Megan McCormick

by Steve Leggett A Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Megan McCormick grew up in a musical family, picking up the guitar at the age of nine (she also plays lap steel guitar, mandolin, and bass), quickly working her way through style after style on the instrument, from blues, folk, and country to jazz and straight-out rock & roll. By the age of 12 she was already gigging in a band with her cousins. At the age of 15 she moved to Wasilla, AK (Sarah Palin's hometown) and began playing with a progressive bluegrass band called Bearfoot. A year later, at the age of 16, McCormick enrolled in East Tennessee State, studying with bluegrass players Raymond McLain and Jack Tottle, among others, and by the time she was 18 she was touring with Valerie Smith's bluegrass band. An excellent musician and player, she next split her time between playing with the jazz fusion group Missy Raines & the New Hip and the indie country band Everybodyfields. At the age of 20, McCormick did the obvious and moved to Nashville, where she quickly became an in-demand session player, thanks to her strong, distinctive, and varied guitar style. But McCormick was more than just a skilled guitarist -- she also had developed into a gifted songwriter, often writing with her friend Tami Hinesh. Pursing a solo career, McCormick was discovered by music lawyer Tyler Middleton, who helped her set up Nashville showcases, land a publishing deal, hire a manager, and -- eventually -- secure a record deal with Rykodisc, who released her debut album, Honest Words, produced by Dave O'Donnell, in 2010.