As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter and musician Lori McKenna shares her Quarantine Diary. Lori's forthcoming album, The Balladeer, drops on July 24 via Thirty Tigers.
We've been hunkered down 20 miles south of Boston in our hometown since all this started—my husband Gene and our two youngest kids and myself. Oh, and our two dogs who kind of run the house in a lot of ways. Our grown children are split between Boston. Mark is an EMT and Nashville, Brian and Chris are songwriters. Gene works for the gas company so he’s been essentially working this whole time. In a lot of ways, the pulse of the house has been quite normal. In other ways, this seems like the longest snow day of all time. Emotionally, each day is like four days in one. I start off pretty strong, usually.
Thursday, July 9
[8:30 a.m.] I'm up early with the dogs most days while my husband gets ready for work, but he's on vacation this week so he let me sleep. He and our daughter Meghan are dropping off yet another used car for service (lots of kids = lots of used cars). This time it's the Jeep that we kept so our youngest could learn to drive on a beater. There’s less yelling when the new drivers aren’t driving your dream car. It’s safe, don’t worry.
We are fresh off of watching "Hamilton" on Disney+ last night, so my mind is still a little more than numb at the brilliance of it. My first action of the day is always coffee. I'm not fancy about it but am obsessed with it. I have to make myself stop drinking cup after cup by midday. Then I watch as much CNN I can squeeze in during breakfast. I toasted up the last bit of sourdough bread I made the other day. After weeks and weeks of building the starter, I'm giving up the ghost and letting it all go after this morning's breakfast. I've tried several different recipes and techniques. Sourdough just doesn’t like me. It looks and tastes OK but if someone threw it at you, it would hurt. It would really hurt. I'm no breadmaker.
[10:00 a.m.] My Zoom write is pushed back a couple of minutes, so I check instagram, mess around on the tiny piano in my writing room and listen to some voice memos I've left for myself over the last few days. Today’s write is Amy Wadge, Megan McKenna and Alec Stacey. They are all in the U.K. and together in the same studio, which makes things a little less weird. It’s my first time working with Megan—she is wonderful! Amy and Alex are brilliant and I’ve been writing with them a bit since Zoom became such a big part of our days. We all catch up on the world and how our families are doing. We work really well together and the write is emotional and easy—gotta follow the goosebumps. Such a blessing when it comes together like that. We’re done in a just a few hours and I make a quick work tape for Alex to work his magic with. Megan will sing the lead while she’s still in the studio. Can’t ask for a better morning than that!
[2:00 p.m.] I check upstairs because I hear someone in the kitchen and I’m hungry. Gene's making a late lunch so I jump in on that (leftovers from last night). The kids are in the pool so I take the dogs outside and check the yard for anything they’ve left behind. It’s really just an excuse to walk in circles for a minute and hang with my buddy—our 3-year-old English lab, Dakota. I wish she could sit at my feet all day in the studio but she has special needs and can’t do the stairs. She's not a studio dog but still, I’ve never loved a dog more. She’s the best.
[2:45 p.m.] I set up my computer interface and tune up for a 3 p.m. sound check. This coming Sunday I have a livestream performance with one of my favorite humans on the planet, Mary Gauthier. Jaimee Harris "meets" me online and walks me through the process. I sing a couple verses and she checks the levels and helps me get things where they need to be. Live sessions are not my favorite things but I couldn’t resist spending time with Mary and Jaimee. And how could you ever say no to Mary Gauthier? She is one of the most masterful songwriters I know, and a dear friend. Mary and I go way back: she was my introduction to Nashville, so I consider her one of my worldly angels!
[4:00 p.m.] After soundcheck wraps up (we took a little longer because I was talking Mary’s ear off), I have to sing some acoustic versions of four of the songs I’m releasing in a few weeks. The Balladeer comes out July 24. All of our press and interviews have been done virtually. Lots of content from the kitchen. I should be used to this by now, but it never seems quite that easy. The minute I press record or that camera light comes on I’m reminded, "Oh yeah, this is strange." I’ve got 45 minutes to sing these songs right before social-distancing lacrosse practice with my son David (he’s playing for a club team this summer). In the meantime, he’s in the next room on FaceTime with a friend and I have to tell him 500 times to be quiet. No one thinks I have a real job in this house. I kind of like it that way. Listen back, bounce, email.
[5:30 p.m.] During lacrosse practice Gene and I watch Mary and Jaimee sing some Fred Eaglesmith songs in an Insta live performance while keeping an eye on the scrimmage and trying to dodge the afternoon sun. Gene calls to check in on our son Mark who's an EMT in town. He’s feeling better about coming around since the number of new cases in Boston have been dropping. He decides he’ll meet us for the next lacrosse practice for sure.
[7:45 p.m.] Once we get back home I make the family a late dinner. Meghan and I try to do yoga but it doesn’t make sense after the late dinner and we both give up quite quickly. Gene and I FaceTime with our kids in Nashville. Everyone's Zoom writes went well today. There's more discussion on "Hamilton." We decide we need to watch it at least three more times.
[9:00 p.m.] I’m not really an evening TV person, so I check emails and write a little. My daughter Meghan is starting college this fall so we talk about that for a while. Move in dates and dorm rooms, but we’re still not sure if there will be live classes. We decide to try and not stress.
[11:00 p.m.] I clean the kitchen for the night and make sure the dogs are all set. The kids end their evenings on their phones as usual and Gene is watching YouTube videos learning how to fix something that needs fixing.
Today's four days worth of emotions distill down to feeling blessed that I am with my family, writing and creating every day, lucky for being connected to co-creators and friends (even an ocean away), scared of what we don’t know or have control over, sad that things are so hard on so many people, confused by how the hell Lin-Manuel Miranda can be so incredibly talented, thankful that he is... Maybe it’s more than four days worth of feelings. Maybe it’s just the longest-snow-day-ever's feelings.
If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.
If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.
