MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge (Thelma and James) Unite with Soulful Duet "Happy Ever After You"
MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge, the Nashville-based country music power couple, have released their highly anticipated collaborative track "Happy Ever After You" on January 10th, 2025.
"Happy Ever After You" is a soulful, intricate duet that showcases the couple's undeniable chemistry and songwriting prowess. The track, which they initially teased in December 2024, quickly went viral, garnering over five million views almost overnight and earning praise from fellow artists such as John Mayer, Luke Combs, and Brandi Carlile. The song's success led to the official release and the announcement of their new musical project, affectionately dubbed "Thelma & James".
The duo's decision to collaborate musically came as a surprise to many, as they had previously kept their careers separate due to their different tastes in music. Porter and Etheridge shared, "Usually in the morning before we both leave for our separate writes we jokingly ask, 'got any good hooks I can steal?' and 'happy ever after you' was one thrown out some months back".
This release follows a year of significant achievements for both artists. Porter recently released her 19-song debut album "Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart," co-hosted the CCMA Awards with Thomas Rhett, and was crowned Female Artist of the Year. She has also toured with major country stars such as Keith Urban and Parker McCollum.
As for Etheridge, he has been making waves in both the music and acting worlds. His songwriting credits include tracks for various television shows and films, including nearly a dozen for CMT's Nashville.
Porter, a multi-talented artist from Medicine Hat, Alberta, began her musical journey at the tender age of four, studying piano, violin, and voice. Her early years were spent on her family's cattle and bison ranch, where she honed her craft alongside her brother Kalan Porter, the 2004 winner of Canadian Idol. Porter's solo career took off in 2012 with her debut single "I Wish I'd Known," and she has since become a prominent figure in the country music scene, earning multiple number-one hits on Canadian country radio.
Jake Etheridge, born on April 25, 1988, in Lexington, South Carolina, brings his own impressive musical pedigree to the collaboration. Etheridge is not only a singer-songwriter but also an actor and composer, known for his work on popular television shows such as Criminal Minds and Nashville. He's also a member of the platinum-selling Dutch country band "The Common Linnets," whose song "Calm After The Song" reached number one in 14 countries throughout Europe.
With "Happy Ever After You," MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge have not only created a beautiful piece of music but have also opened a new chapter in their careers as a collaborative duo. Their unique blend of country, pop, and folk influences, combined with their individual successes, positions them as a formidable force in the country music landscape.
