone backwards. So many. Um, I was watching, um, Zachary Drucker's film about Amanda Leer and April Ashley, and when I was watching April, Ashley's story, you know, she was outed in the early 1960s. And, um, as a result, her modeling career ended that day. Um, and she went on to become a really outspoken advocacy advocate for trans rights, and she ended up getting an MBE and, um, she was really, really, really important for the community.

And she passed away a few years ago. And I, the saddest thing was that as I was watching her story, I was thinking, my god, imagine if she'd stayed alive in time to see what's been going on in the UK in the past year, and how people like JK Rowling. It because of their popularity and because of their voice in the media, they have put their money and their words, um, behind, um, a, a movement to strip trans rights away from people in the uk.

And it just broke my heart because we come so far. I was in London for the first trans pride. Um, my niece up there was the founder, Lucia Blake, who's the founder. She's my chosen niece. She was the founder of London Trans Pride. And the first London Trans Pride was small, but it was mighty. It was mighty.

And I sang and um, I sang, Show Me Heaven. And I watched, you know, I've watched it. She's since moved on to other things. But I've watched, um, London Trans Pride grow into every year when they have the

parade, it, it's more and more and more. I think the last one was maybe like 30, 40,000 people. We're not going away.

We're not going anywhere, you know, but we have to fight even harder now more than ever.

Passionistas: Where do you suggest people go to educate themselves and learn more about the trans community?

Maria: Well, gosh, there's, so, there's so, I mean, there's a lot of documentaries that people can watch too. That's a good one. The, it's called Enigma.

I just watched it the other night. Um, you know, there's, there's Instagram accounts that you can follow. Marsha Johnson. Marsha p Johnson, um. Um, for the Girls is one of them. There's books. There's Sean Faye, she's a great journalist in the uk. Um, obviously Monroe Bergoff. Bergoff is a really great source of info as far as what's happening now.

Um, Tourmaline just wrote a book about Marsha Jo, Marsha P Johnson. Um, it's really important because as you know, she was the mother of the movement. She was the first one of the first people at Stonewall, you know, to, to really begin the pride movement. Um, and, you know, pride was started by trans people at Stonewall.

Um, just how, how many years is it now? We just had the anniversary a few days ago. I don't know the exact date, but it's probably like close to like 50 years, you know, so we wouldn't have pride without our trans mothers and, and fathers.

Passionistas: Where does this passion for, um, being an advocate for people? Come from, were you interested in protecting people's rights and stuff when you were a kid? Did you grow up in a, in an environment where that was important?

Maria: I'm a child of trauma. I had a very loving family, but a very abusive environment. Um, you know, and I love my family and I wouldn't trade them for the world, but I have a lot of scars from being raised in such a chaotic environment. My brother was an, was a drug addict and an

alcoholic, and he was bipolar and untreated and I ended up being his caretaker when I was a kid.

Maria: And I was also raised in a born again Christian cult. So I, I mean, I never really actually was, um, enrolled in conversion therapy, but I remember they tried to exercise demons of homosexuality. When I was a kid. I was probably 14 and I was abducted from school by an older girl that I trusted from the Bible study.

She brought me to my mom's Bible study and. A woman that I called, my auntie was there and they just started speaking in tongues and casting demons away. I mean, I laugh about it, but it was pretty traumatic. So, you know, I, I, I think my, my history of trauma, you know, I have PTSD now as a result, and, uh, obsessive compulsive disorder quite.

Extraordinary, um, dose of that, which I have to treat with cognitive behavioral therapy and medications. So, you know, I, I understand what it's like to have, um, you know, to have struggles that you have to work through and a community that you need to surround yourself with to sort of understand and how, as much as possible.

Passionistas: How did your childhood influence your creative endeavors and especially your music?

Maria: I think, um, singing gospel music was a big part of that. Um, you know, um, my parents used to go to black church down, like there was a place called Crenshaw Christian Center, and you know, my mom's bible study ladies were black ladies.

And, um, the Holy Ghost is really, you know, it's a profound way to practice spirituality. The Holy Ghost Church. There was a lot of ritual that I, as somebody who practices magic, now I identify as ancient pre- Christian ritual, like speaking in tongues, being slain in the spirit, prophecy, healing, you know, and the, you know, the Holy Ghost church is like a really, really, really on fire version of that, you know?

