The Erin McDermott Band
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The Erin McDermott Band

Nashville, Tennessee, United States | INDIE

Nashville, Tennessee, United States | INDIE
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"Erin McDermott"

Meet Erin McDermott stepping out with her first solo album, Time to Go.

Erin hits the ground in solid stride with Bluegrass heavyweights: Tim O’Brien, Bryan Sutton and Stuart Duncan.

The album was produced by Grammy award winning producer, Brent Truitt. Together they deliver an inspired set of originals that are at once new but comfortingly familiar. - Australian Bluegrass Blog


""Time to Go" by Erin McDermott"

Vermont singer-songwriter Erin McDermott picked up some of Nashville’s best acoustic pickers for this 12-song, 52-minute outing, and the results are satisfying, if a little unexpected. Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar), Stuart Duncan (fiddle and cello), Byron House (bass), Brent Truitt (mandolin) and Scott Vestal (banjo) back McDermott’s strong vocals on fine slice of progressive bluegrass on the album’s opening cut “Going Home.”

The rest of the album inhabits that hard-to-classify space that many singer-songwriters inhabit somewhere between rock, folk, country and even pop. The several flavors are created not just by the acoustic musicians, but by the addition of electric guitar from Truitt, drums from John Garner and pedal steel from the incomparable Paul Franklin.

The main ingredient, though, is McDermott’s rich voice that at times packs enough punch to out-sing all three Dixie Chicks at once. Some of that sass is evident on tracks like “Time to Go,” “Fowler Farm” and the delightful second-chance celebration “Louise.”

McDermott’s more subtle side is evident on tough relationship songs “Sometimes” and “Before Love Passes Us By” and on the heart-wrenching tale “Truth of Suffering,” perhaps the best-written of a fine batch of songs. “Already Leaving” is the best-arranged, with a shimmering steel interlude from Franklin leading into the song’s soaring second half.

“Weeping Willow,” a song from the tree’s point-of-view, “40-Acre Holocaust,” about the battle of Antietam and “Baker Street,” an ode to small-town country life, round out the album, giving some extra texture to a fine effort. - Lonesome Road Review


"JEREMY DARROW "ON THE ROAD" WITH "TIME TO GO""

Time on the road means quality time with my headphones and for a few months I’ve been listening to a pre-release copy of Time to go from Vermont artist Erin McDermott. I had the chance to play a show with Erin several weeks ago while she was visiting Nashville. The show was fun and the whole band sounded great on just one short rehearsal. Before I go any further, since I’m pretending to be a journalist, I should mention that Erin and her producer Brent Truitt are good friends of mine and I was able to play a small role in putting them in touch with each other. There, full-disclosure requirements satisfied.
The lineup of musicians on Time to go is superior, including Bryan Sutton, Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, Byron House, Randy Kohrs, Paul Franklin, Scott Vestal, John Gardner and Brent Truitt. Vermonter Matt Schrag, from Erin’s touring band, came to Nashville for a guest mandolin appearance on the title cut. His contribution to the record should put him in your radar if he’s not there already. Players of this caliber and a producer of Truitt’s skill will make any record sound great, even if there is little to work with in the way of material or singing chops from the artist. In this case, however, Erin’s songwriting and singing is equal in every way to the musicians who appear on Time to go. In my mind, McDermott is a singer-songwriter of the highest order. She takes her craft seriously and is unafraid to dig deep to present nuanced stories and characters. As a result, each song on Time to go stands out beautifully in its own way. Every one is rich enough to enjoy on its own, or as part of the whole record. Each person you meet during the course of Time to go has a real story to tell you in their own words. It’s all Erin’s voice, but her characters breathe on their own, drawing you along from one end of this record to the other.
Because the song selection and sequence are so strong, I’m reluctant to discuss any track individually. I will say that, as of right now, my two favorite cuts are the lead-off track Going Home and track number 10, Weeping Willow. It’s worth mentioning that I usually find later tracks on records to be weaker, buried at the back so to speak, but the strength of this collection of songs allows the sequence to progress steadily without so much as a hiccup.
Great stories thrive in the hands of great storytellers and Time to go is a perfect example of this effect. Erin is a terrific technical signer as well as a compelling one, and performing with her is like attending a vocal workshop. She produces a huge tone, her ornaments and flourishes are unique and well-placed without a trace of contrivance. All of this is well-represented on the record, a hallmark of the work of a highly skilled touch behind the scenes. Producer Brent Truitt has done a masterful job bringing Time to go to life. His clear vision and steady hand are evident, as is his fine mandolin playing. Brent is a great lead player, but he is one of THE great complimentary players. His ideas go well past the usual chopping and backup playing to become textural elements of each track. I’ve been enjoying Time to go immensely. Now that it has been released everyone else can enjoy it too.
CLICK HERE To Order "Time To Go" by Erin McDermott
“On The Road” with "Time To Go" by Erin McDermott
By Jeremy Darrow of Roustabout - The Acousticana Journal


