Singer and songwriter Erin McKeown was raised in Fredricksburg, VA. She began her musical career by performing in local clubs and coffeehouses at night. By day she attended Brown University where she studied ethnomusicology. McKeown's music is in many ways uniquely her own. It's been called folksy pop and quirky folk, with occasional lyrics that are akin to beat poems. However her tunes are labeled, they are Erin McKeown.
In 1995, McKeown entered the mid-Atlantic song contest held by the songwriters' association in Washington, DC. She placed as a semi-finalist. With proof that others thought she had talent, she worked hard to start a label of her own, where she could record her music. TVP Records was that label and Monday Morning Cold was her debut album. When she began work on the first effort, she had some special guests help out, such as Ben Demerath, Katyrna Nields, and Beth Amsel.
In 2000, McKeown completed her second album, Distillation. It was released under her TVP label first and then under Signature Records. Some of the tracks from this sophomore offering are "Little Cowboy," "Blackbirds," "How to Open My Heart in 4 Easy Steps," and "Queen of Quiet." McKeown's third album, Grand, marked her debut release for Nettwerk in 2003. Two years later, she and producer Tucker Martine came together to record We Will Become Like Birds. This album featured duets with Argentine artist Juana Molina and singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey. North American tour dates with Ani DiFranco followed into the summer.
Besides being a singer and songwriter, McKeown can hold her own with a guitar, piano, banjo, or mandolin. When she isn't entertaining solo, she works as part of the group, Voices on the Verge. She has also appeared with artists like Dan Bern, Andy Stochansky, 10,000 Maniacs, Martin Sexton, and Dar Williams. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide
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