Sandra McCracken

Sandra McCracken
Sandra McCracken in performance at Ecclesia Church in Houston, Texas on September 24, 2006.
Background information
Birth name Sandra Marie McCracken
Born (1977-06-16) June 16, 1977
Origin St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Genres Americana, folk, gospel music
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter
Years active 1999–present
Labels Shell, Towhee
Associated acts Derek Webb
Website sandramccracken.com

Sandra Marie McCracken[1] (born June 16, 1977) is an independent singer-songwriter. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Background

As a singer/songwriter, McCracken has penned and co-written songs for Caedmon's Call (on albums In the Company of Angels, Back Home, and Overdressed) as well as for Derek Webb's solo release, She Must and Shall Go Free, BiFrost Arts recordings, All Sons & Daughters, Audrey Assad and others. McCracken has recorded ten studio albums of her own.

McCracken grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and attended Westminster Christian Academy. McCracken began her musical career shortly after graduating from Belmont University, in 1999. She independently released two albums, The Crucible and Gypsy Flat Road in 2000, and 2001 respectively.

McCracken and Derek Webb performing at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC on November 6, 2007.

In late 2003, McCracken recorded Best Laid Plans with engineer, Ray Kennedy (Twang Trust) and world-renowned producer, Peter Collins.[2] In the summer of 2004, McCracken signed the album to Shell Records in London, headed by UK music business legend, Dave Robinson. Shell released the album in the UK, followed by two radio singles, "Last Goodbye" and "No More Tears," which received significant airplay and attention across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.[3]

In 2005, McCracken released The Builder and the Architect, an album of hymns. The same team that worked on Best Laid Plans came together again in February 2006 to record album number five, Gravity / Love which was released in September 2006. In 2010, McCracken released In Feast or Fallow, another album of hymns, recorded at her home studio in East Nashville.[4][5] Desire Like Dynamite was released in February 2013[6] and it explores deeper dimensions of sound and grace.[7]

On April 17, 2014, Sandra McCracken and her husband fellow singer-songwriter Derek Webb, announced that their marriage was coming to an end after thirteen years due to Webb's involvement in an extramarital affair.[8][9]

In addition to her solo recordings, 2012 McCracken also co-founded the kids music group, Rain for Roots, with fellow singer-songwriters Ellie Holcomb, Katy Bowser and Flo Paris. They have released three albums, Big Stories for Little Ones, The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like This, and Waiting Songs.

In 2015, McCracken's Psalms album was released without a label, and it charted in the top 50 on Billboard Heatseekers Chart. In 2016, she released God's Highway and it placed No. 49 in the Billboard Heatseekers Chart upon release.[10]

McCracken lists her musical influences as Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.[11]

Discography

Studio albums

  • 2000 – The Crucible
  • 2001 – Gypsy Flat Road
  • 2004 – Best Laid Plans
  • 2005 – The Builder and the Architect
  • 2006 – Gravity / Love
  • 2008 – Ampersand EP (with Derek Webb)
  • 2008 – Red Balloon
  • 2010 – In Feast or Fallow
  • 2011 – TN EP (with Derek Webb)
  • 2013 – Desire Like Dynamite[12]
  • 2015 – Psalms[13]
  • 2016 – God's Highway
  • 2018 – Songs From The Valley

Live albums

  • 2009 – Live Under Lights and Wires
  • 2017 – Steadfast Live

With Rain for Roots

  • 2012 – Big Stories for Little Ones (with Ellie Holcomb, Katy Bowser, Flo Paris, words by Sally Lloyd-Jones)
  • 2014 – The Kingdom of Heaven is Like This (with Ellie Holcomb, Katy Bowser, Flo Paris)
  • 2015 – Waiting Songs (with Katy Bowser and Flo Paris)

Notes and references

  1. ↑ American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. "Almighty God Work ID: 886831052 ISWC: T9140398330". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved April 19, 2015. Work ID: 886831052 ISWC: T9140398330
  2. ↑ Best Laid Plans. Archived March 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Sandra McCracken.com. Retrieved January 22, 2007
  3. ↑ Best Laid Plans. MusicOMH.com. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
  4. ↑ Liner Notes, In Feast or Fallow
  5. ↑ "Amazon.com: Sandra McCracken: In Feast Or Fallow: Music". amazon.com. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Amazon.com: Desire Like Dynamite: Sandra McCracken: MP3 Downloads". amazon.com. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  7. ↑ "McCracken, Sandra". ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  8. ↑ "DEREK WEBB". tumblr.com. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken's Divorce Announcement Rocks Christian Music Community". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Sandra McCracken - Chart history - Billboard". Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  11. ↑ Davis, Cara. Sandra McCracken: No Shortcuts Archived October 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.. Radiant Magazine. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
  12. ↑ Hyde, Oscar (January 2, 2014). "Review: Desire Like Dynamite - Sandra McCracken". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  13. ↑ Attmore, Joy (December 22, 2015). "Review: Psalms: Sandra McCracken". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
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