Shannon Maureen McNally (born March 17, 1973) is an American singer and songwriter.

Biography

McNally was born in

Hempstead, New York The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three Administrative divisions of New York#Town, towns in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead, New York, North Hempstead and Oys ...

, on Long Island. While studying anthropology at

Franklin and Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It employs 175 full-time faculty members and has a student body of approximately 2,400 full-time students. It was founded upon the merger of Frankli ...

, she began singing and playing guitar in small clubs. In 1997, after graduating and honing her skills on the streets of Paris as a busker, she got a contract with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

. She recorded her debut album, ''

Jukebox Sparrows ''Jukebox Sparrows'' is the first full length album by American singer-songwriter Shannon McNally, released in 2002 (see 2002 in music). Critical reception Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic concludes his review by saying, "This is very much a ...

'' (Capitol, 2002), with

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Dow ...

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage band cu ...

, and

James Gadson James Gadson ( James Edward Gadson; born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and ...

. The album was not released at the time of its recording. In the interim, McNally opened for

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

and

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...

and was part of the 1999 Girl's Room tour with

Tara MacLean Tara Margaret Charity MacLean (born October 25, 1973) is a Canadian musician, singer and composer. Her hit songs as a solo artist include "Evidence", " If I Fall", and a cover of the Christmas song " Light of the Stable". She was a member of At ...

, Kendall Payne, and Amy Correia. She also modeled for

Urban Decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban deca ...

cosmetics. In 2000, she issued the E
''Bolder Than Paradise''.
When Capitol issued ''Jukebox Sparrows'' in January 2002, it did so in a market that had already embraced such roots-flavored material such as Ryan Adams and the ''

O Brother, Where Art Thou ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' is a 2000 comedy drama film written, produced, co-edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with Chris Thomas King, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and ...

'' soundtrack. McNally embarked on a press tour and spent the summer of that year on tour opening for

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

. In late 2002, she released the ''Ran on Pure Lightning'' EP, a collaboration with songwriter

Neal Casal Neal Graeme Casal (November 2, 1968 – August 26, 2019) ...

. In 2005, McNally returned with the country, blues, and soul influences on her album ''Geronimo''. The album's June release was accompanied by a summer's worth of live tour dates. In early 2006, she released ''North American Ghost Music''. Tour dates with

Son Volt Son Volt is an American rock band formed in 1994 by Jay Farrar after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. The band's current line-up consists of Farrar (vocals, guitar), Andrew DuPlantis (bass guitar), John Horton (guitar), Mark Patterson (drums), and Ma ...

also coincided its release. McNally took off most of 2008 and 2009 after the birth of her first child. She resumed performing and recording and toured with

Dave Alvin David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s a ...

& the Guilty Women. In 2009 she released the album ''Coldwater'' with her band Hot Sauce. In 2013, McNally released ''Small Town Talk'', a tribute to the songs of

Bobby Charles Robert Charles Guidry (February 21, 1938 – January 14, 2010), known as Bobby Charles, was an American singer-songwriter. Early life An ethnic Cajun, Charles was born in Abbeville, Louisiana, United States, and grew up listening to Cajun mus ...

. In an interview, McNally said that she was a longtime friend of Charles and that her album was inspired by Charles's debut album from 1973. The album is a musical collaboration with the legendary

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

. Shortly after, McNally and her young daughter moved from New Orleans to

Holly Springs, Mississippi Holly Springs is a city in, and the county seat of, Marshall County, Mississippi, United States, near the southern border of Tennessee. Near the Mississippi Delta, the area was developed by European Americans for cotton plantations and was dep ...

, where McNally nursed her terminally ill mother until her passing in 2015. She took solace in her friendship with

Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

. Together the two wrote songs and exchanged ideas until her tenth studio album ''BLACK IRISH'' was born, which included her song, "Banshee Moan". The album was released in 2017 on

Compass Records Compass Records is an independent record label founded in 1995 by musicians Garry West and Alison Brown that specializes in folk music, folk, bluegrass music, bluegrass, Celtic music, Celtic, jazz, and acoustic music. In 2006, Compass purchased t ...

. Shortly after the release, McNally set out on a nationwide tour with Erin Costelo. In 2019, McNally joined a new management team and continued to collaborate with Terry Allen as part of his band. She is currently working on her next studio album release to come in 2020.

Discography

;Albums * 2002: ''

'' (

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

) * 2004: ''Run for Cover'' (Tail Feather) * 2005: ''Geronimo'' ( Back Porch) * 2006: ''North American Ghost Music'' ( Back Porch) * 2009: ''Coldwater'' (self-released) * 2010: ''Western Ballad'' (Sacred Sumac) * 2013: ''Small Town Talk (Songs of Bobby Charles)'' (

Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing. Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...

) * 2017: ''Black Irish'' (

Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

) * 2021: ''The Waylon Sessions'' (Compass) ;EPs * 2000: ''Bolder Than Paradise'' (

) * 2002: ''Ran on Pure Lightning'' (Fargo) with

Neal Casal Neal Graeme Casal (November 2, 1968 – August 26, 2019) ...

