Name: Linda McRae

Birthplace: ~

Currently residing: On the Road

Musical past and present in one rambling run-on sentence: I was born, picked up an accordion at 6 quit at 14 started guitar and joined a band can’t remember the name played for a few years joined Easy Money moved away started Terminal City, was asked to join Spirit of the west spent years on the road playing all over hell’s half-acre, quit to do the solo career spending more time on the road playing all over hell’s half-acre including New Folsom Prison, festivals, bars and barns and folk clubs and the like and having way too much fun doing it oh and hopefully becoming a better songwriter and musician in the process largely due to the encouragement of my fantastic husband and manager James Whitmire who is also a retired donkey rancher turned poet who encouraged me to go to Nashville to work on my music and study with the masters and then get in his car and drive all over hell’s half-acre meeting so many fine folks and having the time of our lives traveling to and fro and currently promoting our brand new cd Rough Edges and Ragged Hearts that was released on our new label 42RPM and was produced by yours truly and Marc L’Esperance and features performances by Ray Bonneville, Doug Cox, Gurf Morlix, Samantha Parton, Tony Babin and The Sojourners I think I’m done.

Website: www.lindamcrae.com

1. Who are some of your favourite composers, musicians and bands from the past and present?

Hank Williams Sr. Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, Jean Ritchie, The Louvin Brothers, The Delmore Brothers, The Stanley Brothers, The New Lost City Ramblers, Skip James, The Band, Little Feat, The Beatles, The Stones, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Gurf Morlix, Ray Bonneville, Blaze Foley, Ray Wylie Hubbard.

2. Is there a particular song or musical passage that never fails to move you emotionally?

“Imagine there’s no heaven, It’s easy if you try 

no hell below us, above us only sky

Imagine all the people, living for today

you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one,

I hope some day you’ll join us 

and the world will be as one”

3. How would you describe your perfect day?

just like today and every day, listening to good music and hanging out with my husband and my friends (and getting a great review of my new CD!)

4. What would your friends say they appreciate the most about you?

my supportive nature and the fact that I CAN keep a secret!

5. What is your most valued material possession?

my 1963 J45 Gibson Guitar

6. Who were you, or would you be nervous to meet?

T-Bone Burnett at the Edmonton Folk Festival in 1993 I think it was

7. If you could blink your eyes and be in a favourite place right now, where would that place be?

there are so many thankfully but some that stand out are: Miltown Malbay, Ireland sitting in a small pub playing in a session with Luka Bloom, Anne Rynne, Siobhan O’Brien and friends singing and playing but there are so many more too…In a hotel room in Memphis, TN during Folk Alliance with my friend Denise Williams singing and playing with Tracy Schwarz and Ginny Hawker

8. Is there something you would like to do more of in the future?

spend time at a cabin on the water or in the mountains more often

9. Where would you like to find yourself in ten years?

Performing at the mother church, The Ryman Auditorium on stage with Neil Young!