And, um, I think that a lot of, for me, I still feel very, um, in inspired by my. By my Holy Ghost experiences, including having a Holy Ghost brought down at an all black church in New Orleans. When I was young, I was like about 20 years old. Um, and having the, the priest lady at that church prof over me, lay, lay, lay hands on me and knock me over in the Holy Ghost in spirit.

Um, so I feel that there's a, a, um, a. A Christian charismatic, um, influence in everything that I do, including my spiritual practices.

Passionistas: You mentioned Brian. Um, for those people who don't know, Brian was in the band Love and was an incredible songwriter and musician. What was his musical influence on you growing up?

Maria: I mean, obviously he, you know, he was from the sixties and so he was like in the, one of the most important bands of the sixties, I mean. Some critics think that Forever Changes by Love was like the best album of the sixties, which is wild. Um, but they were really important and really influential. So obviously he was part of a movement that, you know, with David Crosby and the guys in the Birds and you know, they all traded folk music and the Harry Smith stuff and they were all really, really educated in, in like early music and I mean early folk music and.

Country and bluegrass and all of that. So I mean, I grew up listening to him play that stuff, but you know, he was really into classical music and really into, um, Broadway, uh, musicals and he was obsessed with Steven Sondheim. And so it kind of through him that I got really into like Broadway musicals and Steven Sondheim.

And that has been a really, really, really big influence on my songwriting.

Passionistas: Do you have a favorite musical?

Maria: Wow, that's a really good question. I dunno that I have a favorite musical. I just have favorite songs. You know, I guess my favorite musical is probably West Side Story, you know? I mean, for nostalgic purposes.

I love Sound of Music because when I was a kid it was like really important, you know? And I love Gypsy as well, and I've seen Bernadette Peters in Gypsy several times and it was so different each time and it was just because, you know, I really wanted to do Broadway and I actually spent some time in New York and met with some agents and kind of toyed around with the idea, but I just don't know if I have the discipline and I think that was what I discovered.

I don't think I could do eight shows a week, pre years. Did you do like school musicals? Oh yeah. I remember when I told John Engle at Beverly High, he was the very. Very legendary director of the theater department at Beverly High when everybody was there, Nicholas Cage and me and everybody was there and he was really, really important.

And when I told him I was quitting school to be in a band and pursue rock and roll, he literally cried. He was like, what are you doing? Do you know that you're on that fast track to like Juliard to go to Broadway? Do you know who comes to these plays? 'cause it's true, everyone in the business. But I was like this, I like, I like rock and roll, you know? And that was it.

Passionistas: So what is it about rock and roll that stole your heart like that?

Maria: You know, you just, it happens. I think it was, for me, it, I was 16 the first time I ever saw X play. I really got into post-punk and started going to sea gigs all the time. And I think that same year I saw Springsteen and I started, we had a drama teacher at Beverly who used to play the Wild, the Innocent and the E Street shuffle during, um, uh, theater arts, uh, exercises, improv exercises, mirror exercises, and, and um, he also encouraged us to write, to keep a journal and write in a journal. And I think that's when I started writing song lyrics. So it all kind of happened at once.

Passionistas: Did you start seeing bands, like kinda legendary bands when you were a kid?

Maria: When I was really little, my, my brother's band and Love was the house band at the Whiskey a Go Go. So, and they used to play almost every weekend or whatever with the doors.

And I think the doors used to open for love and so I saw everybody, Frank Safa the doors, love the birds, probably. I was tiny, but I kind of remember it. I remember the parties in Laurel Canyon. I remember the girls in the cages dancing when I saw the Doors movie. I was like, oh yeah, I remember that. I don't fully remember it, but I know I absorbed it, you know?

And when I would perform, um, some of my best gigs were, you know, I was kind of channeling that. Jim Morrison sort of magic, you know, drawing from some of the same influences that he drew from.

Passionistas: So when was your first like performance as like a rock and roll person? Do you remember that first gig that you did where you were doing rock and roll?

