Amy Mc Carley

Growing up in rural Alabama, Amy began playing guitar, sounding out chords to the 70's and 80's rock and country her young parents kept on heavy rotation at home while absorbing the hymnals doled out in weekly doses at the Southern Baptist church where her extended family attended fervently. In the 5th grade, she formed her first rock band with a couple of classmates and spent hours rehearsing in the attic of her grandparent's barn. McCarley says "Music is just something that's always been on my mind. Ever since I can remember I've admired the ability to conduct emotion in that way; to communicate something meaningful through that medium." It wasn't until her junior year at Rice University that Amy answered an ad for "guitarist wanted" in the Houston Chronicle and played her first show weeks later at the Mausoleum, a wine bar in the trendy Montrose district. As she explains "I just fell in love with the excitement of it all; the feeling of connection -of being valued." While pursuing a BA in Economics, Amy also studied classical guitar and music theory at Rice's prestigious Shepherd School of Music. During this time she continued to write lyrically, a compulsion that started in early childhood, and bought a four track to record her original tunes. Upon graduation, Amy returned to Alabama where she gained full-time employment with a NASA contractor in Huntsville. It was then that she began to pursue music seriously: writing emphatically, recording demos and playing shows with friends. After nearly a decade of performing locally with the occasional regional outburst, McCarley went on hiatus from Huntsville area stages to dedicate herself more fully to writing, recording, mixing and playing all the instruments on the tracks she put down in her home. The debut record of her work -a collection of gorgeous ballads interspersed with a smattering of up-tempo emotional rockers- has an intimate, lived in quality not often matched within the conventional parameters of a professional studio environment. Supporting cast members for the live act include legendary Huntsville talents drummer Michael Kilpatrick and bassist Jim Cavender. Masters of the trade with years of experience performing jazz, country, gospel, soul and rock -fronting or backing active bands across the southeast- the two bring added dimensions of color and texture that accentuate elegant melodies and give punch to the country infused rock tunes rounding out the set-list. Together, they compliment McCarley's under-stated guitar work and provocative vocal contributions to great effect. Heavy influences for Amy include Lucinda Williams, Chrissie Hynde, Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan and Steve Forbert but what echoes most prominently in her music is the distinctly southern inflected ache to communicate hard fought conclusions drawn to an audience. As the vast majority of the material details spiritual or moral dilemmas, these inner landscapes -fleshed out with breathtaking clarity- celebrate the commonalities of the human condition while making the sound of a woman evolving. In addition to her captivating voice, rich with character and presence, what sets the music of Amy McCarley apart is the strength of her writing combined with the depth of passion in the delivery.