Client Spotlight - Ambre McLean

Some studio projects are special because of the music. Others are special because of the people who walk through the door. Ambre McLean’s Wild Iris is both.

Ambre and our Studio Manager, Danielle Todd, go way back. Long before Wild Iris, before Studio45b, and before either of them knew where music would take them, they were making music together as members of Sisters of Fate. Over the years, that musical partnership grew into one of those rare friendships that becomes something much bigger—a lifelong friendship built on music, family, laughter, and a genuine love for one another.

So when Ambre decided to bring her newest collection of songs to Nashville and record Wild Iris with Grady James, Danielle and Grady couldn't have been more excited to have her in the studio.

And what a week it was.

Ambre and her husband, Matt Connell, spent the week with us, and the studio quickly became less like a workplace and more like a gathering of old friends. There was plenty of music, creativity, laughter, and the kind of easy collaboration that happens when people trust each other deeply. Ambre even managed to help Danielle paint her entire house while she was in town—which may be the most accurate representation of their friendship we could possibly give you.

But underneath all the fun was something really special: trust.

That trust is woven throughout Wild Iris. The album feels like a return to something simple and deeply personal—the songs, the stories, the voice, and the experiences that shaped Ambre along the way. After more than 20 years of making music, touring, raising a family, writing hundreds of songs, and exploring different sounds and production styles, Wild Iris feels like both a homecoming and a new beginning.

In this conversation, Ambre takes us behind the album and into the stories that shaped it. She talks about returning to a more song-driven approach, how life, motherhood, loss, love, and family have changed the way she writes, and the deeply personal stories behind songs like “Wild Iris,” “Mama Do You Pray,” “Coming Home,” “Lilac and Lavender,” and “Magnolia.”

She also opens up about her creative process, her love of writing, her relationship with performance, and the unusual ways songs seem to find her. We talk about the nostalgia and whimsy that run through her music, her decades-long career, and what it means to continue experimenting while still sounding unmistakably like yourself.

And, of course, we talk about the making of Wild Iris at Studio45b—working with Grady, creating a stripped-down sonic world where the songs could breathe, trusting the first take, and even the surprise of discovering that Danielle had found her way onto the record.

What makes Wild Iris so beautiful is not simply that the songs are beautifully written. It's the thoughtfulness behind every choice. The album feels intentional without feeling overworked, intimate without being small, and deeply personal without ever losing its sense of play. There is room for grief, joy, nostalgia, humor, motherhood, love, memory, and the strange little moments that make up a life.

And maybe that's exactly what Wild Iris is about.

Life, in all of its beauty and messiness—and the courage to keep turning it into something beautiful.

We’re incredibly grateful that Ambre trusted us to be part of this chapter, and even more grateful that the friendship between her, Danielle, and Grady made the whole experience feel like exactly what making music should be: creative, collaborative, deeply human, and a whole lot of fun.

Keep reading for our conversation with Ambre McLean about Wild Iris, songwriting, friendship, motherhood, creativity, and the stories behind the songs.

Wild Iris is described as a return to your roots—what drew you back to that earlier, song-driven style?

Honestly, it came down to wanting to keep it simple. I was sad, tired and unmotivated to make anything bigger than the songs. But that also made me look at why I might WANT to do something more than showcase the songs. The songs were what got me started in the first place, so it felt like giving them back a voice, without making it more complicated than it had to be.

I think in the beginning of my career, all I had were the songs, it was about the lyrics and melodies and me. I think the further into my career, the more natural it felt to want to add more elements, whether that be more layers, players, or instruments, even. Different producers have different vibes, and I love the creative parts of organizing and executing a body of work. I also really enjoy collaboration. It’s like having someone else love-on the thing you made, and make it better.

How does this album reflect who you are now compared to who you were when you wrote your debut Just Passing Through?

Well, a lot of life has passed between me and then. I loved deeply, I lost some people, I got married, I had children, and I became more than just myself in this life. My experiences along the way continuously reshaped and shifted my perspective, opening my eyes and my world further. I’ve always written about what I see around me, I guess I just had more to look at ha-ha

You have such a gift for writing in images—like with ‘The Glow of Manitoba,’ where you can almost feel the night air and see that soft orange glow. Are there certain lyrics of yours that stand out in your mind like little snapshots?

