Sandra McCracken

Lo-Fi-Christmas EP

Download 3 traditional Christmas songs that I recorded and mixed on GarageBand in my kitchen for the month of December.  The artwork was pulled from a drawing made by Linda Roberts from her collection of Advent Doodle Drawings.

Published on December 2, 2011 at 3:52 pm | Permalink | 1 Comment

TSN Benefit Show Review

Thank you "My So-Called Soundtrack" for posting the review, photos and set list from the Nashville show last weekend! Read the blog post here.

Published on July 18, 2011 at 2:55 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments

Derek Webb & Sandra McCracken - TN EP Now Available!

TN EP - Release Date June 28, 2011

TN EP is the highly anticipated release from Derek Webb & Sandra McCracken, following 2008’s Ampersand EP.  Featuring the stylistic juxtaposition of two distinct singer/songwriters (and Derek Webb’s production), TN EP is not simply a patchwork collaboration but rather, it’s something entirely new.  Featuring five new original songs and two cover songs (Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper and Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound Of Silence), TN EP is as strong as a any major release from Webb or McCracken.  And it’s AVAILABLE NOW! 

See the music video for "From You To Me."

Download the single for FREE. 

Buy the album.

Published on June 27, 2011 at 11:28 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments

Nashville Benefit Show on 7/16

Sandra will be performing with a full band at 3rd & Lindsley to benefit the Trauma Survivors Network at Vanderbilt hospital.  Don't miss this special event.  Special guests also include Derek Webb and Handsome & Gretel.

Published on June 22, 2011 at 4:02 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments

Happy 10th Birthday, Gypsy Flat Road

Happy Birthday to my second record, Gypsy Flat Road!  I was remembering today when I wrote the title track on our honeymoon in California with our little backpacker guitar.  We had to lug that guitar all over the place while we traveled (we had way over-packed for that trip), but it was worth it in the end.

I remember the sessions when we recorded those songs...the orange carpet and walls in the MCA Universal studio over on music row.  The room was like a clubhouse, perfect for sound and atmosphere, and it was an incredible group of musicians (Bucky Baxter, James Digirolamo, Craig Wright, Millard Powers).   We tracked the songs live with King Williams masterfully engineering.  Jonathan Trebing gave shape to the performances as the producer and lead electric guitar player.  A couple times, we had to shuffle our schedules at the last minute because we had to record during the off times when the studio was not being used for country demos.

After it was all recorded, I remember asking Roger Moutenot to mix it, and although I was a HUGE fan of his work, I didn't have much cash.  But he was willing and gracious to work with me on a shoestring budget.  He was temporarily set up to mix in the old bank that was boarded up across the street from Woodland studios (in East Nashville).  This was just after Woodland had been closed for flooding and renovation. That bank building was dark and creepy (and filled with so much studio junk) except for Roger's mixing board and a modest sofa for listening.  He worked his magic on the songs...taking care to frame the mixes as a singer-songwriter record, with emphasis on the guitar/vocal performances. 

And I remember the CD release party at the Radio Cafe (which incidentally, is the local establishment that is now gone and sorely missed).  The night of the show, we had the whole band crammed on that tiny stage, and the show was loud and sort of gritty, but in the best way.  I remember seeing my husband beaming in the audience (we were newlyweds), and friends and folks packed into that narrow room.  

Listening to the album this morning, after all these years makes me a little uneasy at some of my vocals (let's just say I hope that means I've grown as a singer).  But self-conciousness aside, listening afresh makes me grateful for the experiences that brought these songs into being, and grateful for the way that these songs are still a part of me today. 

I'm uploading the album to NoiseTrade for you to download and share for a few weeks in hopes that these songs would be part of you, too.

GYPSY FLAT ROAD FREE DOWNLOAD

All the best,

Sandra

Published on April 16, 2011 at 5:45 pm | Permalink | 5 Comments

New article on Social Justice

New article by Sandra McCracken, featured in Comment Magazine.

"Conversation is a form of activism."
—Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, Caring For Words in a Culture of Lies

"As a follower of Jesus, social justice is something I am called to do perfectly. I fail. But Jesus has accomplished social justice on my behalf. This reality, like a new birth, liberates me to engage with my neighbours in mercy and humility. In the words of John Bunyan, 'Run and work, the law demands. But gives me neither feet nor hands. A better song the Gospel sings, It bids me fly, and gives me wings.'"

Link to full article: http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2288/

Published on October 25, 2010 at 4:38 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments

Handwritten In Feast Or Fallow Journals

September 11-17 Porter's Call is hosting a special auction to benefit their work and support for the arts community in Nashville (see blog post here)

THREE special edition screenprinted journals are part of the auction. Sandra has handwritten the lyrics for "In Feast Or Fallow" in each book.  A copy of the CD is also included in the price.

Here are the links to the three books for sale:

In Feast Or Fallow Journal and CD 1

In Feast Or Fallow Journal and CD 2

In Feast Or Fallow Journal and CD 3

Hurry, they won't last long!

Published on September 11, 2010 at 3:13 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments

New Piano/Vocal/Guitar music available

We have just finished the full music charts for The Builder And The Architect and In Feast Or Fallow!  You can download the PDFs from the webstore and print them for performance use.  Special thanks to Luke Brodine for his work on these arrangements!  

Published on August 25, 2010 at 1:53 pm | Permalink | 1 Comment