Maria: You know, my brother put a band together for me, but he really wanted me to be like a country singer, you know? So he wrote a lot of country songs, but he would let me do some r and b songs. I wouldn't say that that was, for me, it wasn't like the the moment of like, oh wow, I'm in like a post-punk LA band. That wasn't until Lone Justice and that was when we were doing a little tiny gigs down at the Cafe de Grande.

Passionistas: And what was that scene like at the time?

Maria: Oh, it was Magic Flesh Eaters, Blood on the Saddle, uh uh, you know, us texting the Horse Heads, Gun Club. We used to go see the Cramps all the time. When they would come in from New York. Um, yeah, it was, it was electric, it was alive, it was amazing. Rank and File. The Blasters, you know, all those classic bands

Passionistas: You performed with Chop Top, Jimmy, and, and the Rhythm Paints, but you just got up and sang with them?

Maria: Yeah. Top Jimmy, I used to go see him, my friend mj, who I'm still best friends with. We used to go see him on Monday nights at the Cafe de Grande and I, when I was in Brian's band, it was called the Brian McLean Band. We did a gig opening for him and I wrote him a note saying, I'm a huge fan, please come hear me sing. And he heard me sing and he was like, okay, uh, come to the cafe and I'm gonna present you to everybody.

And everyone was there. Dave Alvin, Ray, Man X, John Doe, everyone was there. And that was sort of my coming out.

Passionistas: When you formed Lone Justice, what were your expectations for yourself about what would happen with your career? What were your dreams at that point?

Maria: I mean, at that time it was really more about like our passion for the music. So it was like, I remember Ryan saying We wanna be able to open for the Clash one night and Willy Nelson the next night. Like, we wanted to bridge the gap between like punk and country. And I think we did a pretty good job.

Passionistas: Yeah. And, and it was so different from like mainstream music, which at the time was like, you know, Olivia Newton John Physical and eye of the tiger and stuff.

What, as a, as a young woman stepping into that scene, what was that like for you?

Maria: I mean, I, I was, I was very protected by all the big brothers in the band and the big brothers around me. Um, it was challenging 'cause some, you know, there was some unsavory older musicians who were around, but I mean, I could take care of myself.

You know, but I mean we got signed pretty quickly and it was 'cause of Linda Ronstadt really. She saw us playing a tiny club and she told David Geffen about us and they came to see us and they said, you're not quite ready. So that we went out on tour with Rank and File and when we got back we played a gig and it was around the time Dolly Parton came to see us and they were like, okay, yeah, let's go.

And we were kind of also being courted by Warner Brothers country division. We really had to like think about what that meant. Like do we really wanna be a country band? And we decided we're not a

country band. We're like an, we're like an indie rock band who is very influenced by country. So we made the right decision.

Passionistas: Did you know how revolutionary that was at the time? I mean, it seems like in hindsight everyone credits you within sort of almost inventing this genre. Did you, did you know how revolutionary that was?

Maria: I mean, I don't know if we invented it. I feel like Rank and File was really the first band to really bridge that gap. Maria: And they were really, really, they were more new wave kind of country, but they and art rock and they were really, they had such a unique sound and I feel like they were really the first country punk band. Um, and then we kind of, we did a version that was very different than theirs. Ours was more raw and more like, uh, psychobilly in a way or something.

Um, but I guess I knew we were doing something unique when we started touring with really big bands and just getting completely inundated with like, spit and, you know, beer cans thrown at us and booze and, you know, and I, I was kinda like, oh, okay. Yeah, it's just hard, but it's because they've never heard anything like this.

Passionistas: Did you ever feel like that got into a groove? Like people finally started to accept what you were doing?

Maria: It took a minute. Like when we opened for U2, all those years, it was hard. It was hard, but there were a lot of kids in the audience who became fans. I mean, even kids in bands. Like I remember James Eha from Smashing Pumpkins going, I saw you open for U2.

I love you guys. You know, like there were a lot of young kids in that later went on to be like in grunge bands or whatever, or like nineties bands or. Who were there, who saw us play with U2? Who, who were like one of the few kids that didn't boo.

