Lori McKenna lays her heart bare on the compelling 1988, painting vivid scenes of youthful discovery and taking a hopeful glimpse into the future. The Massachusetts native takes the weight of the world on her shoulders as she remembers friends […]
The title track of Lori McKenna’s new album unfolds cinematically, breathlessly unfurling layer by layer a tale of desire and passion, longing and disappointment, ascent and descent. Opening sparsely with waves of rolling guitar chords, “The Balladeer” swells suddenly on […]
Grief is the great leveler of life. No matter who you are, you have experienced some kind of loss, whether of a partner, a parent, a pet, or a profession. Much like love, loss is loss. And grief is a […]
This week we’re excited to put our ears on new music from Punch Brothers, Lori McKenna, and Hot Buttered Rum — all bands that have steered us to new ground with their music. We love being along for that ride. […]
Lori McKenna says that if she hadn’t become a songwriter, she would have been an office administrator. “I used to work for my dad doing customer service,” she says, “and I always thought I’d be good at that kind of […]
Clad in a black hat onstage at Seattle’s Tractor Tavern on Thursday night, Sunny Sweeney remarked that she’d move to the Pacific Northwest in a heartbeat, just so she could wear a hat every day. But that wouldn’t feel quite […]
Lori McKenna has one of the most expressive voices I’ve ever heard; the fact that she can summon the words to match is a testament to the integrity of her songs. She has penned hits for Tim McGraw and Little […]
On the whole, the best music this year told the raw truth — whether it was Hayes Carll’s paean to love and loss or Robbie Fulks’ exploration of his Carolina and Virginia roots. Shovels & Rope turned toward autobiography with […]
Let’s be honest. There’s plenty of music in the world about youthful energy and passionate lust. But what about the hard stuff that comes after that clears away? It used to be that country music was made for the hard […]
Lori McKenna started her “Wreck You” tour to promote her new CD a week before it was released, and was surprised to learn she could sell copies of “The Bird & The Rifle” before it becomes available to the general […]
