Megan McCormick: July 20 @ Pianos, New York, NY
Megan McCormick took to the stage at Pianos on Tuesday, July 20 and she rocked out. I went in not expecting her to be so guitar heavy for some reason. So, needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when she cut loose with some serious and fiery blues inspired licks that at times reminded me of Stevie Ray Vaughan. McCormick has a record, Honest Words, set for release on August 17. Check out some photos from her set.
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Nashville-based singer, songwriter & guitarist Megan McCormick is set to release her debut record. Honest Words, which was Dave O’Donnell (
John Mayer, Joss Stone, James Taylor), will be released on Ryko, August 17. Check out "Do Right" from the upcoming record in the MP3 Grab at the bottom of the post.
At 23, McCormick has more insight into the human condition than many people twice her age – and her guitar playing has a deep-in-the-blues groove-grounding that adds credence to songs about addiction, obsession, romance, sorting life out and trying to make one’s way in the world. Whether it’s the taut Stevie Ray Vaughan-evoking “Shiver,” the lacerating lost souls’ recognition in “Drifting” or the torchy foreboding of meltdown that is “Pick Up The Phone,” her heart on her sleeve and her truth in your face seems to be this singer’s natural stance.
“I don’t identify with a lot of things other people do,” she confesses. “It’s not about age or education… man or woman… straight or gay… wrecked or sober… I’m just a plain human on my journey, and that makes me more like most people than different. That’s the thing: people like to magnify the differentiation when really there are so many more similarities.
“Even when you’re looking at relationships and different perspectives, what happens between people is pretty much the same. What could be about a lover, could be about a father in a different context – or a friend. Once you get too specific on whatever descriptors you’re using, the more you minimize the people you can reach, the ones who see themselves in the songs… because everyone’s got trouble.”
Pausing, she weighs her words. “When you start looking at it like that, you’d be amazed. There are a lot more fragile people than there are emotionally healthy Buddhists.”
McCormick’s trade is certainly in the darker places, the crevices where life falls in on itself, where urges get a momentum destined to pull the unsuspecting off the tracks and that which saves can suck you under. With a wistful yearning, the young woman who attended East Tennessee State University’s acclaimed bluegrass program reflects on what is lost in the descent on “Wasted” and finds the soul undulations to pick up the pieces on “Things Change” on what can only be considered an eclectically lean rock & roll record.
McCormick's masterful guitar playing adds to the emotional heft, giving a musical weight to each track on the album. Whether tearing through a blazing outro solo on "Shiver" or elegantly finger picking on the album's title track, McCormick's guitar skill helps set her and her songs apart. It also helps to drop jaws at her live shows.
www.myspace.com/meganmccormicksmusic
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