Passionistas: So now 40 years later, Lone Justice is in the Western Edge exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame, alongside Linda Ronstadt and Rank and File.

So how does it feel to get that kind of recognition?

Maria: Oh, it's great. I remember when I found out about it, I'd never seen the Ken Burns country music series. My husband kept going, you gotta see that. I'm telling you. You gotta watch it. Sit down, take the time. You won't telling you you're gonna thank me. So I finally got around to watching it and I was just so, it was such a profound spiritual experience for me because I felt like so much. What Lone Justice was, was our love for the music and our like, almost like college educated, you know, study. I mean, we've sort of gone to university for early music. Like we were so obsessed. We just learned everything we could and I was completely surprised by how many of the songs and the entire series I knew and could sing along with.

And how passionate, you know, Ryan and Margaret and how all of us were about this music. And I also remember thinking, like hearing all the personal stories of people's lives who were country musicians and country legends and going, we were so bratty, like how could we claim to be a country band? We were from LA, I went to Beverly High, you know, but I felt like, you know, my grandmother was one of 17.

She was a California Hillbilly raised in the, in San Bernardino County in Richie Canyon, you know, and um, I was raised in like Holy Ghost Church, so I kind of feel like we sort of, I don't know, we were somehow grafted in. And then when we were asked to be a part of this country Music Hall of Fame museum exhibit, I was like, okay, well maybe we do deserve this. Like we were so passionate about the music. Whether or not we're truly country's folks maybe isn't the issue, you know?

Passionistas: And, and you transformed it too, in a completely unique way.

Maria: Yeah. So I feel really grateful and humbled and honored to be a part of that exhibit. And I didn't get to see it 'cause I'm not flying right now and I don't really feel like getting my dog on the train.

To go to Nashville. But I mean, Marvin told me all about it. He was thrilled.

Passionistas: So after Lone Justice, you embarked on an incredibly successful and diverse solo career. So what was that like for you to make the transition from being the front woman of this band to going out on your own?

Maria: You know, the, the second Long Justice album really was the first Maria McKee record because there was nobody left from the original band. And I remember being on tour with that album going, holy shit. Like, who are all these guys? Like, and that was when it kind of dawned on me, wow, I guess I have gone solo 'cause it was not a band anymore. Um, and it was challenging and I felt lonely. Um, but then I, I found a producer I really loved and I really loved working with him. Mitchell Froom. And, um, he really listened to me and what I wanted to do musically, when the record company would, you know, we would go for lunch with Kim and the record company and they would go, well, Maria wants to do this, and we think Maria should do that, and Maria should write with this person, and Maria should write with that person.

And like, the next day he called me and he said, let's, let's go have lunch. And, and then he, he said, without the record company. And, and he, he goes, so what do you wanna do? Like, what kind of record do you wanna make? And he really took care of me and we made a great record together. And then when I moved to Ireland and I was living there for several years, I got really homesick for America and especially LA. And um, that's when I came back and made an Americana record. And then I, I got, you know, several people from Lone Justice to, to be on that album, um, Marvin and, and Don.

Passionistas: Your solo music, it really evolved. And, and you know, you was talking about the record companies. How did you, um,  maintain your creative integrity when you were getting pressure to do, or were you getting pressure to do a particular genre?

Maria: Yeah, I mean, it was kind of a fight, but you know, I kind of, I pretty much gave them what they wanted with sin to get saved, which

was an Americana record. Um, which slotted right into their sort of Americana kind of roster with the Jay Hawks and Counting Crows. Um, but you know, I was an alcoholic and I was also terrified of fame, so I did sabotage a lot of the promotion for that album.

And, uh, you know, like we would do radio promotion gigs with like Sheryl Crow and Counting Crows and I would like get drunk and sabotage the gig. And then like Counting Crows and Sheryl Crow went on to become huge selling artists, you know, and it was like, I wonder why. If it didn't work for us, well, yeah, it was because I kind of did everything I could not to be successful, and it was partly just being a child of trauma, maybe not feeling like I deserved it, but also I think intuitively, I think I knew I was not gonna handle that kind of fame well at all, and I don't think I would have.

