Shannon McNally Releases New Studio Album 'Black Irish' Today

In the past few months alone, Shannon performed with Willie Nelson and The Avett Brothers at the Ray Benson Birthday Bash at SXSW, appeared on Good Day NY and WFUV, gigged regularly with her cohort Charlie Sexton, toured w/ Stephen Stills and Kenny Wayne Shepherd and has been praised by American Songwriter, No Depression, Elmore and more. Black Irish recently debuted at #24 on the Americana chart and #41 on Triple A and climbing.

After going through what she calls "a miserable divorce," raising her daughter Maeve, and nursing her terminally ill mother Maureen, McNally moved in with her parents in Holly Springs, Mississippi, caring for her mom until her death in 2015. What saved her was her email relationship with Rodney Crowell, who'd been talking about producing her since 2012. Together the two wrote songs and exchanged cover ideas until Black Irish was born.

Album opener "You Made Me Feel For You" was written by Crowell, and serves as a metaphor for their collaboration - how his particular understanding of her unique gifts pulled out the career-defining album many have been waiting for since she came on the scene.

Watch the thermodynamic video for "You Made Me Feel For You" at HitsMeUp HERE.

The primary colors of American music are black and white, and Black Irish displays that hybrid in many shades, mixing country, blues, soul, rock, folk balladry and classic pop. Shannon co-wrote three of the album's 12 songs - one with producer Crowell, who also penned two more for her; the rest include personal favorites by Stevie Wonder ("I Ain't Gonna Stand For It"), Robbie Robertson ("It Makes No Difference"), J.J. Cale ("Low Rider"), Muddy Waters ("The Stuff You Got to Watch"), The Staple Singers ("Let's Go Home") and more. The result is an album that stands with the best of classic vocal interpreters like Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Maria Muldaur.