McClain Sullivan

"McClain Sullivan is an R&B and jazz singer with a forward-leaning take on music. Originally from the Pacific Northwest and now living in Brooklyn, she has a special way with songs on her self-released debut EP, Rachel." NPR David Dye World Cafe - NPR

“Combining John McLaughlin-esque jazz with simmering, boiling vocal intensity, McClain Sullivan channels the implosion of romantic relationship and resentment and regret (as well as hints of the good memories) into a percussive vocal delight (including some scatting!) that finds the lows of a relationship implosion without wallowing in self-pity. McClain Sullivan, we want to hear more fro you ASAP.” – BaebleMusic - Baeble Music

Brooklyn-based singer McClain Sullivan kicked off Friday’s Free at Noon doubleheader at World Cafe Live with a stunning display of vocal dexterity and charm. Though she’s not as well known as the afternoon’s second performer, City and Colour, Sullivan more than held her own, proving that she deserved to share a stage with such a big name.

Over the course of her six song set, Sullivan and her supporting four-piece band were able to play all but one track off her excellent debut LP Rachel. As she weaved her way through the album’s serene jazzy sounds, Sullivan dazzled with her incredible singing voice, expertly switching between a high-pitched whiny drawl and a rich, chocolatly bass. This became most apparent on funky tune “Happy Anniversary,” when she broke into a delightful scatting solo at the song’s climax, impersonating the deep voice of a lover before switching to her own falsettoed speech.

While her voice is undoubtedly her biggest attribute, Sullivan also had an amusing, if understated, stage presence. On “Daylight,” she lifted her lightly tattooed arms from her shiny white guitar, giving a sassy finger wag as she stubbornly reminisced about a failed romance (“I can’t begin to feel sorry for myself again / No, this is not another sob story”).

To close things out, Sullivan performed the peacefully somber final track on Rachel, “Tiny Boat,” setting the stage perfectly for City and Colour’s acoustic set. - The Key

"’Happy Anniversary’ is a storming track. It opens the album with the aggressive tenor of Ani DiFranco mixed with the swagger of Har Mar Superstar." - 1340 Mag - 1340 Mag

"Who knew that a seven track album– barely the length of your average television program– could serve as such an immaculately sounding musical composition? Well, it has, and should surely catapult McClain Sullivan into a well deserved, wider spectrum of musical fame. Be on the lookout for this beaut of an album- the elegant Sullivan can only go up from here, and her future surely seems bright." - Elmore Magazine - Elmore Magazine

Interview - Ghettoblaster Magazine