Lori McKenna

Massachusetts-born folk singer/songwriter Lori McKenna began writing as a teenager and went pro at 27, working her way onto stages throughout New England and the nation, including the Boston Music Awards, the Sundance Film Festival and the Newport Folk Festival. Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Rimes are all artists that have recorded McKenna's songs.

She gained a great deal of attention in 2005, when Faith Hill recorded covers of four of her songs – three of which (including the title track) appeared on Hill's 2005 release Fireflies. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Hill, and earned a record deal with Warner Brothers Nashville. WB soon re-released McKenna's major debut Bittertown on its label and in 2007, McKenna toured with Hill and Tim McGraw. She’s not all country, but the folky twang mixes with her smooth voice and poetic lyrics in a truly beautiful way; something more than just pop country – something very sincere and timeless.

Released earlier this year, McKenna’s album Lorraine “is a highly introspective collection told from a powerful and personal place,” according to ThatNashvilleSound music blog.

“McKenna sings in a piercing vibrato-free whine that evokes the generational continuity of working-class life. Her diction is plain, her phrasing bluntly foursquare. With her chugging country-rock band, McKenna brought it all back home.” - New York Times