Tim McNary

Tim McNary is releasing his new song, “Echoes of A Whole,” from his forthcoming third EP, Above the Trees. The EP will be released on March 4, 2016.

“The song was inspired by the writings of the Sufi poet Rumi, who I’d just started getting into at the time I was writing this song a couple years back,” said McNary of the song. “His deft, natural way of conveying the unity in all things really inspired me. I got the idea for one of the verse lines in the song from the Kurt Vonnegut book, Cat’s Cradle.”

The Nashville-based singer-songwriter has toured with the likes of The Civil Wars and Griffin House, and he’s gearing up to hit the road again in 2016 (dates below).

Listen to the exclusive premiere of “Echoes of a Whole” above. - Paste Magazine

Forcing the perspective of the proverbial “silver lining,” music is again and again the one prize redeemed from the midway of life. Shuffling from venues across the U.S.'s bottom right corner, Tim McNary has been working for five years on his next album. His website lists that he's opened for The Civil Wars, and getting past the labeling-Voodoo of comparing him to Damien Rice or Ryan Adams, McNary's sound might come off as a poet lost in the woods trying to find the simplicity stolen from him by living someone else's life.

TheRowdy recently chatted with Tim to discuss his March album, on which he'll be spending the rest of the winter working.

TheRowdy: You have an album titled Above the Trees that you've been writing for five years due out in March, is that correct? Let's discuss the album's evolution - what changes were made, what was preserved, how did it's meaning change for you, etc?

Tim McNary: The songs on this album were written over the past five crazy years or so. Early on, my songwriting mostly consisted of songs about heartbreak and relationships. As I continued working on my craft, my own search to understand myself and find some kind of peaceful state to exist in began to creep into my song’s themes. There is also this massive longing we all feel if we are really honest with ourselves. I think that theme began to become a part of my songs in a way that wasn’t always related to romantic relationships. Changes were made to the original versions of these songs constantly over time. The changes reflected my personal journey/spiritual journey.


Rowdy: The album has a theme of personal connection?
TM: Yes….Personal connection AND connection to ourselves. We naturally want to be open and share our hearts with others, but it’s so hard to be vulnerable because we’re afraid of being rejected whether it’s in a friendship, a “lover-ship,” or a family relationship. Ironically, if my experiences are anything like most humans, I’d say that many of our most cherished memories come from moments of vulnerability and allowing ourselves to be seen in spite of the perceived risk. All that to say, a song like “Above The Trees” digs into that theme. We all want to get back to that euphoric place of closeness, acceptance, and fearlessness that allows for vulnerability and connection. I don’t know if there is a human that does not long for that.


Rowdy: You wrote this during a "five year rough patch?" What kept you going?
TM: So, for starters I guess it was more like a “rough-ish” patch over 7-8 years after college. I returned from 2 years in South America and found that my whole perspective on what I thought I wanted for my life had shifted. I’d always planned to become a businessman and then move on to politics. I never considered myself to be talented enough to pursue a career as a musician, so I didn’t bother to tantalize my imagination with a pipe dream of that sort.

I ended up working in the corporate world for a few years. That was when the downward spiral began. I felt like my life was pissing my life away. I was really lost - I’d just lay in bed for entire weekends and stare at the ceiling wondering how I got there. Life had once seemed like a promising venture. Finally, I quit my job doing loans at a bank, and began to pursue music, first as a singer for southern rock band, then fronting my own band where we played mostly covers around the southeast to get by.

Switching careers didn’t bring me happiness though. I was making around 12k/year my first year as a full time musician, but being poor wasn’t the issue - I had been poor most of my life and not minded it. There was some kind of wiring in my brain that needed to be adjusted. I continued to ignore it until a tough break up left me questioning whether I even wanted to be alive anymore. Losing someone from your life is SO hard. It is is SO heavy, and that can be a trigger point to descend further into depression. And I was so tired of this nagging sadness, this heaviness in my chest, this missing someone so badly. I lived in my car for a couple months after the break-up not because I had to, but because I guess I didn’t really want to be part of society anymore. Maybe subconsciously I was longing for a mental paradigm shift, some kind of change. I’d dabbled in meditation for a few years but not gotten serious about it. I remember there was a day when I decided that I needed to make a serious change if I was going to continue living. Anti-depressants had left me feeling hollow and distant from myself….I felt that I needed to dig inside to begin to change the way I thought. I got serious about meditation, eating right, and exercise. My outlook started changing. I began to feel hopeful about my life and even more inspired to create. I attended a 10-day silent meditation retreat in the Vipassana Buddhist tradition that really cemented the importance of meditation in my life.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve gone through some rough patches but have never gone back to the mental hell hole.


