McKamey Legacy Discuss New Album, Musical Roots, and the Future of Southern Gospel

McKamey Legacy  (Connie Fortner, her husband Roger, and their son Eli) return with Holding to Truth, a project that honors the beloved McKameys' legacy while forging their own path in Southern Gospel. Backed by Roger and Eli's warm instrumentation, with contributions from acclaimed musicians like Andy Leftwich, David Johnson, and Josh Swift, the album blends fresh songs with a few McKamey classics, ranging from upbeat numbers to heartfelt ballads and touches of bluegrass, all centered on the message of hope in Christ. A highlight is the reunion with the original McKameys on one track, a reminder of God's enduring faithfulness and the family's calling to carry the Gospel forward with passion and purpose. 

Listen to Holding to Truth HERE. 

Q: Holding to Truth blends fresh material with a few classic McKamey songs. How did you go about choosing which songs would best represent both your family legacy and your vision for the future?

We got a lot of songs sent to us and we would listen to them to see which ones sounded like we could hear ourselves singing. We picked some of them and tried to work out arrangements to see if the songs would fit our style. Once we found one and had an idea how to arrange it, we would cut the tracks right then. This process took months but we finally got 9 cuts ready. Then we got the idea to get the rest of The McKameys to do one with us making it the 10th song.

We took our time but we wanted to have 10 "single worthy" songs and no "fillers"! - Roger

 Q: The album features contributions from legendary musicians like Andy Leftwich and David Johnson. How did their involvement shape the overall sound of this project?

With this album I really wanted to go more "mountain" which I guess people would call "bluegrass", but I call it mountain. It's what I was raised around and heard growing up. That led me to calling people like Leftwhich and Johnson, along with Swift and Easter, to name a few. If I call a musician to play on anything I won't tell them what to do. I'm not out to teach class. I just send it to them and see what they come back with. When you call the right people.. it's really exciting. So as I said to begin with, the idea for a lot of this album was "mountain", "roots" or again, "bluegrass", and I had no doubt when I called those guys that they knew what I was after without even telling them. - Eli

Q: You've spoken about the message of "hope for today" being at the heart of this record. Can you share a moment during the making of the album where that message became especially personal to you?

Yes. Several of the songs speak about the hope in Jesus Christ and trusting Him. In different situations this past year, I have had to lean on Him to remind me that "To God, It's Nothing New", God sees what I am facing and it never surprises Him. Also, "He Already Made A Way", reminded me that God is still in control of every situation that I encounter and He is always faithful to help me through whatever comes my way. He is our Hope! - Connie

Q: One of the highlights is reuniting with the original McKameys on a song. What was that experience like, both musically and emotionally, for your family?

I feel I speak for everybody in saying that having the family back together was a dream come true! Musically speaking, having all of us in one room is always.. well how can I put it, it ain't dull! Ha! Everybody learning parts and coming up with stuff on their own to create what ended up on the album. I didn't want anything fancy. Just us around one mic in my studio. If anything, it was more for us than anybody else. It was indeed emotional, of course we knew that we were minus one, Nanny, but that day Pappaw brought over Nanny's old Gibson J45. It's all original and stayed in the case for several years. We have no idea how old it actually is. Anyway, Dad ended up using it on "Just Preach The Gospel". (The song that features all of us.) You'll hear it strummed lightly in the background. So with that, it was like she was a part of the recording. At the end we all took a picture (which was posted online and is now in the album) to commemorate all of us back together again, and in the picture you'll see Dad holding Nanny's guitar. It was like we were truly all back together again. - Eli

Q: Southern Gospel fans know and love the traditional McKameys sound, but you've also introduced touches of bluegrass and contemporary stylings. How do you balance innovation with honoring tradition?

We started out singing some of the McKamey's songs and it goes without saying it was a good starting point. Our first CD had several of their songs but we felt the second project should be more of our own creativity and DNA. We felt we had to have our own "sound" and original ideas. We also are mindful of musical boundaries and we know better than to go full tilt in any musical style. Most of the people that come to see us and buy our music are McKamey fans, so we will never do anything contrary to what they would expect. - Roger

 Q: Looking ahead, what do you hope listeners carry with them after hearing Holding to Truth, and how do you see McKamey Legacy continuing to share the Gospel through music in the years to come?

I believe the songs that are on this project are songs of where we are living, and they each, in their own way give us hope to continue to stand up and carry the message of The Gospel to a world of people that need help, hope and salvation. I pray that God will help those that listen to this project will be encouraged and reminded of how God has been there for them and that they will want to share Him with others..Christ is our only true hope, and I believe as long as God gives us the breath, the voices and the songs that minister to people where they are living, I believe McKamey Legacy will continue until HE comes! - Connie

 

 

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