"Bryan Sutton"

"Erin McDermott and her songs are one in the same. They're both honest, engaging, and immediately likable."
- Bryan Sutton, Grammy Award Winner and IBMA Guitarist of the Year - Bryan Sutton


"Infamous Stringdusters"

"When I put this record in my player, Erin had my attention from the beginning. Her sweet vocal tone, and engaging lyrics are a pleasure to listen to. The lush sounds, and the spirit of freedom you get from “Time To Go” make this record stay fresh top to bottom. Not to mention the fantastic musicians! Songs like these don’t come around all the time, so sit back and enjoy!"
- Andy Hall, The Infamous Stringdusters - Andy Hall


"Erin McDermott: Stellar CD introduces local singer-songwriter with a touch of Nashville"

Calais singer-songwriter Erin McDermott has gathered an all-star cast of nationally recognized musicians to back her in her first solo album. The result, “Time to Go,” is a flawless recording that could propel her into the national limelight.

McDermott’s story is one of lucky connections backed by a solid musical foundation. McDermott, who was last heard in these parts on the 2009 Dixie Red Delights release “Bare Hoot,” said she sent a demo CD of her songs without a band backing her to Brent Truitt, a producer in Nashville.

Truitt, who plays mandolin and guitar, has toured with the Dixie Chicks and Dolly Parton. He and McDermott had met before her submission.

“He said he liked my music,” said McDermott in an interview.

After several conversations with Truitt, a time was arranged for her to travel to Nashville, where bluegrass studio superstars Bryan Sutton, Stuart Duncan, Byron House, Scott Vestal and Truitt laid down the basic tracks to which McDermott later overdubbed her vocals. Other lead instruments were also added. The album was finished in March and released early this year.

According to McDermott, “Nashville is like the overdubbing capital, all of these guys are incredibly talented. I have never experienced the kind of musicianship these guys have.”

Another Nashville bluegrass heavyweight making a cameo vocal appearance is Tim O’Brien, who, along with Sutton, performed in Randolph last fall.

The result is an aurally lovely folk-grass album. She described her music as “Americana, a genre of its own that doesn’t fit anywhere in particular.”

While the opening track, “Going Home,” features banjo, most of the 11 other tracks feature fiddle (Duncan) or mandolin (Truitt) with Sutton’s flashy acoustic guitar throughout.

McDermott is a fine singer. Her soprano vocals are pitch-perfect and often soar above the instruments. She writes thoughtful lyrics, and “Going Home” should be picked up by other bluegrass bands and added to their repertoire. Track four, “Fowler Farm,” is a hard-luck, down-and-out song that reminded me of the movie “Winter’s Bone.” It too would make a bluegrass standard.

McDermott, at 34, has been writing songs and performing since age 17 when she was in high school outside Allentown, Pa. A Vermonter for 13 years now, she has performed throughout the state solo, in a duo and in several bands. She’s also ventured out of state and has played in Asheville, N.C., toured from Vermont down the East Coast to Nashville and toured Ireland in 2010.

McDermott said that, even with such a fine-sounding album, getting a national tour together is taking longer than she had hoped. As a result, she is going to visit Nashville in April and try her hand at co-writing with other songwriters.

“It’s kind of a hub for songwriters in my style,” she said of country music. “It’s a songwriting mecca for many genres, and it’s really inspiring to be surrounded by these amazing musicians.”

While she awaits national tour dates, McDermott said she is looking for some suitable venues to perform in with her current band, The Erin McDermott Band. She has D. Davis on guitar, Matt Schrag on mandolin, Pat Melvin on bass, Ryan Hayes on drums and Bill Gafton on banjo.

With “Time to Go” under her belt, McDermott only needs a good break to become the next Nashville up-and-coming talent.

Erin McDermott’s “Time to Go” is available at Buch Spieler in Montpelier. Information as well as the CD are available at www.erinmcdermott.net.
- Times Argus


"Erin McDermott- Time To Go"


Since releasing Bear Hoot, her debut offering with the Dixie Red Delights in 2008, central-Vermont-based songwriter Erin McDermott has set her sights on bigger and better stages. Shuttling back and forth to Nashville, that rhinestone-studded Mecca for Americana artists with commercial ambitions, McDermott aims to bring her full-voiced twang to the masses. On her latest solo effort, the perhaps prophetically titled Time to Go, McDermott proves she’s got the chops and sensibilities to make a go of it on the national stage.

