Label debut Til It’s Gone out September 16th via Signature Sounds; McGuirk’s tour continues in September at AMERICANAFEST 2022
September 7, 2022 – Burlington, VT – “It’s the last song on the record, but definitely one of my favorites,” says Ali McGuirk of her newly-released single, “Milk.” Flanked by rowdy, swirling electric guitars over a slow but swinging 6/8 groove, McGuirk uses her soulful, smokey voice to go about framing a love story in an unlikely setting. “I think we created a whole dystopian love scene on this one,” she says. For an album that spans the subgenres of R&B, McGuirk’s upcoming Til It’s Gone—out September 16th via Signature Sounds—only partially dips into the rock and roll side of things until the album-closing “Milk” takes it into full-on Hendrix- and Joplin-era psychedelia; a poignant punctuation mark that she sought out from the beginning of production. “I wanted heavy guitar and rock and roll on this record, and I think ‘Milk’ really delivered that,” McGuirk remembers. “I wanted the vocals to be distorted and the guitars to be out front.” Yesterday, JamBase gave fans an early look at the “captivating” music video.
Fans can hear the guitar-laden slow-burn of “Milk” today at this link, check out Ali’s previously-released Til It’s Gone music videos, “X Boyfriends” and “All Back,” at their respective links, and pre-order or pre-save Til It’s Gone ahead of its September release right here. Ali’s tour continues on September 16th in Nashville for AMERICANAFEST 2022. A full list of dates can be found below or at alimcguirk.com.
More About Til It’s Gone: On the recommendation of producer Jonah Tolchin (a star singer-songwriter in his own right), McGuirk traveled from her adopted home of Burlington, Vermont, to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake to track much of Til It’s Gone. A sublime set of songs that pairs McGuirk’s trademark soul sound with rootsy turns and raw rock ‘n’ roll detours, the album began to bloom at the L.A. sessions. McGuirk remembers describing to Tolchin the vibe she envisioned for the record. She mentioned something about it being akin to the cool fusion of styles that Little Feat achieved in the ’70s—that funky, twangy, jazzy and thoroughly-authentic feel. Tolchin suggested they just call up legendary Little Feat guitarist/mandolinist Fred Tackett and get him to lay down a few parts.
“Fred Tackett came in and was casually telling stories about sessions he did with Ringo and Harry Nilsson like it’s not a big deal,” McGuirk says with a laugh. “It took me a minute to acclimate, but once the music started, everyone was so supportive and into the tunes.”
Tolchin and engineer/studio owner Sheldon Gomberg recruited an A-list of session players including Tackett, organist Larry Goldings (James Taylor, Norah Jones), singer Valerie Pinkston (Ray Charles, Luther Vandross), percussionist Lenny Castro (Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder), and more. They provided astounding chops, but the true magic of Til It’s Gone comes from McGuirk’s singular voice as both singer and songwriter. The nine tracks—songs that run from intimate introspection to wider meditations on oppression and justice—succeed because McGuirk has composed dynamic, hypnotic frames for her vocals.
Catch Ali McGuirk On Tour:
Sept. 16 – Nashville, TN – Five Spot (AMERICANAFEST)
Sept. 17 – Easthampton, MA – Arcadia Music Festival
Sept. 28- Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java
Sept. 30 – Providence, RI – Askew
Oct. 1 – Albany, NY – The Linda
Oct. 2 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room
Oct. 5 – Lancaster, PA – Tellus360
Oct. 6 – Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House
Oct. 7 – Somerville, MA – The Crystal Ballroom at the Somerville Theater
Oct. 8 – New Haven, CT – Cafe Nine
Oct. 9 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater
Oct. 13 – Egremont, MA – The Barn
Oct. 14 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Lounge
Oct. 15 – Upper Jay, NY – Upper Jay Art Center
Oct. 19 – Syracuse, NY – 443 Listening Room
Oct. 20 – Peninsula, OH – G.A.R. Hall
Oct. 22 – Rochester, NY – The Abilene
Oct. 23 – Buffalo, NY – Sportsmen’s Tavern
Oct. 28 – Keene, NH – The Colonial Theatre
Oct. 29 – Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square
All tour dates and ticket information can be found at alimcguirk.com.
More About Ali McGuirk: Growing up just outside Boston, McGuirk doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t want to be a singer. In her teenage years, she found inspiration from vocalists like Lauryn Hill and Aretha Franklin, eventually gravitating toward powerhouses like Sarah Vaughan and Abbey Lincoln in college. After a couple of decades of absorbing ’90s r&b,’70s singer-songwriters, and classic soul and jazz of every era, McGuirk found her own aesthetic: earthy, pure, propelled by a voice capable of whispering dark truths or belting out big hooks on her originals. Boston responded with a wave of love. The Boston Globe named her an “artist to hear.” She racked up nominations and wins at both the Boston Music Awards and New England Music Awards. Her standing-room-only residency at Somerville’s Bull McCabe’s Pub delivered electric performances. Til It’s Gone also features key contributions from McGuirk’s Boston bandmates such as guitar ace Jeffrey Lockhart.