Lori McKenna stands out among contemporary artists with her unique biography. This talented woman managed to win the respect of famous artists, the admiration of other songwriters and the love of music consumers who prefer authentic songs to artificially produced ones. Born on July 22, 1968, in Stoughton, Massachusetts, she managed to use the simplicity of thought peculiar to New England to compose some of the most touching pieces in the genre. McKenna's compositions usually look as if they had been created at the end of a working day sitting at the kitchen table. However, the works of the songwriter were not restricted to her own projects and appeared on albums by Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood and many others. Thus, one can see the biography of the songwriter as the biography of a writer with her individuality and special approach to creation.

Stoughton roots

First of all, Lori McKenna is valued for her ability to seize some details and to use them as a starting point for her creative process. The works of the artist are usually focused on the topics of family life, labor, faith, memories and the emotions of the everyday life of a regular person. This fact makes her unique in the Nashville songwriting community because most of the artists try to seem perfect, but the connection of their works with reality is weak. Even before becoming a well-known hitmaker for other artists, she created her own style which combines tenderness and simplicity of thought. Thus, she did not rely on something spectacular. On the contrary, McKenna became a famous songwriter due to her songs which sounded like the speech of a regular person.

Paper Wings (2004) — the first solo album of McKenna — revealed the talents of the artist in a perfect manner. It was obvious that she knew how to switch easily from vulnerability to precision. Even her small-scale compositions were full of emotions. Lori McKenna knew how to tell a story that was not easy using just one picture, phrase or episode. It was exactly the feature that attracts other singers.

With the growth of her reputation, McKenna succeeded in producing her own songs and writing songs for other people at the same time. This feature is crucial for the biography of the artist because she is not only an author of songs which become hits with the help of other singers. She is also the creator of her own songs based on the themes mentioned above.

Signature songs

The songs most associated with Lori McKenna reveal the diversity of the artist's work and uniqueness of her style at once. She is able to compose a song on the topics of heartbreak, family life or moral reflections. Here are the titles of some of McKenna's works which contributed to her fame the most:

  • Paper Wings (2004), her first solo album;
  • Girl Crush (2014), performed by Little Big Town and one of the most famous outside cuts;
  • Humble and Kind (2015), performed by Tim McGraw and considered to be one of the defining songs of Lori McKenna;
  • Cry Pretty (2018), co-written for Carrie Underwood;

All of them are crucial for the understanding of the work of the artist. However, it is even more important that her songs cover a wide spectrum of feelings and emotions. Girl Crush is focused on longing and obsession, Humble and Kind provides some sincere pieces of advice, and Cry Pretty describes how the personal grief can be transformed into a public feeling. All of these songs are based on linguistic skills and none of them looks forced.

Lori McKenna's success in the sphere of songwriting led to her recognition by the whole industry. Humble and Kind allowed her to secure her place among the most respected songwriters in Nashville and win the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2017. Such achievements could have made any artist a star. However, none of her songs looks forced or engineered. They are the result of consistency, empathy and understanding of the characters.

A lasting craft

The reason why the biography of Lori McKenna is still significant for her fans is the fact that her work unites two totally different spheres: that of the singer-songwriters and that of the country hitmakers. In the first case, it is important for a song to tell the personal truth and the personal performance of the author. As for the second sphere, a good country song should include the strong melody and hook which can pass through the radio, awards and the great voices of singers. However, McKenna succeeded in working in these spheres without any compromise.

It should be said that McKenna's talent lies in her simplicity. She prefers to use the images which seem to be typical of the certain life, but not of the genre. The kitchen table, a tired heart, a hard-earned lesson and a moment of doubt – all of these elements can be found in her works. Besides, McKenna understands that a good country song does not have to shout its message. Sometimes the most powerful lines come quietly and remain in the head of the listener long after the end of the composition. Such simplicity allows her works to remain popular even after their release.

The biography of Lori McKenna is also significant due to the fact that she became an example of a modern songwriter. McKenna is not restricted to one sphere of work, to one audience and to one kind of success. She writes songs not only for herself, but also for other artists and can be extremely personal in her works and in other people's arrangements. As a result, she became one of the most appreciated songwriters nowadays. For all those who ask how the great country songs should be written, the biography of Lori McKenna is the clear answer: one should be truthful, seize the details and let the song live its own life.