In the 25 years since Jill McGuckin founded McGuckin Entertainment PR, the company has established a reputation for creating dynamic, personalized projects, whether collaborating with industry veterans or newcomers. Keeping a keen eye on entertainment-world trends, we use our PR and promotional knowledge and experience to tell our clients’ stories effectively and meet their goals. We’ve represented Bruce Robison, Parker McCollum, BMI, Reckless Kelly, the Recording Academy, Gibson Guitars, Old Settler’s Music Festival and many others.
Heidi Labensart began working with McGuckin Entertainment PR founder Jill McGuckin as an intern in 2004, while studying communications at St. Edwards University in Austin. Now she runs the company, a boutique firm with a reputation for creating dynamic, personalized projects, whether collaborating with industry veterans or newcomers. From album releases and artist tours to festivals, conferences and travel destinations, Labensart crafts each PR campaign to tell her clients’ stories and meet their goals effectively and efficiently.
Those clients include Bruce Robison, Parker McCollum, BMI, Reckless Kelly, the Recording Academy, Gibson Guitars, Old Settler’s Music Festival, Branson, Missouri and many others. In June 2025, the Texas Country Music Association named her Publicist of the Year in recognition of her many successful collaborations.
Labensart’s passion for music and entertainment formed early; she fell in love with fiddling during her Colorado childhood. Years of experience competing in fiddling contests established her unique ability to understand her clients’ needs from an artist’s perspective as well as a publicist’s.
She also applies insights gleaned as the founder and president of Live Oak Fiddle Camp, held each May at TR Ranch in Hallettsville, Texas. Labensart also served for four years on the Texas Old-Time Fiddle Association’s board of directors.
She further enhances her knowledge and keeps abreast of industry trends by attending conferences and seminars such as the Americana Music Association’s AmericanaFest, the Folk Alliance International conference, South by Southwest and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass. She also has completed the IBMA’s Leadership Bluegrass program and the Austin Music Foundation’s Leaders in Austin Music program.
When she’s not working, she spends time raising her own future fiddling champs, Mason and Luna.