Mandy McMillan has never taken the predictable route. Born in Edmonton and raised in nearby Stony Plain, she packed up and moved to Nashville at 18. the city where songwriters live and dreamers go to find out if they have what it takes. She opened for Blake Shelton. She appeared in Kelly Clarkson‘s music video. She released records, built stages, and eventually found her way back home, not in defeat, but in clarity. Now, with her boldest single yet, “LTMFG” (Let the Motherf***er Go), a self-produced anthem for anyone ready to release what no longer serves them, and a debut book in the works, Mandy McMillan is the most fully herself she has ever been.
You’ve described “LTMFG” as starting as a funny post-breakup concept but carrying a deeper message about surrender and self-worth. Can you take us back to the moment the song was born, what were you feeling, and when did you realise it was becoming something bigger?
The original idea came to me while I was sitting on my living room floor with my guitar in hand. It started as this cheeky, post-breakup thought basically, girl, just let the motherf*er go! But almost immediately I realized I wasn’t really writing a breakup song. I was writing a “set me free” song. It became about all the things we hold onto long after they’ve stopped serving us, whether it’s relationships, expectations, old versions of ourselves, resentment, fear, or even the need to know how everything is going to turn out. At some point I realized that this is about surrender and peace. It just happens to deliver the message with a swear word and a really fun chorus.
You grew up in Edmonton and developed your artistry in nearby Stony Plain before making your way to Nashville. What drew you to Music City, and what did that chapter teach you about yourself as an artist?
Nashville was always this magical place in my mind growing up. For me, it was between moving to Nashville or moving to LA when I turned 18. Nashville caught my attention, though. It was where the songwriters were, where live music lived and where people moved when they were crazy enough to believe they could make a life out of music so naturally, I had to go and take a chance on myself. Living there taught me so much about co-writing, performing and the business, but probably the biggest lesson was learning who I was at the core. I was tested and challenged in so many ways. It was a fun, adventurous city but also brutally honest. I had to genuinely learn how to love and stand up for myself and how I wanted my own music career to be shaped.
“Nashville was brutally honest. I had to genuinely learn how to love and stand up for myself.”
—Mandy McMillan
Nashville to Edmonton and back, that’s a bold move. What brought you home, and how has returning to Alberta shaped the artist you are today?
Coming home was one of those decisions that probably didn’t make perfect sense on paper, but it felt right in my gut. Nashville gave me incredible experiences, relationships and lessons, but Alberta gave me space to rediscover myself outside of the pressure of the industry. It was during the craziness of the pandemic that gave me breathing room and space to think about what I really wanted in my future. I decided that moving home would give me a chance to root down and re-evaluate how to use my energy with my career moving forward. Also, at that time both of my sisters were expecting their first babies in the summer of 2020, and I wanted to be home to support them through this new chapter. Honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I now get to be super aunty during the day and rockstar musician at night.
“LTMFG” blends country storytelling, rock energy and pop flourishes and you wrote and produced it entirely yourself. What does that level of creative control mean to you, and how did studying production at Berklee College of Music change the way you approach your music?
Producing “LTMFG” myself became part of the self-love story behind the song. I could hear exactly what I wanted it to feel like gritty, playful, rebellious, feminine and freeing. And I wanted to trust myself enough to follow that vision all the way through. Studying production through Berklee gave me the technical knowledge to start translating what I heard in my head into an actual recording. Finishing this production gave me a whole new level of confidence creatively. There’s something really empowering about realizing you don’t always have to wait for someone else to bring your vision to life.
The song’s title is an acronym for “Let the Motherf***er Go” — bold, funny, and completely unapologetic. How have fans and the industry responded to that energy, and was there ever a moment you second-guessed it?
Of course! When I first wrote the song on my living room floor, I had no intention of releasing it. It was just a cheeky song written from my soul. I wasn’t planning on performing it publicly either, but during a showcase about a month later, I needed to fill in some time and because I was surrounded by close friends and family, I felt free to perform it for the first time, telling my mom to jokingly “plug her ears.” The response was unreal and from that moment on I received requests to play it at my shows and I knew it was something special. The best part is that everyone’s “motherf***er” is different. It might be an ex, but it could also be a toxic job, perfectionism, people-pleasing, an old belief or something you’ve been carrying for years. Once people understand that, the title becomes less about shock value and more like this hilarious, liberating mantra.
“Everyone’s motherf***er is different. It might be an ex, but it could also be a toxic job, perfectionism, or something you’ve been carrying for years.”
You’ve said the lasting message is about giving yourself permission to choose yourself without guilt. Who do you most want to hear this song and what do you hope it unlocks for them?
