The dynamic new acoustic act McSween, featuring David and Carolyn McSween, brings these accomplished guitarists and singer-songwriters to the national stage.
Back from their overseas tour with multiple appearances at The Chaoyang International Pop Music Festival in Beijing, they generate a dynamic instrumental energy that propels their vocal performance - the two blend and perform perfectly together as a tight creative team.
"Being songwriters is a wild ride," says David. "It's something we can do at anytime. It's impossible to know when an inspiration will come, so you just have to be open to listening to what you might hear coming from inside you."
"Being a songwriter is not nearly as exciting to me as living with one," Carolyn counters. "It's thrilling to be in the next room when David's just messing around on the guitar in our home recording studio, and he stumbles onto something perfectly wonderful and enchanting and it just comes to life. And I get to be the first to hear something new being born into the world. That's amazing.
"I'm the only one, sometimes, who may ever hear that new song, since in the process of his song writing, some bits of near-perfection get left on the cutting room floor, so to speak. It's a process that reminds me to live in the moment.
"Sort of makes me want to go write a song," she adds, with her trademark smile.
"Anyone who's ever listened to Carolyn performing her own music is changed by the experience," David adds. "She's just the most gifted song writer. I could sit and listen to her sing for hours. Performing together is a whole different thing. For us it's all about engaging with people, sharing our stories, helping to light up a room. We know that everyone who walks in is coming from a different place, with different problems, hopes, and histories. We want to help tap into something that maybe opens them up to a different world for just a little while."
"I really agree with that," Carolyn says, thoughtfully adding, "Performing is about precision. But it's also about being ourselves. It's a lot of fun being able to lock into each other and just let our guitars and our voices come together as one, while reaching out to bring the rest of the room along with us on that journey. That's always the best feeling. It's magical how the right song can turn strangers into friends."