Tag: michael mcdermott

Americana One #32 Michael McDermott embraces his “Orphans”

Michael McDermott
Michael McDermott at the 30A Songwriters Festival

In this week’s Americana One podcast, Michael McDermott talks about his rich career, his personal struggles and his new “Orphans” album, an engaging collection of songs that didn’t quite fit elsewhere.

Americana One is a weekly radio show on the 100,000-watt WMOT Roots Radio station heard throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee and streamed to a national audience via the Roots Radio App. The show is also a podcast available on iTunes, Google Play and all the leading podcast providers. Subscribe now.

Michael McDermott on writing the truth

Michael McDermott at the 30A Songwriters Festival

We visited with Michael McDermott about his new collection “Orphans” at the 30A Songwriters Festival, but also spoke about his truthful songwriting and his penchant for performing the National Anthem. Here’s an excerpt:

Michael McDermott


The full interview will be available soon on the Americana Music News Podcast (find it on iTunes) and broadcast on WMOT Roots Radio.

Tin Pan South: Peter Yarrow, Roger Cook, Larry Weiss, Michael McDermott

Peter Yarrow and Roger Cook

One of the opening shows on opening night of Tin Pan South in Nashville featured three songwriters with some of the best copyrights in popular music.  Roger Cook, Peter Yarrow, Larry Weiss and Michael McDermott showcased their catalogs at the Listening Room Café.

McDermott acknowledged that he was the poorest of the four and the only one without a monster hit.  A little self-deprecation is helpful when you’re sandwiched between Peter Yarrow doing his “Puff the Magic Dragon” and  the always entertaining Roger Cook performing a ukulele version of his Hollies hit “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress.)” Still, McDermott proved to be the most dynamic performer.

Weiss kept the crowd waiting for something familiar until late in the set, finally performing a mini-medley of “Bend Me Shape Me” (a hit for the American Breed) and “Help Me Girl,” an underrated 1966 single from Eric Burdon and the Animals. Weiss saved “Rhinestone Cowboy” for a crowd-pleasing finale.

Tin Pan South Festival: Opening night preview

You’ll find great music in Nashville’s clubs all this week as they host the annual Tin Pan South Festival, a celebration of songwriters. Venues all over town feature singers and songwriters, typically in the round in groups of four. The performances are short on flash and high in talent.

The 2012 festival kicks off tonight. Among the evening’s highlights:

6 p.m.

Belcourt Taps and Tapas: Sally Barris, Don Henry and Tom Kimmel are all accomplished songwriters, but collectively they’re known as the Waymores, a vibrant new trio with an album due for release.  Plus guest Dana Cooper.

Listening Room Café – Roger Cook (“Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” and many more), Peter Yarrow of Peter,  Paul and Mary,  and Michael McDermott are joined by Larry Weiss, who wrote “Rhinestone Cowboy” for Glen Campbell and  “Bend Me Shape Me” for the American Breed.

9 p.m.

Commodore Grill – Walter Egan, Mary Gauthier, Ed Pettersen and Jim Photoglo span multiple decades and genres. Egan enjoyed rock stardom with “Magnet and Steel,” Photoglo has had huge success as a country writer and Gauthier writes compelling and often heartbreaking songs.

Eat at Loew’s Vanderbilt: Sherrie Austin, Steve Bogard, Lindsay Ell and Rob Hatch are a great line-up, but the special draw here is the appearance of Elliot Lurie, who wrote and sang the 1972 pop classic “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” for his band the Looking Glass.