next member lin mcewan
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 For the majority of Lin McEwan's young life, people assumed she couldn't sing because her unusually low voice didn't allow her to tackle the standard soprano parts.
"My voice was so strange for my age," she recalls, "that when I was in the eighth grade, I had to play Santa Claus because the boys voices hadn't changed yet, and I was the only one who could do a convincing, Ho, ho, ho."
It wasn't until she was 16 that she stepped onto the stage of her Baltimore high school's gala gospel concert to give her first ever solo performance, a rousing blues take of "Amazing Grace," for which she received a thunderous three-minute standing ovation.
Since then, Lin's repertoire and range have expanded significantly, as evidenced on her 2006 debut album. This self-titled LP features an eclectic collection of songs fusing rock, blues, pop, and funk. Tying it all together are Lin's powerhouse, soul-tinged vocals, evoking the old-school sounds of Mavis Staples, Nina Simone, Tina Turner, and even Bonnie Raitt.
"Lin's voice is both beautiful and powerful," says Jeanne Drewsen, formerly of Artemis/V2 Records, "but it's greatest strength is its singularity. You can be certain you've never heard anyone quite like Lin McEwan."
Since graduating from Vanderbilt University, Lin has settled in New York, where she put together a talented group of instrumentalists who have backed the likes of Mike Stern and Gavin DeGraw. Together they have appeared at such landmark establishments as CBGB's and the Bitter End, as well as the Living Room, the Rockwood Music Hall, the Cutting Room, Crash Mansion, Arlene's Grocery, and Kennys Castaway's. But she still considers Baltimore home and takes the band back as often as possible.
Lin is also a proud member of ASCAP and the NAPM. |
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United States of America