Anyone who knows deep down that they’re holding onto something that’s costing them their peace. Especially women who have spent a lot of their lives being taught to be accommodating, forgiving, understanding and easy to love, sometimes at the expense of themselves. I want someone to hear this song and feel permission to release whatever is no longer serving them and to fill up their own cup with self-love. Choosing yourself doesn’t have to come from anger. Sometimes it’s the most loving thing you can do.
You’ve opened for Blake Shelton and Trisha Yearwood, appeared in Kelly Clarkson’s “Tie It Up” music video, and won a CMT Canada contest. Which of those experiences has stayed with you most — and why?
They’ve all given me completely different memories, but being able to work with Kelly was the most beautiful experience, she was so fun and encouraging through the entire event. There is a quote that says “Never meet your heroes.” I say, “Never meet your heroes, unless it’s Kelly Clarkson.” She is such a good time and a great vibe. I have put it out into the universe that I will cross paths with her again. But I think collectively, those experiences taught me something even more important: the big moments are amazing, but they’re not the whole story. A career is really built in the thousands of little moments nobody sees, writing when no one’s listening, playing smaller rooms, hearing “no,” getting back up and continuing anyway. Those are the moments that made me an artist.
“A career is really built in the thousands of little moments nobody sees.”
Your 2022 album “Dream Catcher” marked a new chapter of independence in your career. Looking back, what does that record mean to you now and how does it connect to where you are today with “LTMFG”?
“Dream Catcher” feels like a beautiful snapshot of who I was becoming at that point in my life. There was already this movement toward independence, trusting myself and creating music from a more authentic place. Looking back now, I can almost see the breadcrumbs leading from that record to “LTMFG”. “Dream Catcher” was about believing in the dream and continuing to follow it. “LTMFG” is like the woman who followed that dream long enough to realize that sometimes growth isn’t only about what you chase, it’s also about what you’re willing to release along the way.
You’ve built a regular presence on Alberta stages, Pigeon Lake Music Festival, Wild Roses Festival, Hockey Night in Canada’s “Play On!” Edmonton. What does performing for home crowds mean to you compared to the Nashville years?
There’s something incredibly special about playing at home. Nashville taught me a lot about performing but Alberta audiences feel like family. There are people in those crowds who have watched different chapters of my life and career unfold and there’s a really beautiful full-circle feeling to that. I also think I’ve come home as a much more confident performer. I’m not trying to prove myself in the same way anymore. I want people to dance, laugh, sing, maybe cry a little and ultimately walk away feeling better than they did when they arrived. That’s become much more important to me than trying to impress anybody.
You’re working on your first book — “Every Single Girl’s Guide to Self-Love” — inspired by the themes of “LTMFG”. What made you want to take this message beyond music, and what can readers expect from it?
I realized pretty quickly that the message behind “LTMFG” couldn’t fit into three and a half minutes. The song is really about releasing what’s no longer serving you but the book explores what happens after you let go. How do you rebuild your relationship with yourself? How do you nourish yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually? How do you protect your peace, trust your intuition, reconnect with your body and actually create a life you love living? It’s part personal story, part self-love guide and part invitation for women to come home to themselves. The song says, “Let the motherf*cker go.” The book is the follow-up, it’s about the growth and expansion of self-love that happens afterwards.
What does the next chapter look like for Mandy McMillan, more music, the book, touring? Where do you want to take things from here?
First, I want to rest haha! I want to take some genuine time to live, laugh and celebrate everything that I have accomplished and pushed through the past few years. Then it’s go time again! More music, finishing and releasing the book, more live shows, travelling, creating and finding new ways to connect all of those worlds together. I’m really interested in what happens when music, storytelling, wellness and self-love aren’t separate pieces of my career but part of one bigger message. I’m also trying to leave some room for life to surprise me. These days I’m much more interested in creating what feels alive, following the opportunities that feel aligned and trusting that I don’t need to see the entire staircase before I take the next step.
Three words that describe your creative process.
Intuitive. Messy. Magical. Usually in that order.
A song yours or someone else’s that captures exactly how you’re feeling right now.
Honestly? “LTMFG.” Not necessarily because I’m letting go of a person, but because I’m in a season of releasing expectations around how my life and career are supposed to unfold. I have drive and direction but there’s something really peaceful about realizing you can have big dreams while loosening your grip on exactly how they’re going to arrive.
What does a perfect day off look like for you?
My special coffee in the morning, a long walk in the sunshine with my pup Lucy, then a yoga or Pilates class and an adventure with my nieces and nephew. I genuinely love being an aunt and taking the kiddos on an adventure is one of my favourite things in the whole wide world.
Finally what do you want someone to feel the moment “LTMFG” comes on?
FREE. I want the first few seconds to make them turn it up. I want the chorus to make people sing at the top of their lungs in the car, dance around the kitchen or dance to it with their girlfriends. Whatever the “motherf*cker” is, they get to put it down. And then crank the song and keep driving.