Lori McKenna is an American folk singer-songwriter from Stoughton, Massachusetts, born in 1968. Her first name is Lorraine, and she was named after her mother, who died when McKenna was seven.

She grows up in Massachusetts in a musical household: her father is a strong singer, her mother plays piano, and two older brothers write songs. One brother, Richard, has a major influence on her career, encouraging her to play open mic nights and helping build her confidence as a performer. McKenna does not begin performing her songs in public until she is 27, after she and her husband Gene already have three children. They continue to live in Stoughton and later have two more children.

McKenna becomes a fixture on the Boston folk scene and develops a friendship with Mary Gauthier. Through Gauthier, her songs reach Nashville publishers and then Faith Hill, who records three of them for Fireflies. Other artists who record McKenna’s songs include Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss, Keith Urban and LeAnn Rimes.

Songwriting and themes

McKenna is known for writing about domestic life, relationships, family and place, often focusing on small, specific details. Her songs often draw on Stoughton and her home life, including the working-class community around her and personal moments at the kitchen sink. “Buy This Town” is a tribute to Stoughton and its neighbours, while “The Luxury of Knowing” and “You Get A Love Song” explore the tensions, insecurity and everyday affection within long-term relationships. Family also appears strongly in her writing, particularly in songs connected to her mother and the name Lorraine.

Albums and career

Her album releases include Paper Wings and Halo and Halo (2000), Pieces of Me (2001), The Kitchen Tapes (2004), Bittertown (2004), Unglamorous (2007), Lorraine (2011) and Massachusetts (2013). Lorraine is especially personal, reflecting on her mother’s influence, her own role in her family and community, and the emotional weight of memory. Unglamorous is released by Warner Brothers and is co-produced by Tim McGraw. McKenna also appears on Oprah and opens on McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul tour during this period.

After her time with Warner Brothers, she leaves the label and works without a label or manager. Her music continues to draw recognition for its detail, emotional directness and focus on everyday life.