Fran McVerry is one of the many unique students here at Aliso Niguel. As a senior, she has written, recorded and released her own album “Two Things I’ll Forever Be Sure Of” earlier this year.
The album features 9 tracks in the indie pop genre. Both the lyrics and acoustic backtracks were written by Fran McVerry. She met with independent producer Brian Squillace in Sept. 2022, who later assisted in the official production and release of her songs.
Having taken guitar lessons since the fourth grade, McVerry’s love for music only grew. After joining a rock band with fellow musicians in middle school, she decided to pursue her own career in high school.
The ability to perform was a major factor in McVerry’s decision to become a solo artist. It wasn’t just the emotional appeal that attracted her to music, but the rush and confidence she feels while onstage sharing her artistry. It’s one thing to be a writer and musician, but another to be a performer. McVerry works to perfect both aspects in her musicality.
Originally beginning the writing process sophomore year, McVerry had no plans for her songs to become a full album, let alone something she could release for the public to listen to. Now with her album almost 4 months old, she is only further motivated to continue her passions for songwriting.
McVerry gets her lyric inspiration from her own experiences as a high school student and she hopes her songs will be able to connect with others on a deeper level. She considers it important to know that the “classic high school struggles” aren’t something people should feel alone or ashamed about.
“I started writing songs and I could kinda see a story coming together, I decided that it might be a story others could relate to. I could see there’s something here, something more to it.”
Music is something people use to express themselves and their feelings, this is especially the case for McVerry for most of her songs come as a result of her emotions. She considers it to be a big stress reliever when life becomes overwhelming.
“Anytime I have too much on my mind and I can’t think straight, especially when I can’t sleep, I’m always writing and writing and writing and then sometimes it just turns into songs”
Her goals aren’t just to make it big in the music industry, but to show to other people that pursuing their dreams is achievable and possible, even when it doesn’t feel like it is.
“Writing music itself, just for fun, is amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone. Be a songwriter, you don’t have to be a musician, you can start no matter who you are.”
Making your music your business is very difficult, there’s lots of work, money and time involved in this process. However, McVerry’s talent and precision has demonstrated that absolutely anything is possible when you’re dedicated.
