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And yet another project brought to life by Gil and Deb Stober of Bozeman’s Peak Recording (their busiest of 25 years to date!). This Bozeman singer/songwriter is backed by bassist Eddie T. and drummer Brian Crumine, but adds a bonus solo acoustic track, ”Lights,” so you can hear what she sounds like in a coffee house. Bonnie Raitt is an important influence, but she doesn’t sound like an imitator. Catch her live with her backing band, the Thirsty Three. - Billings Outpost
Story by Ian Graham | April 27, 2007
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You may remember Anna McGary from a profile in the March 8 Kaimin. Back then Anna was a no-name singer-songwriter in a college town, readying herself for the release of her debut album, “A Simple Turn.”
Fast-forward to now. McGary is still a no-name singer-songwriter in a college town, but she’s furiously promoting her recently released CD, playing a frenzy of shows in Bozeman and Missoula.
“A Simple Turn” is a collection of very listenable alt-pop songs reminiscent of the mid-90s surge of femme-rock. McGary’s voice flirts with restrained anger as often as it leans toward a playful, almost country-esque sound.
Her guitar-work is kept simple – almost no sound-altering effects or distortion come between what her fingers did in the studio and what hits the listener’s ear. If it was intentional, perhaps making her album title a theme throughout, it’s very clever. If it’s not, Anna, feel free to use that line. You can just owe me.
Lyrically, “A Simple Turn” takes on issues familiar to teens and 20-somethings. McGary tackles the confusion of relationships, the hard reality of ending them and coming to terms with young adulthood. But this is no Elliott Smith downer-fest; she pairs her lyrics with upbeat, fun melodies that make it easy to mistake for happy-go-lucky.
One of my favorite things about “A Simple Turn” is the lack of intrusive production on the album. Some bands freak out when they have a studio to work with, and it gets in the way of otherwise good music. Gil Stober of Peak Recording and Sound in Bozeman kept his work minimal, letting McGary’s songs speak for themselves.
“A Simple Turn” is available at Rockin’ Rudy’s and Ear Candy Music – ask for their “local artists” section. Anna will be playing at the UC Game Room at 9 p.m. May 1, and in the UC South Atrium at noon the following day.
A few of her songs are available to stream on her MySpace profile, http://www.myspace.com/annamcgary.
- Montana Kaimin
Discography
"Anna McGary" - Demo, released March 2006.
"A Simple Turn" - Album, releasd March 2007.
Photos
Bio
2007 TEMA (Trail/Entertainer Music Awards) Vocalist of the Year - Winner
- 2007 TEMA Finalist - Songwriter of the Year
- Finalist - 2006 Owl Lounge Singer/Songwriter Showcase
Anna McGary grew up in Bozeman, Montana with music in her soul. Her love of music began with listening to her father’s music while he graded papers. Anna sang along to everything and made up harmonies for songs by the Police, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and other great bands that resided in her dad’s record collection. Now hooked on singing, Anna always had the radio on and always had a melody in her head. She began playing percussion in fifth grade and pursued that avenue for five years. Anna also took piano lessons for two years, and ultimately stepped away from music to focus on volleyball in high school. Just a month before high school graduation, Anna picked up a guitar and hasn’t looked back. She started writing music right away, and headed to Missoula, Montana to begin Pre-Pharmacy studies at the University of Montana. Some of Anna’s influences at this point include John Mayer, Incubus, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews Band, and Led Zeppelin.
Slowly but surely, music crept back into the life of this girl, and she found herself sitting in on a recording session at Peak Recording and Sound in Bozeman. She knew this was not something to miss out on, so she saved her money up to record a four track demo, named simply “Anna McGary”. The Music bug had taken its bite, and Anna began playing open mic nights and small venues around the state. Eager for more, Anna returned to Peak Recording and Sound in March of 2007 and completed a ten-track CD, “A Simple Turn”. The album featured Brian Crumrine on Drums and Eddie T. on Bass.
It was a simple turn towards music now for Anna. She made the decision to pursue music as a career, and sought bigger arrangements with her sound. At this point, Anna had begun to develop a following in Missoula, and had just competed in the Trail/Entertainment Music Awards, winning the coveted title of Vocalist of the Year for 2007, and was a finalist in the category of Songwriter of the Year. Seeking the bigger sound, Anna began auditioning musicians and formed what is now Anna McGary and the Thirsty Three. The first member to come on board was Sam Ore, a bass player from Three Forks, Montana with 8 years of the craft under his belt. Sam is currently a music major at the University of Montana. Next to join the roster was Paul Monk on lead guitar.Paul has been in love with the stage from early in his life, beginning with acting before he picked up a guitar at age 13. Seven years and numerous bands later, Paul now finds himself playing with Anna. Finally, Aaron Johnson was recruited on drums. Raised in Butte, Montana, Aaron started playing the drums at 14 years old. His musical career began in a punk rock band called The Low Rollers (2003 - 2007) and he has played with various other Butte musicians, including studying under Mike McDaniel for two years.
Anna McGary and the Thirsty Three have played at the Other Side, the Badlander, and at Sean Kelly’s in Missoula, and are scheduled to play the 2008 River Rod Run in Missoula this summer. Their sound is best described as a powerful rock trio, led by a dynamic frontwoman, with talent in the areas of vocals, songwriting, guitar, and piano.
Anna currently wants to play her music for people as much as possible, and hopes to return to the studio soon to record again.
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