So, you know, I, I remember when Kurt Cobain passed away, I was really affected by that. Being an old punk and kind of like seeing him as like a kid brother in a way. And I was just like, I need to go back to my art rock roots. I need to like get that energy back. And you know, that's when I made life is sweet.

And it was like a glam art rock record, very ‘90s. And the record company was just apoplectic. Like they, they literally, they, they were just in shock. And the A and R person who helped me make that album, Tony Berg, and he was a tremendous advocate of that record. He, he was just, he couldn't believe 'cause he loved it show when he brought it to the label to play it for them, and they resoundingly rejected it.

He was just in shock. He couldn't believe it. I remember him calling me, his voice was shaking. And they kind of pretended to release it, but they really didn't. And then it was out print for hundreds of years, and it remains, I mean, it was, it got incredible press in Europe and the uk. Um, and, but it remains a fan favorite to this day.

Uh, it, it is like so many Maria fans are, it's their favorite album of mine. That, and the last one I made are my two favorite.

Passionistas: And talk about that, that last album that you made.

Maria: I don't wanna say it was my menopause record or my midlife crisis record, but it kind of was because as someone who never wanted kids and didn't really, my husband and I were just like, ah, not for us.

It's not for us. Every time we go have dinner with friends, with kids, we'd go, oh my God, thank God I didn't do that. You know, once you get to the point where. That the shop is closed, you know, and it's like over and like the eggs are gone and everything's gone and there's no chance and there's no nothing.

Then, you know, I hit the wall. I had like a really, really intense grieving process and also a psychic awakening at the same time. And then that trick awakening led to my queer awakening and. Wanting to sort of rearrange my marriage to accommodate that. And that took a lot of work and a lot of prayer, and it was a profound experience.

And then like. Putting all of that, it was almost like, for me, it was a little bit like Death in Venice. You turn around and you see your use and it haunts you and you're chasing it, but you're afraid of it and then you die. Like making LA VO was kind of like that for me. It's like I literally, by the end of it, I literally was, uh, you know, Dirk Ard on the beach.

Dying in the hot sun with the hair dyed, dripping down his face. Like I was literally like that. I, I, I was cooked and you can hear it, but the fact that I wrote for a 19-piece orchestra without having had any kind of musical training, I know how to read music. I did it all on the keyboard. And luckily, Eric Goan, my wonderful, wonderful concert master friend, dear, dear friend, he's, he's worked with me before, so he's able to like, get my notes from.

The keyboard and like put it into charts. He doesn't, he doesn't change anything. You know, like at one point he is like, well, you know, this is not musically possible. It's not correct in theory, this one little section here, but if you want I'll just leave it. And I was like, just leave it. So he's, he's just great.

He, he'll just like, you know, call the contractor to get the orchestra together and then he'll conduct it and he doesn't really ask questions. He just like. He added one, he did write one bridge, which there was about part that was missing a bridge. But, um, he's, I love working with him because he doesn't try to, he doesn't, he doesn't change my, my compositions at all.

Passionistas: And Lone Justice recently released a new album as well. So tell us about that.

Maria: When Don passed away, Marvin and I were super sentimental about everything and he's like, you know, I have all these tapes. He's like, some of this stuff is really great. I'm like, when was it recorded? And he said, well, a lot of it was recorded around Sin to get saved.

So it's like you and me and Don and um, just horsing around and it's great. And he's like, do you wanna release it as Maria McKee? And I was like, well, it sounds like it should be lone Justice. So let's get Ryan on, on top of the tracks. Singing, playing guitar, whatever. And then there was some stuff that Ryan and I had done about 20 years ago, and we just, they just worked really hard and produced it and cobbled it together.

And then they, and then Marvin's like, okay, are you ready to hear it? And he sat me down and I was completely blown away. I loved it so much. Loved it. I mean, the thing that made me sad was that the way it was promoted, the fans were led to believe that it was a love justice reunion and a new recording and like we were going on tour and getting the band back together again.

And I had to let everybody know that they were older recordings, that there archival that we, you know, that Marvin produced it from old tapes and. Don has passed away. You know, it's not a reunion and it's just an archival Lone justice records, you know, and people still doesn't wanna believe it, you know?