* 2006: ''Southside Sessions'' ( Back Porch) with

Charlie Sexton Charles Wayne Sexton (born August 11, 1968) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Sexton is best known for his years as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band, though also has become well known as a music producer. Sexton co-founded the Ar ...

*2012: ''Light Walker Demos EP'' * 2012: ''Chasing the Ghost Rehearsal Sessions'' (

Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In mo ...

) with

Amy LaVere Amy LaVere is an American singer, songwriter, upright bass player and actress based in Memphis, Tennessee. Her music is classified as Americana. She has released six albums on Memphis label Archer Records, and has acting credits in motion pic ...

Singles * 2017:
Merry Christmas Baby
' (Compass) with Mike Farris

With
Tara MacLean Tara Margaret Charity MacLean (born October 25, 1973) is a Canadian musician, singer and composer. Her hit songs as a solo artist include "Evidence", " If I Fall", and a cover of the Christmas song " Light of the Stable". She was a member of At ...
, Kendall Payne, and Amy Correia

* 2000: ''The Girls Room'' (

)

Featured In

* 2002: various artists- ''Sweet Home Alabama (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

) - track 10, "Now That I Know" * 2002: various artists - '' Live at the World Cafe: Volume 15'' (World Café) - track 13, "Down and Dirty" * 2002: various artists - ''107.1 KGSR Radio Austin - Broadcasts Vol. 10'' (KGSR) - track 2-18, "Now That I Know" * 2003: various artists - '' Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen'' (

Sony Classical Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by S ...

) - track 2, " As Long as I Live" * 2013: various artists - '' Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys'' (

Anti- Anti- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label to Epitaph Records. While Epitaph's focus has mostly been on punk rock, Anti-'s roster includes gospel (Mavis Staples), country (Merle Haggard), hip hop (Sage Francis, The Cou ...

) - track 16, "Tom's Gone to Hilo" with

Gavin Friday Gavin Friday (born Fionán Martin Hanvey, 8 October 1959) is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter, best known as a founding member of the post-punk group The Virgin Prunes. Early life Friday was born in Dublin and attende ...

* 2016: various artists- '' The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac and His Music'' (

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

) - track 10, "Street People"

As Guest Musician

* 2003: Jason Crosby - ''Four Chords And Seven Notes Ago'' (Artists House / Blues Planet) * 2006:

Eric Lindell Eric Lindell (born 1969, Northern California, United States) is an American singer-songwriter. His recording career began in 1996 as a regional Sonoma County-based artist. Since 2006, when he was picked up by Alligator Records, he has toured nat ...

- ''Change In The Weather'' (

Alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...

) * 2007:

- ''

The Search ''The Search'' is a 1948 American film directed by Fred Zinnemann that tells the story of a young Auschwitz survivor and his mother who search for each other across post-World War II Europe. It stars Montgomery Clift, Ivan Jandl, Jarmila Novotn ...

'' (Transmit Sound /

Legacy In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property. Legacy or legacies may refer ...

) * 2009: Hundred Year Flood - ''Poison'' (Frogville) * 2009:

Luther Dickinson Luther Andrews Dickinson (born January 18, 1973) is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the North Mississippi Allstars and the son of record producer Jim Dickinson. He is also known for being the lead guitarist for The Black Crowes. He hosts ''G ...

and the Sons of Mudboy - ''Onward And Upward'' (Memphis International) * 2013:

Jim Lauderdale James Russell Lauderdale (born April 11, 1957) is an American country, bluegrass, and Americana singer-songwriter. Since 1986, he has released 31 studio albums, including collaborations with artists such as Dr. Ralph Stanley, Buddy Miller, and ...

- ''Black Roses'' (Sky Crunch) * 2014:

- '' Tarpaper Sky'' (

New West New West Records is a record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia. It had offices in Burbank, California, and Beverly Hills, California. The label was established in 1998 by Cameron Strang "for artists who perform real music ...

) *2020: Terry Allen And The Panhandle Mystery Band
''Just'' ''Like'' ''Moby Dick'' (Paradise of Bachelors)
ref>

As Composer

* 2004:

- '' Ashgrove'' (

Yep Roc Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul W ...

) - track 7, "Sinful Daughter" (co-written with Dave Alvin) * 2015:

Papa Mali Malcolm "Papa Mali" Welbourne (born May 6, 1957) is an American record producer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter who grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, and lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. His debut recording '' ...

- ''Music Is Love'' ( 429 Records) - track 8, "Bought and Sold (Body and Soul)" (co-written with Malcolm "Papa Mali" Welbourne)

References

External links

Official site
* *
Interview with ''Guitarbench'' magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNally, Shannon 1973 births Living people American women singer-songwriters People from Hempstead (village), New York 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers American singer-songwriters