I have this one song called “It’s About Everything,” and I mean, it really is.

There are 2 verses I love from that song, because so much of my experience is in them.

I sold my soul to a peddler one day

He gave me silver and gold, 

And then carried it away

“I’m not good with these things”, he said

As he headed out of sight

So I bought it back for twice the price he paid

Then I set my heart on fire once

To see if it would burn

Much to my chagrin and surprise, it just got bigger

Then it swelled, and then it burst into a million stars 

I’ll forever watch you wherever you are

“It’s About Everything” has always been one of my favorites to listen to (and to sing alongside you!) Is there a song on “Wild Iris” that is especially personal and vulnerable to you? Why?

Maybe Wild Iris. It was sort of a call to myself to stop hiding away. With the passing years came a lot of self-doubt, from listening to others’ opinions of me, of what I’ve done or said. I just got really tired of trying to be so many things to and for so many people. All I really want to do is be the version of me that does what she wants, loves freely, speaks her heart and her mind without reservation or hesitation or worry that it might not be right or accepted. Living freely comes naturally when we are small and experiencing the world for the first time. But I think many of us get lost somewhere along the way. This song was my call to remember who I am. I just wrote it into a cute song about silly games to make it fun and palatable. Also, I get people to sing with me, so that’s fun ;)

We love to sing along with you! “Mama Do You Pray” is a pretty sensitive topic to write about. How do you express yourself openly and freely while still treading carefully?

Did I tread carefully in that song ha-ha? I always try to find a way to say something honestly, even if it's hard, awful, sad or self-deprecating. I believe that anything can be made beautiful, even if it is truly ugly. A sound, a thought, and an idea. Beautiful things have no trouble being beautiful, do they? But the uglier parts of life are often the stepping stones on the way to joy, love, and happiness, so I try to paint them all if I can. This song was about my little brother dying, and my kids watching me grieve, and then my little girl asking me about all of it. The truth is I don’t know what happens when we die. Some people think they do, but I am not one of them. It’s something for sure, but I don’t feel like I can even wager a guess.

I remember a time when you were hell-bent on making a kazoo sound beautiful, and dammit if you didn't.

The story behind “Lilac and Lavender” is so beautiful - would you be willing to share it with us?

In my early years as a vocal coach, I had a young student who studied with me for almost a decade. At his last lesson, when he was leaving for school, he came in to say thank you and goodbye, and to share something with me. He told me he was gay and that I was one of the few people he had let know. I was very honoured that he would share something so special with me. A few years later, when he was getting married, his Mom contacted me and asked if I would come as a surprise guest. I was on tour and, sadly, couldn't change my schedule, so I sent her some rapid-fire questions about both grooms and told her I would write a song for them instead. Their wedding colours were lilac and lavender, and as soon as I heard that, the song almost wrote itself.

“Coming Home” is a song focused on the last days of life. How are you able to put yourself into such a perspective that you’ve not been in before, and how did you decide to write a song from that point of view?

Actually, Coming Home was about a whole life. I wrote it shortly after my husband's grandfather passed away. When the family was going through his personal things, they found a note he had written to his late wife that said “I love you honest.” 

In the wake of his passing and the grief that his 5 children and grandchildren were experiencing, I wrote a song about his life, his wife, his children, his returning home from the military, and the cottage that he built with his sons. I did my best to write his legacy into a song - to offer his family, my new family, a gift of remembrance in a time when they were reeling from his sudden loss.

You have such an incredible gift for taking a story that is deeply personal to one person and turning it into something everyone can relate to.

“Magnolia” is a looping song - What made you want to add that to this acoustic album? Is there a story behind this one?

It didn't start as a looping song. It started as a piano exercise I had one of my students do. I gave her a mallet and recorded us playing on a Tongue Drum. She played this pretty melody, and I asked her what it was. She couldn't remember what she had played, so I listened back to our recording and figured out the notes. I asked her what it made her think of, and she said falling flower petals. At the same time, we both said “Magnolia’s!!” We played around with some lyrics and ideas, and I eventually wrote the song Magnolia. I sent it to an email and forgot about it. A year later, my mom called to tell me that the tree we planted my brother's ashes at the base of, had died and that she wanted to replace it with a Magnolia tree. She asked me if I would write a song called Magnolia. All of a sudden, I remembered the song I had written and frantically set out to find it. After listening to it, I realized how eerie it was that I had written it a year before. I contacted that particular student and offered her a co-write. The song would never have been written if it weren’t for that day and our happy accident. That song still feels like I captured something otherworldly. I think I did.

