Edie McKenna pulls no punches on the sunny pop hooks of “Kick in the Shin,” a spirited kiss-off to a toxic father. The Chicago-based singer-songwriter is probably best known for her project Modern Nun, but her upcoming EP For Edie is a solo affair that collects songs she wrote between the ages of 17 and 22. The songs focus on her experience growing up as a young queer woman in a religious environment.
“‘Kick in the Shin’ was one of the first songs I ever remember writing,” explains McKenna. “I wrote it when I was about twenty (if I remember correctly), and it was one of the toughest periods of my life. I was struggling with dealing with my recent decision to cut off my father from my life. Taken as a whole, this song is about having a father that was either completely absent or behaving in a toxic way.”
The song serves as a broader conduit for McKenna’s upcoming EP.”
“All these songs were written when I was seventeen to twenty two (I am twenty six now.) I call it For Edie because I never thought I would put these songs out — I thought they were too cheesy or simple,” she explains. “I have matured as a songwriter and sometimes looking back at old work can be hard, but I am glad I took a look at these songs with Seth Beck and revamped them into what they are now. Seth and I recorded at his studio (Future Rat Recordings) and banged these songs out a few hours at the time for like two months. The process was super smooth and I felt so grateful my songs were in such capable hands. I couldn’t be prouder!”