Mary Remsburg is releasing her debut album, “Sounds Like Home” this Saturday, in conjunction with her birthday. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — What began as a passion project for Shepherdstown resident Mary Remsburg will culminate with the release of her debut album, “Sounds Like Home,” on her 30th birthday, which is this Saturday.

The artist will release the project under her stage name, Mister Mae, derived from the combination of her initials, M.R., and her middle name, Mae.

Remsburg is a classically trained pianist and graduate of Shepherd University. She currently teaches through the university’s Community Music Program and offers private piano lessons at Saint James School. In addition, she is the accompanist for Hagerstown Choral Arts.

“The album is called “Sounds Like Home,” and it’s a compilation of songs I wrote since I was 15 until now, a bulk of them being in Pendleton County, West Virginia,” she said.

In anticipation of the album release, Mister Mae has released two songs from the upcoming album, which happen to open and close the album. “Early in the Morning” is the first track on the album, and “Letter to Momma” closes out “Sounds Like Home.” The tracks have been released on the digital streaming service, Spotify, and can also be found on the Mister Mae YouTube channel.

“You can kind of hear the connection with growing up, a little bit,” Remsburg said. “The songs tend to get a little bit heavier towards the end of the album, as is what usually happens when our innocence is shattered by reality.”

Additionally, she recently released a music video for a cover of “Song of Exile,” from the film, “King Arthur.” This video features actor Korinne Meyers, a graduate of Shepherd University, shown connecting with nature in various ways. Remsburg said the video was shot on location in Shepherdstown, with the help of Martinsburg native Chloe Williams.

The focus for the music video is the raw aspect of land exploitation and destruction. Remsburg said she was inspired by the demolition of a field that was located next to her sister’s house. The video explores the innocence of connecting with nature and the harsh realities of its destruction.

“There was a plot of land next to my sister that was half woods, half field, and, no joke, it had the best sunsets,” she said. “I don’t know what it was about that spot, but it had the best sunsets. I hadn’t been to my sister’s house in a while, and the next time I went to her house, they had completely demolished that whole area. It gave me kinda that gut punch like, ‘We can do a lot of damage,’ so that is really where that idea came from.”

Remsburg moved to Shepherdstown in 2012 to attend Shepherd University and study music. Although she does not regret the move, she recalled the homesick feeling she had after making the decision to leave her beloved hometown.

“I think that I just like the idea that my album is called ‘Sounds Like Home,’ and it’s not just about stories about me, but the area I grew up in and the people who influenced it,” she said. “I think it’s kind of cool to watch that happen up here. When I came to Shepherd, I was so homesick and I missed my home and my mom so much. But, I’ve been lucky enough to build these really great friendships and relationships with people in the area.

“Even though the album is a reflection of my time growing up in Pendleton County, it’s cool to see the last song, ‘Letter to Momma,’ is kind of about being appreciative of that time, but now it’s moved on to a different type of community and a different location, so I guess that’s the overall theme — being amazed and impacted by people around me and what they can do.”

Remsburg credited the relationships she formed through her time at Shepherd as the reason she is able to release her first Mister Mae album. She said credited her classmate Will Lopez for encouraging her to record her music, initially.

“I’ve released singles in the past, and I should mention that there’s a lot of Shepherd alumni on them,” she said. “The ones on the album, Will Lopez is the mixer and the producer. My friend, Sawyer Gaydon, plays drums.”

The first Mister Mae album was recorded at Lopez’s studio, Dymaxion Recording Studios, in Rockville, Md.

“When we started, when I started releasing singles, it was just a passion project and, honestly, it’s still a passion project,” Remsburg said. “This is not my career. This is not what I do for a living, but it’s been great being able to explore a different type of art with a some of my closest friends I went to school with.”

For more information about Mister Mae, visit https://www.mistermaemusic.com.