Shannon McNally

Biography

McNally was born in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island. While studying anthropology at Franklin and Marshall College, she began singing and playing guitar in clubs. After graduating and honing her skills on the streets of Paris as a busker, she got a contract with Capitol Records in 1997. She recorded her debut album, Jukebox Sparrows (Capitol, 2002), with Jim Keltner, Greg Leisz, and James Gadson. The album was not released at the time of its recording.

In the interim, McNally opened for Stevie Nicks and Ryan Adams and was part of the 1999 Girl's Room tour with Tara MacLean, Kendall Payne, and Amy Correia. She also modeled for Urban Decay cosmetics. In 2000, she issued the EP 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 as Ryan Adams and the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. McNally embarked on a press tour and spent the summer of that year supporting John Mellencamp. In late 2002, she released the Ran on Pure Lightning EP, a collaboration with songwriter Neal Casal.

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

Solo recordings

With Tara MacLean, Kendall Payne, and Amy Correia

As primary artist

As guest musician

As composer