McKenna (vocals, keys, arrangements)
McKenna Rowe is the type of artist consumed by the complexities of sound, driven by a near obsession with the myriad world of loops and beats. From electronic forward production and St Vincent style vocals to post-modern rock, McKenna straddles entire genres in her endeavor to capture holistic sound worlds within a single track.
McKenna spent much of her career handcrafting music for TV, film, and ads under the moniker Psykick Girl. Her solo work captures emotion through carefully tailored, distinctly cinematic production, with placements on Dead to Me (Netflix), Comedians in Cars Drinking Coffee (Netflix), The United States of Tara (Showtime), The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as commercials for Southwest Airlines, Aquafresh, Gillette, Sunsweet, and more.
Bassist Jacob Bergman and drummer Garrett Smith joined McKenna in 2020 as LA-based Nature Loves Courage, bending entire genres to their will with their post-punk electro-funk-rock sound. Lyrical topics confront the absurdities of the digital age, proposing a brave return to humanity’s fabled roots atop McKenna’s multifaceted sound. Since then, NLC has released 20 singles, with a new 5-song EP coming out early 2025.
While much of her current work is guided by a passion for electronic music, McKenna’s musical upbringing began simply: with a piano and a pen. At an early age, she demonstrated an affinity for songwriting and spent most days tinkering sweetly away on a neighbor’s piano. By age 9 she was composing her own melodies and as the years passed, evolved her musicality through classical voice training and participation in symphonic choirs and various bands. Oft compared to Annie Lennox or Róisín Murphy, McKenna’s vocals soar with clarity.
The instrument-forward songwriting of her childhood guides McKenna’s intricately layered production: before turning to tech, much of her work starts on the piano, teasing out a melody in mind. But her discovery of electronic and industrial music forever altered the organic soundscapes of her youth. From breakbeat, hip hop and drum & bass to trip hop and beyond, the attitude of acts like Meat Beat Manifesto and Massive Attack inspired her to provide more muscular groove and atmosphere her arrangements.
As McKenna dove headfirst into the newfound universe of experimental music, she aspired to bridge her two sonic worlds and carve out space for herself within a community oversaturated with male producers and DJs. Quickly, she found herself immersed in tech, meticulously building orchestral arrangements, bringing video effects to life through coding MIDI triggers within live music, or warping her voice with a vocoder. Blending whole genres through precise gear work became her passion — the obsession that ultimately paved the way for Nature Loves Courage.
On Nature Loves Courage, airy string orchestration keeps heady dub-inspired beats in check, and themes of nature and pagan magic balance out arena-ready rock chants. The band’s name, Nature Loves Courage, embodies the lyrical side of their music, an exploration of age-old humanity through words gilded with alchemical gold. Nature Loves Courage exists beyond the limits of genre — ancient yet cutting edge, experimental with a pop sensibility — driven solely by a need to explore the dynamic world of sound.
Jake (Bass)
Originally from Boston, Jacob Bergman moved to Los Angeles to pursue animation within Hollywood’s commercial industry. When he’s not cruising around the city in his 4WD AMC Gremlin, you can find him playing bass for Nature Loves Courage. Ever inspired by the funk fingers of Tony Levin and the passion of Mike Watt, Jacob brings an edge to Nature Loves Courage’s eclectic sound. Experimenting within NLC has allowed Jacob to up his instrumental game, stretching his talent into new genres and techniques that elevate his countless years of experience on the four string.
Garrett (Drums)
Raised between the disparate worlds of soulful jazz and jangling show tunes, Garrett Smith’s fascination with the expansive nature of music began at a young age. A longtime lover of Alex Van Halen’s precise drumming and Jerry Gaskill’s progressive rock sensibilities, Garrett has spent over three decades infusing fiery drum work into bands across his home state of Texas and the shores of SoCal. A former member of Texture, Feathergun, and The Black, Nature Loves Courage’s lyrical depth is what first drew Garrett into the band — he’s beyond excited to share their music with anyone looking to move, groove, and simply feel (ideally, with an IPA in hand).
Joe De Sa (Guitar)
Joe De Sa is an accomplished guitarist, composer, arranger and author based in Los Angeles, California. Influenced by Armandinho, Pepeu Gomes, YES, Jeff Beck, Alan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, and many other rock, jazz and fusion artists, Joe toured extensively opening for several of them in his native Brazil. He eventually found his way to Berklee College of Music in where he graduated with a degree in Professional Music in 2000. Joe has collaborated in projects alongside artists such as Vinnie Colaiuta, Dennis Chambers, Michael Breker, Barry Manilow, Chuck Loeb, Leann Rimes as well as producers Desmond Child (Kiss, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith) and John Shanks (Melissa Etheridge, Alanis Morissette, Fleetwood Mac, Celine Dion).