'Cause fake news, they just didn't believe it. Well, I heard that it's a new album and it was newly done, you know, and the reviews were like, wow, Maria sounds better than ever. I'm like, this recorded 25, 30 years ago. 40 years ago. You know, it's hard to, to try to, you know, I mean, suspension of disbelief, it's like, it's so. Confirmation bias or whatever. People just believe what they wanna believe, especially fans.

Passionistas: I also think there's a, a timelessness to the Lone Justice songs and to the way you all are recorded that makes a album like People Lone Justice feel current. How does that feel to you and, and like

the women like Margot Price and the Chicks who are citing Loan Justice as like a major influence for them? What does that feel like for you to know that you are considered this, you know, icon, frankly, in the music industry.

I mean, it's great, it's great. But at the same time, I remember Julia Phillips, the, the movie producer, she wrote that book, You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again 'cause she's very outspoken woman in the business and she could, you know, the worst job is being a pioneer because you'll do all the work and never get any of the credit.

And I mean, sometimes I sort of vacillate between that and. It's really amazing. But at the same time, I really don't want my tombstone to read underrated singer songwriter because it feels like, like that. I feel, I feel like that's how I'm known today is like, you're so underrated. You're so underrated, you're so under recognize yourself, you know?

And it's like, I, you know, I don't really want that to be my, you know, my identifying, you know, um, I, I don't, you know, 'cause I, I don't really feel underrated. I may be underrecognized and I, I never was famous, but. Apart from one song in the UK and Europe, Show Me Heaven. But, um, I like, I like my life I don't want, I like not having to work. I like not doing anything. I like being anonymous and incognito and yeah, I like it.

Passionistas: I would never use the word underrated when it came to you. I don't think…

Maria: Everybody, everybody. Spark every, everything, any, any journalist that says anything, ever. As always, even, even fan. So look, I don't understand why you're not more well known.

I mean, I kind of fought it. I, that's what I wanted. I designed my life to not be famous. I moved away, I moved to Ireland. I spent years not working, you know, so. I, I think it's, I think success is, I, I feel like it's a deal with the devil really, in a way.

Passionistas: Well, it sounds like it was a choice you made in high school when you could have been on that track to Julliard.

Maria: Yeah. Or Julliard or, or been an actress.

Passionistas: What advice do you have for younger women and queer artists that are launching their careers right now?

Maria: Oh, that's a hard one. 'cause the business is basically, it's so different. From when I was, when I was in it. Um, I don't know what to say. I mean, it's harder. I would say only do it if you really, really love it. I mean, the people that I know who are young artists now tour. Constantly and, and you know, unless you love to do that, don't do it. Because that's kind of how you're gonna have to earn your bread and butter these days.

You gotta stay on the road. That was not for me, but I'm lucky. I wrote songs back when you could become a shareholder in this pie, this this big pie of royalties, you know, and that doesn't really exist anymore. So unless you love to play live. The young, young queer artists that I, that I do know now, a lot of 'em are Americana, a lot of 'em are trans. Um, they love to play live and they're doing it all the time. And that's how they, that's how they make their bread and butter and, you know, can be a working musician.

Passionistas: Who are the young artists that are out there that you really like?

Maria: Well, as far as young and queer artists, well, my goddaughter obviously is extraordinary. Lauren Otter, she, um. Her last single, I have to brag a little bit, was, uh, a Prince song that she recorded with Wendy and Lisa from Prince In The Revolution. She co-produced and recorded it with them for this album called Transa, which my, my dear friend helped put together. Um, which is, do you remember Red Hot and Blue, the AIDS Awareness album that came out in the eighties?

RedHot.org still makes these awareness albums and they did one for trans. And um, Lauren had the first single, uh, and she just completed another album, which is glorious. So looking forward to that being released soon. Um, there's an amazing country punk, Americana, sort of cowboy opera band. That I think are one of the greatest American bands going right now called Rose Lip Bone.

Dunno if you've heard of them. Um, fronted by Charlotte Trans Woman, amazing performer. Um, there's Mia Byrne, Americana singer songwriter. There is the Vandoliers, another Amer, um, country punk bands. Queer country punk bands. Um. In, in the UK there's Forest Flowers, an amazing punk band. Um, I don't know, there's still really great, I love that kid from New York.

