Kelly McGrath Brings Country to Weho

When you think of music in West Hollywood, you think of the Sunset Strip and the plethora of rock bands that play there. What you don’t often think of is country music. Kelly McGrath, a country-pop artist from Nashville, TN, may change that perception as she holds her own in a city that thrives on heavy drum beats and rowdy guitar riffs.

Since moving to Los Angeles six years ago, McGrath and her band have recorded three albums and played a countless number of shows across Southern California, including many stops at one of her favorite venues, Genghis Cohen. The fiery-haired songstress hosts a popular LA radio show called Music on Tap and recently released an album called Heartstrings.

We talked recently with McGrath, who explained the pros and cons of being a country singer in the rock-dominated world of Los Angeles. 

West Hollywood Patch: You’re originally from Tennessee. What brought you to Los Angeles?

Kelly McGrath: Music and acting brought me to Los Angeles from Tennessee. I had lived in Nashville for three years and I was in the process of finding my identity as an artist, which is hard to do in a country-dominated music town, so I moved to Los Angeles to freely discover my sound and who I was meant to be as an artist. Though I ended up being a country artist, it wasn't forced. It happened organically and it happened my way. I have lived here for six years now, made three records and I believe I got what I came here for.

Patch: Is it hard to be a country artist in a rock-centric city like West Hollywood?

McGrath: Honestly, it is just hard being an artist in Los Angeles, of any genre. LA is a tough city to be a live performer, because the people don't really support live music. There are so many things going on here all the time and everyone has a million events to attend and it's tough to get people's attention and get a loyal fan base here. There are pros and cons to being a country-based artist in a rock-centric city like LA. The pros of being a country artist in LA are that I am unique and different from most of the artists and live music here, so it gets people's attention and they remember it. The cons are that there isn't a big country music community here and not a lot of country music fans.

Patch: You run a local radio show in Los Angeles. Tell us a little bit about that.

McGrath: My radio show is called Music on Tap and is broadcast worldwide on latalkradio.com every Sunday evening at 7 p.m. PST. I created the show and have been hosting it for two and a half years now. Music on Tap is a show that centers around extraordinary musical talent, independent artists, seasoned music industry professionals and being a platform to get the word, music, stories and advice that all these amazing talented individuals have to offer other artists, bands and music fans. I wanted to create this show to bring the artists in the LA music scene together, to support each other, share our stories and journeys and help promote great music. 

Patch: Genghis Cohen seems to be your go-to Weho venue. Why is that?

McGrath: I love playing Genghis, because it is a well known and respected songwriter venue and people that come to shows there are there to respectfully listen to the performance and hear the music, and it's nice to have that respect from people when you're performing. Genghis also has some pretty rad food too.

Patch: Congrats on releasing a new CD. How is this one different?

McGrath: Heartstrings is my first full-length 13-song record and the songs are the best material I've ever written. This is my first record with co-writers and LA artists Keaton Simons and Shane Alexander. This new record really defines who I am as an artist and songwriter and captures the live show experience. I worked on this album for nine months and I couldn't be more proud of anything in my life. 

Patch: What inspires your song lyrics?

McGrath: My life. People I know and people I don't know. Movies, other artists, other music, other people stories, watching life happen and life in general inspires my songwriting, but most of my songs are written from my own life experiences.

Patch: When you are not working on your music, what do you do in and around West Hollywood?

McGrath: When I am not working, writing, recording, performing, radioing and traveling, my favorite things to do are hiking the canyons, going to see live music, hanging with friends, discovering new music, thrift store shopping and discovering new great restaurants in LA.

Patch: What’s on the agenda for the rest of 2011 for the band?

McGrath: In July, I will be playing record release industry showcases in Nashville and Austin promoting Heartstrings, and in August, I will be moving to Austin, Texas. My guitar player and producer Larry Marciano will be moving to Austin with me, but my drummer will stay in LA. My bass player has recently signed on as the on-stage bass player in Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis show in Las Vegas, so big things are happening for us all.

Patch: Any upcoming shows in West Hollywood?

McGrath: Not at the moment. I am focused on my shows in Nashville and Austin in a few weeks, but I play songwriter nights, charity benefits and last minute shows whenever I am asked all the time.