Erina McLaren’s “Oh My Love” Named November “Best Song Of The Month”

Erina McLaren, a pop/acoustic singer/songwriter based in Tacoma, Washington, has won the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song Of The Month” Contest for November, for her song “Oh My Love.” McLaren is currently writing & recording the songs for a full album, which she plans to release in 2026.

“Oh My Love” is a heartfelt, emotional song about expressing love—not just in a romantic way but about caring for friends and loved ones. It has an appealing melody in the verses, and then it lifts higher with a soaring melody in the choruses. This recording features excellent lead vocals by McLaren, and she contributes lush background harmonies. “Oh My Love” was expertly produced by Brandon Bee, who is a producer, songwriter and worship pastor based in Kennewick, WA. Notably, he played all the instruments on this recording.

McLaren was born and raised in Tacoma, where she started singing at a young age. When she was in high school, she learned to play guitar and she sang in a jazz choir. Then for college, she attended the University of Vermont at Burlington, where she began writing songs and performing live.

After graduating from college, McLaren moved back to Tacoma, where she began playing venues and continued to develop her songwriting. It was in 2023 that she released her first EP, Through the Storm, which is an impressive collection of five songs that contained the key tracks “I’m Free” and “Best Version of Me.”

Last year (2024), McLaren wrote & recorded her song, “Oh My Love.” She explains what this song is about. “’Oh My Love’ is from a direct, personal experience. It was a great year in some ways, but it was one of the worst years for my family because nine people passed away. My husband Matthew’s great aunt Dorothy died, and then her husband John became ill and passed away. I really wrote this song about John. It’s about anybody that you care about, that has gone away.”

Earlier this year, an independent label (Young Outlaw Music in Atlanta) heard and liked “Oh My Love,” and they formed a relationship with McLaren and released this song as a single. As a result, “Oh My Love” is getting exposure worldwide, and the label has created a lyric video and is doing marketing.

McLaren & Young Outlaw Music are also teaming up to release her next single “Thunder in the Clouds,” which is a collaboration with Tacoma-based artist, Kurt Lindsay. McLaren is also pleased that she’s written a new song with her 12-year-old son, Mason.