Originally from Fort St. John, British Columbia,[1] he was involved in a number of country and rock musical projects, most notably a stint with a touring production of the jukebox musical We Will Rock You.[2] After going through a period of disillusionment with the state of his career, he returned to Calgary, where beginning in 2020 he posted weekly cover songs to YouTube before recording and releasing his solo debut album Down-Home in 2021.[2]
He followed up in 2023 with the album A Traveler's Lament,[6] for which he received CCMA nominations for Alternative Country Album of the Year, Innovative Campaign of the Year, and Record Producer of the Year at the 2023 Canadian Country Music Awards.[7][8] McKearney would go on to win the "Alternative Country Album of the Year" award.[9]