He's not queer, but he's in a band called ge. Um, have you heard of them? Um, Cameron Winter, I think his name is. He's amazing. Um, so yeah, I think there was a bidding war for his band. It's unique, unique music. Love it. So there's still still a lot of good stuff I know with everything that's happening now in regards to healthcare.

I took it upon myself to get together with a guy who's over at Sweet Relief, um, to introduce a trans musicians fund. Because you, as you know, sweet Relief, who I helped lo, I helped launch their campaign in the nineties by singing the title tracks, the song Sweet Relief on the Sweet Relief album, which was the first benefit album for the Sweet Relief work, which as you know, is an organization to help musicians with healthcare and in some cases elder care now that we're also old end of life care, et cetera, et cetera.

So I got together with them. I, I, um, approached them about starting, um, a fund for trans musicians, um, a medical fund for trans musicians. And so we're, we're progressing on that. Um, and meeting with them this month again, and we're putting together an action plan for that. So hopefully that will be coming to fruition this year sometime.

Fingers crossed. Sure.

Passionistas: That's fabulous. Tell us about your advocacy and your love for greyhounds and adopting them.

Maria: They're just very special. They're unique. I can't, I don't know what it is that, about the X racing greyhound that makes them so unique. Um, I'm on my second one. They, both my girls came up from this track in Tijuana called Caliente, which is a big casino down there, which is now closed.

So the adoption group, Grey Save, is getting their dogs from Virginia, where they're still an active track and Australia in the UK now. But there's something about them, I think it's because they're not pets, they're working dogs. They're used to sort of just existing to run. So most of the time they just sleep and they don't really know how to be pets.

And once they realized how loved they are, they become incredibly grateful and emotional and loving and joyful every day. And kind of almost like they're walking around going, I can't believe this is my life. I can't believe this is my life. I can't be my life. This is my mama auntie, this walk. We're going on walk. I get to lie the sun, I get to be free and it's just so moving to see it.

Passionistas: What's your dream for yourself and what's your dream for women in the LGBTQIA+ community?

Maria: What's my dream for myself? I, I, I guess, you know, I watch the Jane Mansfield documentary and last night that was made by her beautiful daughter, Merska Hegarty, and I was so moved by her family.

Just so many brothers and sisters and like kids. And I guess my dream for myself would be to have to even, to even grow my chosen family more, um, to be surrounded by people I love more. I do have an amazing chosen family, but I feel like I could grow it. I feel like I should, I can work harder to grow that family and gosh, for women.

I mean, I, I would say to, to embed yourself in community as much as possible. And again, grow your chosen family because we can't depend on the government, we can't depend on legislation. We can't, we need to take care of one another and we need to really, you know, be in community and, and mutual aid and, and um, you know, invest in that as much as possible.

So, yeah, make families, make bigger families. And adopt a. Greyhound,

Passionistas: Thanks for listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with singer-songwriter Maria McKee. To learn more about Maria's music and advocacy work, follow her on Instagram at this is Maria McKee. As real-life sisters, best friends and business partners, we know how rare it is to have a built-in support system.

But we also know that so many women activists, solopreneurs, and purpose-driven people are out there doing it alone and wishing they had a community like ours. That's exactly why we created the Passionistas Project Sisterhood. A space where support, trust, and authenticity come first. When you join, you become part of our extended family.

You'll get the tools you need to grow your business, develop personally, and create real social impact. You'll also learn from our power Passionistas leaders, change makers, and experts who share their wisdom on everything from letting go of perfectionism to embracing community and stepping fully into your purpose.

Whether it's through online meetups, chat spaces, Passionistas tv, and the Passionistas Podcast Network or our exclusive workshop series. You'll be surrounded by like-minded women and gender non-conforming folks who are just as passionate as you are about living with purpose and making a difference.

Visit ThePassionistasProject.com to join our free membership and become part of this growing global sisterhood of passionate change makers. We'll be back next time with another inspiring Passionista who's breaking down the barriers and defining success on her own terms.

Until then, stay passionate.