Lori McKenna

Lorraine McKenna ( Giroux; born December 22, 1968) is an American folk, Americana, and country music singer-songwriter. In 2016, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and won Best Country Song for co-writing the hit single "Girl Crush" performed by Little Big Town. In 2017, she again won Best Country Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for writing "Humble and Kind" performed by Tim McGraw. McKenna along with Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby and Hillary Lindsey wrote the second single off the soundtrack to the 2018 film A Star Is Born called "Always Remember Us This Way." McKenna performed backing vocals along with Lindsey and Hemby, and the song received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Early and personal life McKenna was born and raised in Stoughton, Massachusetts, where she still lives today. Her mother died when she was seven years old, a theme often touched on in her music. She met her husband, Gene McKenna, in third grade She won awards at the Boston Music Awards, and performed at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 2004, singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier introduced McKenna's album Bittertown to her Nashville friends. Upon hearing it, Faith Hill stalled her completed 2005 record Fireflies to replace tracks with covers of McKenna's songs. Hill took McKenna to perform with her on the Oprah Winfrey Show. McGraw helped bring McKenna to Warner Bros. Nashville in 2007 and produced her album Unglamorous. She has written songs for artists including Sara Evans, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.

Collaborating with songwriters Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose, McKenna co-wrote the song "Girl Crush", and it became a hit for the band Little Big Town. McKenna wrote the song as "lullaby, guidebook, and tribute" to her five children.

Creative Nation, a Nashville-based company owned and operated by songwriter Luke Laird and his wife Beth, signed McKenna to a management and publishing deal in 2015.

"A Beautiful Noise" is a 2020 song collaboration by McKenna with 7 other female writers - Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Hillary Lindsey, Ruby Amanfu, Hailey Whitters and Linda Perry. Performed by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile, the song was produced with the purpose of inspiring American voters to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election. Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her second re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version) in 2021, including a song called "I Bet You Think About Me" featuring Chris Stapleton. The song was written by Swift and McKenna in 2011.

The award for Best Country Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards was won by "Crowded Table", sung by The Highwomen. The song was written in a collaborative effort by McKenna, Natalie Hemby and Brandi Carlile.

Discography Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales US Country US USHeat USFolk USIndie Paper Wings and Halo Release date: March 24, 2000 Label: Gyrox Records / Catalyst Disc / Signature Sounds — — — — — Pieces of Me Release date: November 20, 2001 Label: Signature Sounds / Catalyst Disc — — — — —The Kitchen Tapes Release date: February 10, 2004 Label: Gyrox Records — — — — — Bittertown Release date: May 11, 2004 Label: Signature Sounds / Warner Bros. Nashville — — — — — Unglamorous Release date: August 14, 2007 Label: Warner Bros. Nashville 19 109 1 — — Lorraine Release date: January 25, 2011 Label: Signature Sounds — 196 5 6 30 Massachusetts Release date: April 23, 2013 Label: 1-2-3-4-GO! — — 11 18 — Numbered Doors Release date: September 23, 2014 Label: Hoodie Songs — — 25 13 — The Bird and the Rifle Release date: July 29, 2016 Label: CN Records 19 — 6 4 15US: 4,500 The Tree Release date: July 20, 2018 Label: CN Records/ Thirty Tigers 39 — 1 9 4US: 5,100 The Balladeer Release date: July 24, 2020 Label: CN Records — — 20 25 — 1988 Release date: July 21, 2023 Label: CN Records — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Songwriting

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 2015 Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year "Girl Crush" 2016 Grammy Awards Song of the Year Best Country Song Academy of Country Music Awards Song of the Year Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year "Humble and Kind" 2017 Grammy Awards Best Country Song Best American Roots Performance "Wreck You" Best American Roots Song Best Americana Album The Bird and the Rifle Academy of Country Music Awards Songwriter of the Year Lori McKenna Song of the Year "Humble and Kind" Americana Music Honors & Awards Artist of the Year Lori McKenna Song of the Year "Wreck You" 2018 Grammy Awards Best Country Song "When Someone Stops Loving You" 2019Grammy Awards Album of the Year The Tree Song of the Year "People Get Old" "By Degrees" (with Mark Erelli, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Anaïs Mitchell and Josh Ritter) 2020 Grammy Awards Best Country Song "Crowded Table" 2021 Grammy Awards Song of the Year "A Beautiful Noise" 2022 Grammy Awards Best Country Song "I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)"