CLICK ON CD COVER to listen and/or buy CD or MP3s of LAURIE MCCLAIN'S NEW CD ASCEND:
--> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> CLICK ON CD COVER to listen and/or buy CD or MP3s of LAURIE MCCLAIN: The Child Behind My Eyes at CDBABY -->
.. --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> CLICK ON CD COVER to listen and/or buy CD or MP3s of LAURIE MCCLAIN: The Trumpet Vine, a tribute to Kate Wolf -->
.. --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> CLICK ON CD COVER to listen and/or buy CD or MP3s of LAURIE MCCLAIN: Compilation -->
Influences
Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Merle Haggard, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Jerry Rau, Kate Wolf, Shirley Temple, Julie Andrews, Steve Earle, Anne Hills, Loretta Lynn, Nanci Griffith, Linda Rondstadt, Dolly Parton, Paul Simon, Suzy Bogguss, Leonard Cohen, Dean Martin, Billie Holliday, Alison Krauss, Patty Griffin... and on and on, still looking for more influences!
Sounds Like
FROM COUSIN ANDY'S COFFEEHOUSE: "THE CHILD BEHIND MY EYES":
NANCI GRIFFITH'S WING & THE WHEEL: I TAPED THIS OF MIKE FARRIS PERFORMING "GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME" at AMERICANA ASSOCIATION PORTER WAGONER TRIBUTE OCT. 31, 2007... THIS IS SOUL FOOD FOR SURE, BE SURE TO WATCH UNTIL THE END: MANUEL DELGADO MAKING MY BEAUTIFUL BARITONE UKULELE "LILIANA": ..
2009 NEWS: UPDATE: Laurie's album ASCEND took 3rd Place for JPF Best New Folk Album of the Year!
Laurie has four nominations in the 2009 Just Plain Folks Music Awards for her new album Ascend. Ascend is one of 10 nominated for Best New Folk Album of the Year. Two of her songs, "He Smiled Like An Angel" and "Pollyanna," are nominated for New Folk Song of the Year and another, "Somewhere in Kentucky" is nominated for Traditional Folk Song of the Year. All three are from the CD Ascend, an album of 14 songs, all written by Laurie.
Just Plain Folks Awards, nicknamed the "Grassroots Grammies" honor "the other 98% of the music world often ignored by the mainstream televised music awards shows." More than 42,000 albums -- that's over 560,000 songs -- were submitted for consideration in the largest music awards of any kind in world history. The awards will be presented on August 29th in Nashville, TN, at the Wildhorse Saloon.
Back in 2004, Laurie was a top three finalist in over 50 music genres for FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR along with Jen Slocumb (of duo Martha's Trouble) and 1st place winner Kathy Fisher (of band Fisher) in the 2004 Just Plain Folks International Music Awards; and Laurie's cd The Trumpet Vine, a tribute to Kate Wolf, took third place for Best Americana Album!
Honorable Mentions: Mountain Stage Festival & Telluride Folk & Bluegrass Festival
Winner, Audience Poll: South Florida Folk Festival
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SHORT BIO:
Laurie McClain moved to Nashville, TN, in 1997 with three daughters in tow after spending most of her life in Lincoln, Nebraska. She has managed to make name for herself as a formidable songwriter and engaging performer on the national folk & Americana scene while raising her children, therefore touring only sparsely & sporadically around the U.S. for the last 15 years. Her songs explore themes of identity, growth, friendship and love in a way that always honors the fundamental mysteries of the human journey. SUZY BOGGUSS says: "Laurie's songs go deep and they stay with you." SINGER MAGAZINE says: "Laurie's voice has a raw, genuine classic folk resonance that pulls you into every song."
LONGER BIO:
Nashville based singer/songwriter Laurie McClain lived the first 12 years of her life in Los Angeles, and then her family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska. Lonely in her new surroundings, she begged her father for a guitar because she wanted to learn the song "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen. Soon she began performing at friends' parties, school events and local open stages. Enchanted by the music of the folk era of the '60s and early '70s, artists like Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell & Neil Young, to name a few, Laurie learned to play hundreds of songs. She was 18 when she wrote her first song.