You decided to add a track at the end after returning home from Nashville - “That’s Just Life.” Did this song tie the album together for you in a way?

I did the same thing when I recorded Just Passing Through. I came home from that experience and bookended it with the title track. This time around, it felt like the right thing to do - like a ‘coming home’, so to speak, so I did the same thing with this collection of songs, and co-wrote “That’s Just Life” with a student of mine. After all, these songs are just about… life.

‘If You Want To Stay’ feels like it’s pulled from another era—almost reminiscent of songs like ‘Nicole’s Heart,’ ‘Wait and See Love,’ and ‘This Must Be Romance.’ There’s something in your writing and chord choices that echoes a 1920s sensibility. What draws you to that sound and time period?

I’m not sure. My Nana always said that I was born in the wrong era ha-ha

There is a nostalgia in the music of that era that resonates with me. Movies, clothes, cars, you name it. A past life, maybe? I don’t even know if I believe in that, but I am certainly drawn to that style of art and expression.

Why the name “Wild Iris”?

It’s sorta like my alter ego ;)

The Creative Process

How do you continue to write with your busy life? You seem to write every day, between being a wife, a mom, owning a music store, and performing - how do you always come back to the songwriting process?

How do you pour a glass of water? I’m not being sarcastic or flippant. It feels like that sometimes. I can be walking by the piano, sit down, chord a few things, and then have to turn my phone on to catch it. Then I’ll obsess about it all day until it’s done. That happens often, and it’s like putting a puzzle together. I know when the pieces fit because I can feel it. The melody sits just right, the colours feel perfect, and the words settle into place. And then the calm comes. Like I’m empty, then it starts again. I don’t know that I have anything else in my life that works that way.

I’ve seen first hand the obsession that takes over when you start to write! You truly won’t stop until it’s finished. Where do you find the inspiration? You have written 100’s of songs over the years - a true songwriter at heart - and none of them ever seem to be repetitive. How do you continue to find the magic?

I think that it finds me in a way. I know how that sounds ha-ha. Sometimes it feels like the idea is just floating around in the ether, and I am just quick enough to grab it, see it, or realize it. I know that sounds metaphysical, and I don’t mean it to. It does sometimes feel like magic, though, like I am lucky enough to see it, or hear it and then capture it. I’ve always thought that my songs are more like paintings. I see them in colour and in full story, my job is to make it look and sound like what it does in my mind.

How has being a mother changed the way that you write?

I had never felt love like that before. It cracked me open in a way that was painful and healing all at once. It was only natural, I think, that it bled into my writing. It changed me in every way.

Your Career

Your career has spanned over 20 years, with multiple albums and tours across Canada. Each record explores a different sound or era, yet they all feel distinctly like you. How do you stay authentic while continuing to experiment across genres?

I don’t know that I necessarily have an exact answer to that question. I don’t ever try to style myself in any way. I feel like it’s just what happens when I embark on an album concept; I think of it more as almost getting into a new wardrobe or character, and the songs seem to follow my lead and my mood but they all still look like me.

What is your favourite part of the music world - being in the studio, writing or performing?

Writing feels necessary for survival, being in the studio feels like the next step and the work part, and performing feels like having a party where all your friends are invited. I love sharing stories and hearing others call out, agree, or share a similar experience. I love making people laugh and cry in the same 3 minutes. I love having people tell me that they remember things they hadn't thought of in years, or that they want to go home and call a family member who is estranged from them, or that a song reminds them of someone who has passed or a childhood memory almost forgotten... Ok, I answered it, I guess - performing.

Your fans played a role through the Indiegogo campaign—how did that community involvement shape the album?

Much of the album and concept was already decided. What it did was offer me support in bringing that dream to life. I have always wanted to put out an album on vinyl, accompanied by beautiful videos, and properly pay others for their creative work and help. This campaign, along with all the incredible people who supported it, will allow me to do just that.

Your Studio Experience

How did working with Grady James shape “Wild Iris”?

