Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Stoughton, Mass., native Lori McKenna has a new album out, but she isn’t resting on her laurels just yet. Friday night at 8 p.m., fans can watch a livestream performance of the artist playing in Cambridge’s famed Club Passim. All donations made during the livestream will benefit the club and its efforts to keep producing shows throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, McKenna took the time to call into Boston Public Radio, where she spoke about her new album, the joys of writing about everyday America and why it’s vital that we support our concert venues through this stay-at-home period.
"It’s funny, I’ve heard that term so many times over the years,” she said of the album’s title track, “The Balladeer." "It struck me one night — that’s what I do! … The story isn’t about me — the song itself — but I loved the idea of that being the name of the record."
McKenna, who still lives with her husband in Stoughton, said she takes pride in writing songs that can resonate with everday, ordinary people.
“What I love about songs like this in general, these domestic songs that I tend to be drawn to, is how we can all see ourselves in each other’s stories. It’s like group therapy,” she joked, later adding that “These are songs about people, and the conversations they have in their kitchen.”
McKenna’s performance will be both streamed live on Club Passim’s website, and available afterwards. The singer said it was important for her to support the venue where she got her start, as well as all of the city’s performance spaces.
“We’re gonna really be in trouble if, when this all turns around, the venues aren’t able to still be there,” she said. “So [the decision to do a livestream performance] made perfect sense to me. Passim does so much outreach ... There's the school ... the Iguana Fund — they support so much.”
Lori McKenna is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician. Her new album is “The Balladeer.” You can stream it now on Apple Music and Spotify.