Laurie landed her first paying gig at age 17, at the Freedom Lounge at the Town & Country Motel in Lincoln, Nebraska -- six nights a week, Monday through Saturday, four sets a night, for $125 a week. Except for a performance at the 1986 Boulder Folk & Bluegrass Festival, she proceeded to play in nearly every bar in Lincoln, Nebraska for the next several years before discovering the folk circuit concert scene in the mid '90s. By then she was a divorced mother of three, so she toured sporadically at first. Then in 1997, Laurie moved with her daughters to Nashville, TN, where she met producer/bass player Charlie Chadwick. He produced her first cd, critically acclaimed The Child Behind My Eyes.
Laurie and Charlie fell in love during the making of the album and were married in 2000. Charlie's support and encouragement have enabled Laurie to tour more consistenly, and she is quickly becoming a sought after act on the national folk circuit.
Laurie and Charlie co-produced her second cd in 2003, The Trumpet Vine, a stunning tribute to the late Kate Wolf, a brilliant singer/songwriter who passed away in 1985 of leukemia after a short but prolific 10-year recording career. Many wonderful musicians and backup singers contributed to this project, including: Bryan Sutton, Stuart Duncan, Nina Gerber, Pam Tillis, Anne Hills, Donna & Kelly of Still on the Hill, Jerry Rau & Muriel Anderson. Laurie wrote music to one of the songs from some lyrics Kate Wolf had left behind. The Trumpet Vine has received high praise from Dirty Linen magazine, Sing Out! magazine, Puremusic.com, Singer magazine, Folkscene Radio Show, Folk & Roots magazine (UK), and many other publications.
Laurie's recordings are played frequently on the folk and Americana radio stations across the U.S. and in several countries around the world. Ascend (2009), with 14 original songs, is her latest album. Ascend is nominated for 4 Just Plain Folks Awards, being chosen among over 42,000 albums submitted.
Thanks for your friendship Laurie...please participate in our celebration of learning and post a comment about arts in education and/or some words of advice for students.
Be sure to check our Blogs for latest learning activities.
Best, M.U.S.I.C.
"I would teach the children music, physics and philosophy, but the most important is music, for in the patterns of the arts are the keys to all learning."
Ruby Jane and Mark O'Connor: Virtuosos of the American Fiddle: http://www.poptech.org/blog/mark_oconnor_and_ruby_jane_smith_virtuosos_of_american_fiddle
Ruby Jane Article in New York Times!! http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/26/who-do-these-guys-think-they-are/ AND Check out the new pictures and video! Let me know what you think! Ruby Jane
Thanks for the call! Hope you're having a great trip back! I'm in town Mon/Wed working in the studio, and I've written down your next CGS date so we'll catch up before year's end! How are things?
Hey Laurie, Congrats on the new CD! I have a new one out too (isn't it exciting!) and would love to trade you--maybe in person cuz I may be coming to Nashville again in Dec to do some more writing! Would love to play with you again to if you're up for it. That was real fun. :) Take care~~Robyn
Thanks for adding me. I'll keep an eye on your page and see what your up to. Please let me know when your buying merch and I'll help ya make it look sweet and at a great price...
Hey Laurie - Congrats on the JPF Awards. Looks like we were bested by Janis Ian, I suppose that's pretty good company to be in! Best of luck to you, hope to see you out on the road somewhere, Dave Potts
Congratulations Laurie for taking 3rd for Best New Folk Album -- fantastic! I've heard you play some of those songs, but I don't think I've heard Like a River which is simply beautiful. I also really like Some Forgotten Dare -- great singing and instrumentation. Keep 'em coming!
G'day , Hope all's well! We're trying to get airplay on Triple J Radio, so if you like our music we have decided to give a free download @ http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=14312
And all we ask in return if you can rate & leave a review of our tunes on the Triple J download page as these two things are what they will be looking at when deciding. We'd really appreciate it!
Online Now!
