Ali McGuirk was one of Boston’s best-kept secrets. That is, until 2016, when Boston Globe rock critic Steve Morse selected her, along with Lake Street Dive and Haim among others, as must-hear artists. Now the cat’s out of the bag, as they say, and the critical praise has been non-stop ever since. McGuirk’s been riding that momentum, releasing a self-titled EP followed by her full-length album Slow Burn. Both earned her top spots on several music lists, and in 2017 a Boston Music Award Nomination for Best New Artist.
But being one of area’s rapidly rising artists doesn’t make performing easier for McGuirk. “Cilla, my bass-playing bestie, often reminds me that this set doesn't define you when I'm freaking out about what to play,” she tells us. “Music is a world of infinite decisions and every choice is usually gone as fast as it's made and that is kind of what makes it so amazing.”
McGuirk was raised in Massachusetts and her music roots here run deep. “My uncle was a noise rock musician in Boston back in the day,” she says. “He had a band called Pudding Maker, that was sort of an umbrella band for a lot of projects.” And when it came time, McGuirk’s uncle passed down the torch and started a band with her and her older brother (8 and 12, respectively) called The Youngins.
“We played at the Kirkland Cafe and Green Street Grill,” she says. “I played drums and sang ‘Wild Thing’ by The Troggs and a couple of my cool after-school teachers came out. It was pretty rock n' roll.”
Since then, McGuirk has found her spirit in the music of artists like Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston – and her sound has evolved into a fervent blend of R&B, folk, and classic soul. But she doesn’t let genre get in the way of her creative process. “There are a lot of nuanced implications that affect the mindset of an artist,” she tells us. “Sometimes I prefer to be mellow and introspective and sometimes I prefer to belt it out, but I don't want to be known for one or the other.”
“However, there is also an elephant in the room when it comes to race and genre that I think is important to address,” McGuirk says. “Sometimes I feel uncomfortable when [mostly white] people tell me they were surprised to hear my voice come out of my body, or say I sounded black, but I have African American musicians to thank for so much of my style and approach to singing.”
It's not news to be a white artist inspired by African American musicians, but I think it's important to call it out sometimes, since so much of American music is rooted in African American culture.
And for now, McGuirk’s just enjoying discovering all of the intricacies of the local sound. “I'm grateful that Boston has a taste for live jams and instrumentals and that there are so many virtuosic players,” she says. “We take music really seriously in Boston, and I think that is part of what makes us cool.”
The Boston Music Awards recently selectedAli McGuirk to be a part of the 617Sessions, a program that recognizes Boston-based artists who are making great contributions to the local scene, and rewards them with a day of studio recording.
Visit 617Sessions.com to learn more.
