Samantha McKaige talks her Levitate Festival debut, her new album, and a surprise Sting obsession

At this year’s Levitate Music Festival, Samantha McKaige and her band brought a mix of raw earnestness and offbeat charm to their set. They then carried that same energy straight into a backstage conversation that veered between heartfelt reflection and Sting karaoke. It was the group’s first time playing Levitate, but McKaige is no stranger to Massachusetts stages. The Berklee alum has deep New England roots, and her performance blended the songwriting chops of a Nashville staple with some emotional weight from her Boston years.

Her slot at the festival came through a songwriter competition, recommended by a former professor, where she was named a finalist and awarded a grant to record her next album. “It’s been awesome,” she said. “Getting to play here and connect with people in a setting like this is really special.” That album, she revealed, will be recorded this fall on a farm in Lyme, Connecticut. It’s a fittingly off-the-grid setting for a DIY artist who’s built her career on community and collaboration.

Coast to coast influence

Originally from Seattle, McKaige has carved her sound across three cities. “Seattle was all nature and space. It made me want to write about landscapes,” she said. “Boston was darker. I got into heavier emo music there, and that started to seep into my writing. Nashville’s different. Collaboration is just in the air.”

That collaborative spirit defines her band too. Wyatt Moran, Cullen Green, and Anson all found their way into McKaige’s orbit through a mix of college connections, tour gigs, and East Nashville coffee shop hangs — specifically Portland Brew, which has since closed but lives on in band lore.

Their chemistry shows up on stage, but even more so in conversation. The group hopped between reflections on their favorite Nashville venues (shoutout to Cannery Ballroom, Exit/In and The Basement) and increasingly ridiculous dream scenarios — from playing Madison Square Garden with Sting to reuniting Oasis “just for the drama.”

Soundtracking the tour with Sting and Caamp

When asked about dream venues, McKaige didn’t hesitate. “The Gorge in Washington,” she said, describing the venue’s stunning scenery and natural acoustics. “It’s kind of like Red Rocks, but Pacific Northwest.” Her dream co-headliner? “Caamp. They were my first favorite band. That would be unreal.”

The band’s actual road trip soundtrack, however, leaned a little more unexpected. “We’ve been bumping ‘I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying’ by Sting,” McKaige laughed. “It’s not even one of his hits. But it just hit us this week.” Cue the whole band singing out a full verse in unison. You can just tell they’re having a blast hanging out together.

Wyatt chimed in to defend the pick: “It’s incredible. That’s the energy of this tour.”

How to support DIY artists (it’s not streaming)

Toward the end of the interview, things got more serious. The band reflected on what it means to build a music career in a post-streaming world. “Come to the show and talk to us,” Wyatt said. “That’s the thing that keeps you going. Someone saying, ‘Hey, you made me feel something tonight.’ That matters more than 10,000 streams.”

McKaige nodded. “Validation from social media isn’t real — at least not in the same way. When someone comes up and says your music made them cry, that’s everything. That’s why we do this.”

They all agreed on the practical stuff too: buy merch (obligatory link to Samantha’s merch here), come to the show, tell your friends. But above all, connect. “Sometimes you want to give up,” McKaige said. “But then someone tells you they felt something because of your music — and suddenly you remember why you’re here.”

Whether it’s busking in Boston, collaborating in Nashville, or road-tripping to Levitate with Sting on the stereo, Samantha McKaige and her band are chasing the kind of music that makes people feel something — and they’re building that future one honest moment at a time.

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This article was originally covered for The Concert Chronicles. You can find the original article here.