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Since my first CD “from the wood” in 1995 to my latest album No
Wrong Way To Make It Right (my 9th recording) in 2011, I feel that I
have allowed too many publicists who don’t know me to write my bio.
Who knows Pat McGee better than I, right? Selling music is different
from selling any other product because the music along with live
shows are so much a part of me. Maybe it’s the fact that I am now
38, a father of three beautiful girls, living in Rhode Island, and
in my heart in the best place I have ever been in my life, but in
this bio I want to share a little of what goes into my life as a
touring and recording musician. Reflecting on the last eighteen
years of recording and touring, more than ever, I look forward to
the next eighteen and feel that this release is my strongest work to
date. Eighteen years, eh? When I counted it out on my fingers, I
can’t believe it has been this long . . .I’m enjoying now more than
I ever have, and that’s saying a lot!
The songs on my new album, compiled over the last few years,
evoke emotions that I previously shied away from. Deeply personal
pain, pleasure, regret, bliss, discouragement, resentment, love,
anger, fear, and peace of mind all pour out of each track. The
light-hearted title track “No Wrong Way To Make It Right” reeks of
my teenage years cruising in “my grandmother’s ‘70 convertible
Cadillac” and spending summers on the Jersey boardwalk, yet relates
to my current life. “Juliet,” written from the mindset of
15-year-old boy, is my vision/hope of what it will be like when my
now-5-year-old daughter repels all the boys gunning for her love and
leaves them broken hearted. The closing track on the record “They
Think We Are Not Going To Make It” tells the struggle of other
people working to accept a new relationship, while also being a very
intimate love song about a hopeful future. The use of folk
instruments that I grew up loving — acoustic guitar, mandolin,
banjo, dobro, fiddle and bazouki — all seem to showcase perfectly
the sentiment in each song in a way that brings me back to the tones
I adored combing through my parents’ record collection. The material
on this album includes some of my hardest-rockin’ and at the same
time most delicate arrangements that I have ever tracked. Dating
back to my earliest recordings, I was often labeled as “country” in
album reviews; so it’s no surprise that this record goes even
further in that direction.
In addition to writing some of the material alone, for the first
time in a long while I had the fortune of working and writing with
some of my oldest comrades in the business: Jason Mraz, Emerson
Hart, Stephen Kellogg, Keaton Simons and Ryan Newell from Sister
Hazel. Vocalists Tim Warren from Alternate Routes and Lucy Woodward;
pedal steel mad man Jon Graboff from Ryan Adams and violinist Gabe
Witcher from Punchbrothers all shared their talents in this process,
some both as co-writers and as guests on the recordings. It is
literally music to my ears to have so many artists on this record
whom I have known for years and have been fans of.
The road to recording this latest album started on an exciting
path that suddenly turned to a very dark place and eventually came
to level of comfort that I had never previously recorded in. The
original producer slated for this project was my old friend and
accomplished musician, Will Owsley. We recently reconnected after
being label-mates at Warner Brothers in the late 90’s and were
focused on working together on this project. We had both been newly
divorced, and both proud, dedicated dads as well as working
musicians. We faced the struggles and challenges that came with that
gift of the musician profession. A few weeks had gone by and I
hadn’t heard from Will, which was out of the ordinary. Sadly, Will
took his own life and left so many of us with endless questions and
deep sadness. I am grateful for the time we had just spent together
and I look back on the WBR years as such a hopeful time for both of
us.
Knowing I had a batch of tunes that must see the light of day, I
picked up the pieces and moved on. I needed a producer. I called the
one man I had always wanted to work with since he pressed record on
my first demo in 1991: Doug Derryberry. He agreed to take on the
project and weeks later we were at the Dave Matthews Band’s studio,
Haunted Hollow in the hills of Charlottesville, VA. This CD is
really a return to my roots, not just from a writing standpoint or
in the geographical sense but because of the musicians I recorded
with. Growing up in Virginia, at around the age of 16, I began to
idolize not only the superstars on vinyl, but more so the local
musicians who went from the Virginia/DC club circuit to become
national recording artists. The backing musicians, as well as the
engineers and studio technicians on this record, are those artists
who have over the years become my peers. It brought a vibe of
relaxed and calming support with unbridled drive to the sessions to
make this one a reflection of all that I had learned to date,
surrounded by musicians who all truly respected one another.
In the winter of 1994, I wrote my first song “Rebecca,” still a
crowd favorite, and put out my first real deal CD the following
spring just before leaving college life behind me and diving
headfirst into the touring singer-songwriter world. I would play
every night if I could and most of the time did. In the spring of
‘96, I founded the official Pat McGee Band to back my
acoustic-driven shows. I went on to sell over 300,000 records and
counting, some out of the back of my trailer, some through what we
used to call “record stores.” Remember those? Sigh. I called each
“mom and pop” store myself and greatly valued their role in the
music business. Now you can find my entire catalog on the online
mega-store iTunes.
We were a touring machine, I lost count once the band did our
3,000th show. I recall in one 103 day stretch, we played 98 gigs.
That was all before tour buses and cushy hotels, and we loved every
second of it. In the fall of 2006, my band suffered our greatest
loss when our drummer Chris Williams passed away suddenly. I’d be
lying if I didn’t say it changed everything. To this day it feels
like one of my best friends just took a vacation and hasn’t returned
yet. Like most bands I know, many of my backing musicians have come
and gone, but I still surround myself with talented artists night
after night to share the stage with. We have had the fortune of
selling out venues such as the Filmore in San Francisco, The
Troubadour in LA, The House of Blues in Chicago, as well as Wolf
Trap’s Filene Center in Virginia, The Avalon in Boston and The Roxy
in Atlanta. I have also had the joy of sharing the stage with some
of my musical heroes such as: The Who, The Allman Brothers, James
Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffet, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan.
Being the youngest of three, my siblings and parents showed me
the light to great music at a very young age. In 5th grade, I recall
getting in a fight at school because some kid didn’t know who The
Who was. I remember slow dancing to Purple Rain in 8th grade — I can
still feel what it’s like to wish a song never ended. My brother’s
influence lead me to a love of classic rock artists ranging from Led
Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers and the Beatles to James Taylor,
Willie Nelson and the Eagles. My sister instilled in me a love of
80’s music from REM and David Bowie to The Clash and Bob Marley. It
all somehow peeks its head up throughout each track on this new
record of mine and takes me back to listening to vinyl on my
basement floor, wondering how cool it would be to play in a band.
I firmly believe that live performance is king and should be
respected above anything you can do in your career. I have recently
endeavored on a destination concert/vacation experience like none
other called “Down The Hatch”. Fans and the band take over resorts
and allow me to share my love of music, travel, local attractions
and cuisine that only a touring artist can uncover after nearly two
decades of traversing all over our beautiful country, combing the
back streets of big cities and small towns for the best America has
to offer.
As an artist I feel a welcomed obligation to connect to my
listeners so they can really get to know the artist and relate to
the material on a different level . . . when you know where someone
is coming from, I believe that you then appreciate how much they
mean what they sing about. When I approach an album from artists
whom I know well, I listen to their records in a whole different
light. I want fans to share in some of that intimate feeling when
listening to my songs.
In closing I hope you enjoyed reading this and feel like you know
just a little bit more about me.
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Artist's Web Site
See a YouTube clip from Pat McGee
Presented In Conjunction With Landshark Entertainment
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