Rowdy: Having coped with depression over the creation of the album, what advice would you have for artists struggling with their own emotional turmoil?
TM: I think it’s important to seek out community. It’s important to find a group of people you can connect with and shares life’s joys and difficulties with. This is a natural part of us. We need to feel like we are part of something. We need to be witnesses to both our own experiences and take time to care enough to be the witnesses of the lives of others. We were not built to be solitary.

At the same time, solitude/quiet in doses is important. Taking time to be quiet and listen to yourself is important whether that takes the form of prayer, meditation, or just shutting your cell phone off and going for a walk in the neighborhood. We need to take time to be quiet and listen to ourselves. There is plenty of negative dialogue near the surface, but a little deeper, there is wisdom and compassion. I believe that can be found in silence. The constant stimulation we subject ourselves to stops us from listening to ourselves and also from feeling the emotions we need to feel and work through. Then of course, to have a healthy brain, we need to eat right and exercise to keep those feel good chemicals at high levels. I don’t view my journey towards happiness as a musician any different than it would be for anyone else. As humans, we all have mostly the same needs..


Rowdy: What can you share about the title track “Above The Trees?”
TM: I probably shouldn’t say this, but this is probably my personal favorite. It is very meaningful to me and intensely personal. I feel that I was able to convey exactly what I wanted to convey in this song. When I wrote this song a couple years back, I was entering a stage where I was reading more poetry and fiction and taking my lyricism more seriously. Also, Paul Warner, the producer of this EP, really did a great job making production choices that helped this song hit nicely.

Rowdy: For listeners, another song that might stick out is “The Heist.” What can you
TM: I wrote it at a time when I was feeling out of control of my life and disillusioned with how the world works. If I have any song that hints at being a protest song with a national and international perspective, this is it. However, this song could take on different meanings for different people. For that reason, I am hesitant to tell you exactly what situations I was thinking about when I wrote the song.


Rowdy: What are you doing to further anticipation from fans for the March release?
TM: Just this week, I flew my brother, Evan McNary, in from LA to shoot a couple music videos. He has a company called CRFT / SVCS and they do really great work. It was really special to spend a week with him, being amazed by his artistic vision, and getting the chance to combine our art forms. We shot in some cool Nashville spots including an iconic museum, a historic church, and on top of the ruins of a car dealership on Murfreesboro Pike. We’ll be releasing one of those on Feb. 4th along with one song from the album and the second video on March 4th, the EP release date. Also, last week I recorded a cover song with the talented guys at Amplify Entertainment Group where I sing in Portuguese for the first time (something I've wanted to ever since I lived in Brazil). Becca Bradley, a Nashville based CCM artist, plays cello and sings backing vocals beautifully on that performance. We’’ll probably release that video mid January. So, we have cool content in the pipeline that I think folks will enjoy.

Above The Trees is due out March 4th. Check out McNary's "The Heist - Amplify Session." - The Rowdy (Music Blog)

There is an almost cultish desire to find companionship and understanding baked into Tim McNary’s new song and video. It pulls you into an all-consuming trance, but my amazement with the tune doesn’t end there. “Be With Me” finds a sense of distinction that stretches far and wide with deep flowing emotion typically reserved for artists with an arsenal of releases under their belts. Tim, a Nashville (by way of Atlanta) artist, is set to release his second EP, Above the Trees, on April 8th.

Here’s what Tim had to say about the video:

“The making of this video included the collaboration of a collection of talented family and friends over 7 days. Criss-crossing Nashville, shoot locations included Love Hill at dusk, The Parthenon with the 42 foot goddess Athena, the ruins of an old car lot on Murphreesboro Pike, and a McDonald’s parking lot on Gallatin Pike.

My brother Evan McNary (CRFT SVCS), shot and directed the video. Hanging all week and sharing our art forms was unforgettable. We took some risks during the shoot, but not once did we get in trouble for trespassing. It’s a community of artists, and it seems like everyone is in this together including the police and local merchants.” - Milk Crater (Music Blog)

Music is something that we connect to and long for in good times and bad; it connects with something inside of us that longs to be explored and solidified. With Tim McNary’s new EP, Above The Trees, the singer-songwriter has dug deep into the well of the soul to find sounds that echo with my own personal questions and longings. It is no easy task to find something that so resonates with the human spirit, but every song on the album finds a place inside of me to call home. Each path we travel has something to teach us, and McNary’s experiences reverberate throughout Above The Trees.

