Country music might be known for its heartache songs about break-ups and tragedies, but Mary Kutter is forging her own path, one that includes positive music instead of gloom and doom. The rising star, who just released her latest single, “Panama,” draws on the lessons she was taught as a child when writing and recording the music she makes now.

“Some of it is just that is my personality,” Mary told Everything Nash. “I know they always say you should be true to yourself, but whenever I first started doing music, it really was because I love seeing people happy. Maybe that means I’m a people pleaser. but I really love making people smile and laugh and feel better about themselves. My parents always really hammered into my brother and me as kids two things: one, if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. And also the idea of leaving things better than you found them.

“It goes with people too,” she continued. “Obviously there is totally, 100 percent a place for writing songs and a heartbreak to write songs about — the hardships in life. They’re so much the meat and potatoes, especially at country music. But I do think that, even me as an artist, I’m not dealing with negative relationships right now. I’ve been very blessed in my life in a lot of ways, but even talking about hardships in general, we’ve all had our share of hard things in our lives. It’s just depending on what lens or filter you want to look things through, and for me that is positive stuff.”

Mary has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, just like virtually every other artist, but she isn’t letting that deter her from pursuing her passion.

“Right before the pandemic, I was doing a ton of meetings,’ Mary said, adding that it also forced her to stop playing shows. “It kind of stalled just about everything. I know there are still a couple of people that maybe closed a deal with publishing. But to be real, I’m just focusing on building that fan base for this year because the touring scene is basically dead.”

Mary is still talking with teams of people to continue getting her music out, but whether she works as an independent or with a record label, she will keep doing all she can to make the best music she can.

“All the people that do have label deals, unless they’re a superstar act,  they’re being shelved,” Mary acknowledged. “And so, at least for this year, I don’t think it’d be in my best interest to sign a label deal. Basically what I’m doing right now, I’m still doing a lot of meetings. I’m just working to build that fan base and release music. I feel like right now, it’s such an important time — people really need it because there’s so much negativity right now, obviously.

“The music that I have released and that I will be releasing in the near future, it’s all positive music,” she added. “I feel like there was ever a time that I wanted to release something to make people happy, it makes sense for it to be right now. “