Illinois Teen McKenna Faith Winters Has Her Sights Set High
By David C. Lannan for Country Music News International Magazine
McKenna Faith Winters, 17, daughter of Mike and Nicole Winters of Machesney Park, Illinois can’t imagine being anything besides a country singer/songwriter. She said her singing career really began with a Christmas program at school in 5th grade and a lot of singing in the car. “During COVID my dad and I started a YouTube and FaceBook page and we recorded cover songs and posted them.” She doesn’t remember the name of the first song she sang but said it was a Christmas song, Christian in nature.
McKenna has released 13 singles (since July 2023). In 2025 she has been nominated for three Josie Awards, for the Tennessee Songwriters’ Association Youth Achievement Award, for the Rockford Area Music Industry’s Country Group of the Year and for the Midwest Country Music Organization’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Six of McKenna’s releases have already hit #1 on indie charts in four different countries. She has five new releases slated for 2025.
She has co-written five songs that have been released so far and is writing more. She has written two with Corey Barker who has lots of Sync licensed songs in Hallmark Christmas movies. She also has written with her producer Cedric Israel and Megan Kelly, Hannah McDonald, Greyson Campbell and Tim Comeaux “to name a few.”
Not playing a music instrument has presented challenges in getting some gigs or live interviews, so McKenna is teaching herself to play the acoustic guitar and keyboard. She said it also will help in the songwriting process. She chose country music because it’s what she grew up with listening in the house and the car.
McKenna said she is inspired by experiences in life with friends and relationships and even her friends’ experiences. “Someone You Don’t Deserve” is one of her most streamed songs and it is about “that empowering moment when you realize you are better off without the person you thought you needed and that they don’t deserve you.” Another song, “Can’t Hug A Memory,” is important to her because it is about her grandpa who passed away when she was younger.
A typical day for McKenna depends on the time of year, but often it’s “a full day of school, followed by softball practice or a game and then sometimes followed by a vocal lesson, a hitting lesson for softball or even a band rehearsal all in one day,” she said. “Probably should mention homework in there somewhere, too. We are often eating in the car on the way to the next thing.”
McKenna said among her memorable achievements so far were overcoming spinal fusion surgery to return to sports and getting recognized and nominated for awards with the Midwest Country Music Organization, the Josies, the Tennessee Songwriters Association and the Rockford Area Music Industry.
She said she dreams of performing at the Grand Ole Opry. Her favorite place to perform so far was the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, IL on their main stage. “Once you get a taste of that environment (sound, lighting, etc) it really motivates you to get back to a stage like that,” she said. She travels mostly around Illinois with some performances in Wisconsin and Tennessee.
McKenna said her favorite part of the music business is the connections made with the fans. Her least favorite part? “Figuring out who to trust and who is just trying to make money off of you,” she said. “Also, how difficult it is for a female to break through into country music. You see younger males get so many more opportunities than female artists.”
Her advice for anyone wanting to get in the music business as a singer/songwriter? “Find your niche, find your passion, discover who you want to be and then work on your brand,” McKenna said. “You will be judged on your brand before they even listen to your music! Hard work and perseverance are such an important part of this business and you really have to believe in yourself when others aren’t ready to believe in you yet.”
Carrie Underwood, Avery Anna, Kelsea Ballerini and Megan Moroney are among the artists who have influenced her music career so far. “Avery has been my biggest influence. I love the way she interacts with her fans and is an advocate for healthy relationships,” McKenna explained. “I want to be the type of role model she is. The others are amazing artists who have broken through a tough industry and make great music.” Those would be the artists she would most like to perform with some day.
Find out where McKenna will be performing next at her website: www.mckennafaithwinters.com.