Raised in a strict evangelical home where secular music was prohibited, McNary chose his own path, which led him to Brazil. The experience was captivating; after two years, he moved back to the States, found himself burnt out by corporate America, and decided it was time to pursue a career as a musician. McNary played in bands, started his own, and found success opening for artists like the Civil Wars. Mcnary’s path led him to Atlanta; while living in his van, fulfilling tour commitments, his van and all of his musical equipment was stolen. The songsmith’s path then led him to Nashville; after a year and a half of working and saving money, he was able to record his third EP, Above The Trees.

Recorded in a cabin in the mountains of Georgia, the album’s songs were inspired by a five year roller-coaster ride of depression, homelessness, and finding contentment through meditation, and explore heartbreak, a longing for personal connection, the journey towards courage, and a hope for transcendence.

The opening track, “Be With Me,” begins with the haunting echoes of McNary’s voice over the finger-picking of a guitar; he expresses longing for closeness, and tells tales of his South American exploration. The chorus soars as the singer cries out, reiterating that longing for connection and closeness. The title track, “Above the Trees,” is a true standout and my personal favorite from the EP; a beautiful song permeated with sounds of transcendence and the intense desire to reach a place of euphoria, McNary cries out in the chorus, “when I close my eyes and will that I would float above the trees,” and exemplifies the yearning to escape and find a place of peace and rest. The third song, “Missus,” is musically simple, but authentically profound, displaying the singer’s daunting honesty and transparency. As he makes confession after confession of his personal stuggles, the track, filled with gorgeously lush string arrangements and lap steel swells that ring out throughout the song, resembles a letter that McNary is writing to someone willing to listen and accept him for the person he is. The final and most poetic song of the album, “Echoes of A Whole,” shuns complicated productions and instrumentation, allowing his powerful lyrics and voice to shine; thematically, it resonates with the album’s other tracks, as he repeats “hold me like new believers holding onto God,” further evidence of longing. Each word and rhythm is deeply felt and leaves the listener with an ending, but no conclusion. No answer is found, but the journey and the people he’s met along the way are worth it.

Above The Trees is a veritable wellspring of the questions that we all ask ourselves, and McNary tells us the beauty is found in the wandering; he embraces the journey and recounts it with conviction in songs that wonderfully capture the human spirit. I am so excited to see where Tim McNary’s path leads him next.

Pre-order Above The Trees, set for release on April 8th: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/above-the-trees/id1085882560 - East of 8th (Music Blog)

Back in 2013 I fell in love with the music of Tim McNary after listening to his album ‘While We are Walking’ because of the honest emotion within his music and his gentle vocal style. Each song on this release was a delight to listen to and I had to add it to my collection. Of course, he was featured on my site with the post ‘Introducing Tim McNary’. Then in 2014 I shared an interview with Tim and during our chat he talked about his fan funded project to create his EP ‘Above the Trees’ (see post ‘Interview Tim McNary’). I am pleased to say that this was successful and recording began shortly after. He locked himself away with a few people and began recording in a cabin in the mountains of Georgia so he could create something special and without the distractions that the modern world has to offer. Before I talk about the EP in full, I decided to ask Tim a few questions about ‘Above the Trees’ EP and this is what he had to say:

What were your goals when working on ‘Above the Trees EP’?

I wanted to make a record that sounded like what I heard in my head. Secondly, I hoped the music would be compelling enough that a listener could listen to the whole album and get lost in the sounds and feelings for a bit.

During the process of putting this EP together, what were the highs and lows?

One of the greatest highs was being out in nature in a cabin with only the music to focus on. Another was that I felt that Paul Warner (the producer) and I were able to build a sonic world that I feel good about inhabiting. There were some intense lows during the recording process…It was the most emotional and high stress recording process I’ve been through to date. The labor pains were intense, but I think the baby turned out quite well.

How did it feel when you heard the final version of the EP?

By the time the EP was done, I’d been through so much editing and listening for minute details that I was numb to the sound. Now on fresh ears, I listen and think it’s pretty solid.

What is your favourite song from this release and why?

I can’t choose…..

Now Above the Trees is completed, what are your future goals for your music?