Oh Grady. He is one of the funniest and easiest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. I love that he is so open and listens carefully, and is able to offer complementary ideas without taking over. Unless it's his turn to take over, then he is thoughtful, not just towards the musician but towards the song. I think that makes a great producer, but maybe more importantly, a great musician. He listens for the space and then tastefully knows how to fill it. Working with Grady has been an incredibly memorable and valuable experience for me.

Was it hard to give up any control in the studio? Is it hard to find the trust with a new producer?

I’ve been lucky, perhaps more selective, when working with anyone who is producing my music. I either really like them, or know them pretty well already. I bring my art and my raw self, and if that person doesn’t have a similar way about them, it just won't work. Why would anyone want to work with someone who didn’t have or share a similar vision?  I mean, different ideas are welcome, but if you butt heads, there is no magic or spark, and that surely will be reflected in the outcome of the music. I know when an idea is good, whether it’s mine or not.

Were there any stand out moments in the studio that really defined the album for you?

I think it was the phone conversation between Grady and me before a plane ticket was purchased and before the first note was recorded. I had never had a producer help flush out an idea or concept, or ask about my wants, desires or needs, as Grady did. It was a very simple thing, but immensely reassuring and helpful.

Danielle threw her vocals on there after you were gone. It was completely out of the blue - were you surprised or did it feel natural to have her voice on there?

I didn’t even know it wasn’t me! I actually thought, “Wait, did I take cold medication that day? Because I don't remember tracking that vocal part…”

Dani and I have incredibly, indiscernibly, eerily similar voices, so it was only natural that we sang together. I was very, very happy to know she was also on the album!

The secrets out that Danielle goes by Dani to her loved ones! You describe the production as “letting songs breathe”—what does that mean in practice during recording?

I think it’s different every time. Less is more in my opinion. Sometimes people get too focused on trends, what is expected, or what is usual or typical. Sometimes people have to get out of their own way, put the ego down and actually listen to the space, what isn’t being said, to understand what is needed. Only my opinion, of course.

How did you present the songs and album idea to Grady, and how did you know he understood the direction you wanted to go?

Grady heard most of the songs first as voice memos. Pretty scratchy, sketched out versions. I mean, they were all flushed-out ideas and fully written songs, but they were pretty rough demos. When we spoke on the phone about the project's direction, I said it was important for these songs to have a live session feel. I often like to keep the first take, even if the tune is properly tracked, so I knew that was a good jumping-off point. I mentioned that I wanted it stripped down and that my one stipulation was that all the sounds on the record come from a guitar. Percussion, added layers, rhythm, lead, whatever. It all to be done on a single guitar. No extra bells and whistles, no session players, no drums, no strings. Just me and Grady (and Danielle) and the songs.

After I was done rambling on, all Grady said was “Yeah, I think we can do that.”


Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your busy life, the creative process, your studio time and your beautiful new album Wild Iris. We couldn’t have been more proud of how it all turned out. Thank you for trusting us with the process!! Just a few more questions before you go…

Sunrise or Sunset  - Both

Ocean or Mountains - Ocean

Coffee or Tea - Coffee

Rainstorm or Golden Hour - Both

Vinyl or Streaming - vinyl

Pineapple on pizza - a-ok with me

Book or Movie Movie

Willie or Patsy - can’t choose, won’t choose

Ok those rapid fires were not fair…

A Few Words from Us

There’s something really special about getting to make music with someone you’ve known and loved for so many years. Wild Iris was never just another studio project for us. It was a chance to welcome an old friend into our home, make something beautiful together, and watch a collection of deeply personal songs take shape.

Ambre has a rare ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. She writes about love, loss, family, memory, grief, joy, and all the strange little moments that make up a life—and somehow makes them feel like they belong to all of us. She takes something deeply personal and gives the listener a place to see themselves in it.

For Danielle, getting to share this experience with one of her oldest and dearest friends made the week especially meaningful. For Grady, it was an opportunity to help create a record where the songs could breathe and exist exactly as they needed to. And for all of us at Studio45b, it was a reminder of why we love what we do.

We’re incredibly proud to have been a small part of Wild Iris and even more grateful for the friendship, laughter, creativity, and memories that came along with it.

Ambre, we love you. We’re so proud of this record—and we’re so glad you came home to make it with us.