Erin McKeown

Erin McKeown

Erin McKeown is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is born in 1977 and begins her career in the folk scene before widening her sound across pop, swing, rock and electronic music. Her work is often described as difficult to place in a single genre, although folk remains a central part of her output.

Early career and education

McKeown releases her first album, Monday Morning Cold, on her own label, TVP Records, while still a student at Brown University. She travels throughout New England to promote the record. At Brown, she first studies ornithology before graduating with a degree in ethnomusicology.

Recordings and style

Her later releases show a broad range of influences. Distillation appears in 2000 and leans towards roots and folk; Grand follows in 2003 with a stronger pop and swing emphasis; We Will Become Like Birds arrives in 2005 with rock and pop elements; and Sing You Sinners is a jazz- and swing-oriented standards album, issued in 2006 in one territory and 2007 in the United States. One track from that record, “Coucou”, includes French vocals. She also cites The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as an influence on her music.

Later releases and live recordings

Hundreds of Lions is released on Righteous Babe Records in 2009. McKeown also issues live material, including an EP of performances recorded on KCRW Radio in 2006 and recordings from Sirius FM by the end of 2009. A series of web concerts called CabinFever is also recorded in 2009 and made available through her website.

Critical reception and performance

McKeown is known for vivid live performances and for moving between styles within a single career. Her repertoire includes songs in English and French, and her playing and arrangements make use of a chameleon-like mix of instrumentation across different records.