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with special guest, Mark ErelliFrom her home base in Boston, Lori McKenna has carved out an enviable niche for herself as one of Nashville's most in-demand songwriters, all while maintaining a prolific and remarkably consistent career as a solo artist.McKenna's most recent album, 1988, added to a series of landmark years for the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and follows three widely acclaimed albums: 2016’s The Bird & The Rifle, 2018’s The Tree and 2020’s The Balladeer, of which the Associated Press praised, “McKenna has by now long established herself as one of the best songwriters working in any genre. And she does it again and again,” while The Tennessean asserted, “one of the sharpest pens in modern country and folk songwriting.” Read moreIn addition to her career as a solo artist, McKenna continues to enjoy success as one of the music industry’s most in-demand songwriters. In 2023, she was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Song for co-writing “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault),” performed by Taylor Swift. In 2017, McKenna became the first woman to win the Academy of Country Music’s Songwriter of the Year award and the first woman to win the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year award two years in a row. She also won back-to-back Grammys for Best Country Song: for “Girl Crush,” performed by Little Big Town, in 2016 and “Humble and Kind,” performed by Tim McGraw, in 2017. In 2021, McKenna won her third Best Country Song Grammy for co-writing “Crowded Table,” performed by the Highwomen, with Brandi Carlile and Natalie Hemby. In addition to writing songs for a multitude of award-winning artists — including Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood — McKenna also co-wrote “Always Remember Us This Way,” which was featured in the Oscar-winning 2018 film “A Star Is Born.” Special Guest: Mark ErelliBoston-based singer-songwriter Mark Erelli's multi-decade career includes 13 solo albums; three records with his bluegrass band Barnstar!; sideman stints accompanying Marc Cohn, Paula Cole, and Josh Ritter; and a pair of records he produced for GRAMMY-winning songwriter Lori McKenna. Recent support dates include shows with Watchhouse, Amy Helm, Lori McKenna, and John Hiatt.In the summer of 2020, Erelli faced a profound personal challenge when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease. This diagnosis raised questions about how his diminishing eyesight might affect his songwriting and creative insight. These concerns and his quest for creative expression are central themes in his newest album, Lay Your Darkness Down.Lay Your Darkness Down follows his 2020 album Blindsided, which received high praise from Rolling Stone Country, Associated Press, NPR, The Boston Globe, and other notable outlets. Folk Alley encourages people to “listen close; there’s sure to be something in there to break your heart a split second before it leads you straight to grace.” Whether he’s wielding a pen or a Telecaster, Mark Erelli’s music welcomes the casual listener and richly rewards those who choose to dig deeper.
