Ever
have an experience at a live music show where you felt like the performers were
singing about something that you feel you have experienced with them? Like you
could share common memories with someone you’ve never met? Well, the exchange
that happens when you listen to Doug McKenna’s first solo album, “I Wrote These
Songs Specifically For Now” is something like that. You feel things that are
eerily familiar. You hear the words of a delicate thinker, an articulate
writer. You want to listen with your heart and you want to hug the person next
to you. Calling it “feel-good rock” would not do it proper justice, however.
Heartfelt, thoughtful, energetic, literate, studied, honest. These are things
that more accurately describe both the songs and the singer.
Doug
McKenna has led a life that lends itself to creating music with a distinct
sense of nostalgia. Raised in a supportive, loving military family that moved
around the globe during his childhood, he often finds himself looking back on
his life – through music - with a wistful, melancholic perspective and a love
of storytelling. And with stories like
his, who wouldn’t? His earliest musical
memories conjure images of a group of Army Cadets singing in a Glee
Club that
his father – an Army Officer – oversaw. He went through puberty in Germany. He
first learned to ski in the Italian Alps. He picked up his first guitar in
Kansas. He traveled to India and met Mother Teresa at her home in Calcutta. As
a result, an undeniably “worldly” wisdom permeates his voice as a writer.
But
there is much more to Doug McKenna
than simply being a grown-up “army brat” with a load of frequent flyer miles.
What is most unique about him is how down-to-earth and community-oriented he is
despite the time he’s spent in transit.
What’s more, he has the rare skill of being able to convey this in his
music without sounding too, well, “mushy”.
There is a strong sense of emotional responsibility that comes across in
his songs – similar to the likes of R.E.M., The Cowboy Junkies, and The Indigo
Girls, the artists who first inspired him to play music.
Since
he was a young boy, but especially during high school, Doug was an active
participant in church music. His first official live audiences were comprised
of members of his local Catholic community, and he soon became known for his
ability to both “freshen up” traditional religious hymns and write original songs suitable for a formal Catholic mass.
While
getting his Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Notre Dame, Doug formed
musical bonds with his colleagues in a band called “George and The Freeks”.
Being in his first official “band” was an eye-opening experience for Doug,
playing for enthusiastic college students who were looking for a good time. And
on all accounts, “GATF” delivered - they had a relatively large local
following. As is the case with many college bands, though, the group dissolved
as the members graduated. Upon graduation, Doug and a few musician friends
moved together to Washington, DC, where he formed a new band, a trio called
“Hoobajoob”. In DC, Doug developed a
home recording studio in their basement, and like many independent musicians,
started his own record label, Weakling
Records. Hoobajoob enjoyed playing gigs around town for a few years,
but soon members were getting married or moving, and they decided to
disband.
Doug
now finds himself living back in South Bend while his wife, Claire, is in law
school at his Alma Mater, Notre Dame.
His home recording studio is still in full effect, and he continues to
write and record music - this time as a solo artist, with the added challenge
of playing most of the instruments himself.
With “I Wrote These Songs Specifically For Now”, he brings his
worldliness back home, in a most touching and personal way. The songs bring forth comparisons to Glen
Phillips, Ryan Adams, David Grey, and even Dave Matthews (he’s a skilled
guitarist and singer!).
Despite
the suggestion in its title, the songwriting that appears on “IWTSSFN” took
place over several thoughtful years’ time. The same goes for the development of
the singer/songwriter that has finally emerged in this, the first solo album to
Doug’s credit.
Over
the years he has learned so much and grown as a musician – and each song is a
record of a moment captured so purely, so genuinely, that you can’t help but
feel that you might have been there to experience the moment with him. One
thing is for sure: the listening experience, most simply put, is timeless.
~Sara Tekula, 2002.