level that McDermott noted would
be the difference, “Between get-
ting a real shot and not even get-
ting asked to the dance, this is be-
tween darkness and light.”
“It’s hard to wrap my brain
around that kind of support,” ad-
mitted McDermott. “It’s humbling
and I’ll get emotional if I think
about it too much. The people
afforded me this gift to do this,
otherwise I don’t know what I’d
do or where I’d be. It’s amaz-
ing. It’s overwhelming. It’s hard
to process. It’s awe inspiring and
I just feel so lucky. I’m not a great
believer in luck, but somehow I’m
very fortunate.”
He’s also fortunate to not only
have the support of his wife, sing-
er-songwriter Heather Horton,
but to perform with her in a band
called The Westies. This is where
some of his darker songs go - ones
that he doesn’t see fitting in with a
typical Michael McDermott album.
“The songs dictate what happens
to them,” explained McDermott.
“I thought, ‘Why don’t I take cer-
tain songs and put them into this
Watch a video for “Parolee” by The Westies
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 70
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