Where Bear Hoot presented a sassy songwriter with a knack for down-home, boot-stomping revelry, Time to Go reveals a deeper, more refined side of McDermott. “Going Home” is a heartfelt ode to road-weary dreamers. McDermott hardly breaks the mold, lyrically. But her efficient wordplay is made more effective by her compelling vocal performance. She’s always been a naturally gifted singer, but her lines here, and throughout the record, showcase a nuanced approach. She coaxes every weeping ounce of emotion from her straightforward prose.

Not that McDermott lacked talent with which to surround herself in the Green Mountains — the Dixie Red Delights featured a number of excellent local players, most notably guitar ace Doug Perkins. But one of the reasons songwriters have long sought their fortunes in Nashville is the city’s overabundance of elite instrumentalists. McDermott has practically enlisted a Who’s Who of Nashville session players on Time to Go, including Rounder Records’ Stuart Duncan on fiddle and cello, Sugar Hill recording artist Bryan Sutton on acoustic guitar, and legendary songwriter Tim O’Brien on backing vocals, to name a few. The results are predictably sparkling.

Without exception, McDermott’s finely expressive performances are framed with immaculate and impeccably played arrangements, especially on album standouts such as the stunning “Truth of Suffering,” “Already Leaving” and the grass-pop barn burner “Louise.” Not to be outdone, local mando whiz Matt Schrag more than holds his own on the title track. Vermont represent.

But the clear star here is McDermott, who walks a fine line between glossy country sheen and down-home Americana grit — doubly tough to do in fancy cowboy boots, mind you. To be sure, there are moments here that tread uncomfortably close to Nashville schmaltz — “Fowler Farm,” for example. But more often than not, McDermott stays true to her roots, suggesting that, sadly enough, it may indeed be time for her to go.

Erin McDermott performs with her trio on Saturday, February 5, at 1/2 Lounge in Burlington. - Seven Days Vermont


"Tim O'Brien"

“Erin McDermott writes short stories in song about small town life in Vermont. Her characters come alive in the songs and you get to know these real people by the time the second chorus comes around. With a voice as strong and as uniquely expressive as her lyrics, Erin is a songwriter to watch in the coming years.”


Tim O’Brien (Singer Songwriter)

- Timmy O


Discography

Time To Go

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Bio

“Erin McDermott writes short stories in song about small town life in Vermont. Her characters come alive in the songs and you get to know these real people by the time the second chorus comes around. With a voice as strong and as uniquely expressive as her lyrics, Erin is a songwriter to watch in the coming years.”

Tim O’Brien (Grammy Award Winner-Singer Songwriter)
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Meet Erin McDermott before the gig, with a Guinness in her hand and a self-effacing wit at the ready, and you’d never suspect the transformation that’s about to take place. But when she sets down her pint and steps onto stage, pay attention. A spruce-topped six string launches into a steam-driving rhythm and her voice rises, gaining power and soaring to a pure quavering vulnerability that makes even the club regulars, the ones who’ve heard it all, stop talking and really listen.

And why not? It’s more than the alt-folk barnburners and whiskied-up ballads Erin conjures, the achingly rich, superbly rendered tales of rural America present and past. It’s more than the magnificent players she surrounds herself with, from the hottest pickers in Vermont’s Green Mountains to the Nashville hotshots like Grammy Award winner Tim O’Brien, IBMA "Guitarist of the Year" Bryan Sutton, and ACM "Fiddle Player of the Year" Stuart Duncan, who back her up on her latest album, “Time to Go.” When Erin McDermott sings, it’s an emotional testament to what it is to be human—the sweet and the bitter of life, the pure glory and the heartbreaking, bewildering loss. Live or on record, she’s a performer you don’t want to miss.

The Band:

Jeremy Darrow-

Double bassist Jeremy Darrow returned to the Bluegrass he grew up on after formal Jazz studies. His versatility, and understated bass lines have made him an in-demand player, in Bluegrass and beyond. He has appeared onstage at many top festivals and programs including Merlefest, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour and The Grand Old Opry. Among many others, he has performed with the Dixie-Bee-Liners, The Jeff and Vida Band, Michael Martin Murphey, Antje Duvekot, and Josh Joplin.