Touring nationally around the US, broadly licensing the tracks, and continuing to grow my music business and artistry to include European and South America touring. I’d like to support myself solely on music at some point in the next year and a half. The way things are going, I think it could happen.


After his stunning debut release with ‘While We are Walking’ my expectations were very high especially as it included the flawless song ‘Empty are We’. The few years since this release has seen Tim’s go on an adventure of his own as he became homeless and had his musical equipment stolen which led to a tough time in his life. This did not keep him or his music down as he picked himself back up and began rebuilding his world. These experiences have been used to help give us a collection of songs that are simply beautiful and exceeded my expectations.

The EP begins with ‘Be With Me’ which instantly offers you one of many outstanding vocal displays that will appeal to anyone who is a fan of music. His tone is gentle and warm which is impossible to pull away due to it’s irresistible charm which is showcased on each song. There are times when he adds a bit of power to his voice to help reflect the emotion needed within his words and he still sounds great when he does so. Throughout ‘Above the Trees’ EP you get to hear this musician’s gift of how he uses his vocal talents to perfection to share his stunning lyrical contents that gives each song it’s own special soul. The way Tim McNary connects when writing his music always seems to result in something special which is also helped by his gift of arranging his music to help give his sound this charm.

I am infatuated with each song from this release as not one of them (in my opinion) is weak, but each offer their own strengths within their sound. I would like to highlight the songs ‘Missus’ and ‘The Heist’ which both standout for me as they offer everything that makes the music of Tim McNary stand out. I am pleased that this EP features the song ‘The Other Man’ (which was released as a single in 2014) as this is one special to me. If you follow me on Twitter you will know that I have spoken about my love of this song on many occasions. There is something about this song that never fails to impress me even though I have heard it so many times that it is in my top 10 most played songs in my collection. There is something about the lyrics and it’s delivery that is near perfection due to the songs honest emotional tone. I will also go as for to say it’s one of my favourite songs that has been released by any musician/band over the past decade.

Overall, this is an EP that has somehow improved on an already impressive sound which has resulted in the best collection of songs from Tim McNary. This is music in it’s most honest form and this musician is wearing his heart on his sleeve for the world to see and hear. All I’ll say is spare some time when you can’t be distracted and listen to this EP from start to finish. As soon as you press play expect to be swept away in his sound as it takes you on a journey which any fan of music will appreciate. You can listen to Tim McNary’s music on his Soundcloud and YouTube pages, so head on over. If you like what you hear and want to own a copy of ‘Above the Trees’ for yourself then you can buy it from the usual online stores of Amazon and iTunes.


With such a great collection of songs I expect nothing but praise and success for what Tim has created with ‘Above the Trees’ EP. If you want to share your love for the music of Tim McNary then send him a message on his social media sites at Facebook and Twitter which are also great places to find out about his future shows. You can also find this information and more at his website at TimMcNary.com.

As always, a reminder that when music like this sounds so good and it speaks to you then don’t forget to help spread the word. Musicians and bands need our help to make their music grow and this is even more important when it is from unsigned/independent musicians. So, if the music of Tim McNary matters to you then tell the world about him today! - My Random Jukebox (Music Blog)

Tim McNary is an amazing artist. His work is so absolutely personal and beautiful, similar to Bonnie “Prince” Billy or Father John Misty. As McNary says about his album:

Above The Trees, was written during a roller-coaster 5 year period that included periods of homelessness, 2 band break ups, the theft of my van and musical equipment, bouts with depression, the discovery of meditation and it’s life-changing impact, and moving to Nashville, Tennessee in the Summer of 2013 . The album’s overarching themes are a longing for personal connection, and the journey towards courage & a hoped for transcendence. The EP was recorded primarily during the two weeks in January 2015 that Producer Paul Warner and I spent in a mountain cabin in North Georgia (The cabin came compliments of the cabin’s owner, my Stepmom, Julie Shaffer). Some additional tracking was done at my East Nashville apartment, and at my good friend Nelson Nolen’s home in Atlanta. Instrumentation spans from a 1930’s lard barrel we found on the cabin’s front porch, to my CasioCT638 Electric Keyboard, to the beautiful cello playing of Bryan Gibson, to the Upright Bass playing of Rob Henson and Drumming of Darren Stanley, among others.

There is nothing more I need to add, except that this is one of the most beautiful albums I have heard this year. Thank you, Mr. McNary, for sharing with us. I feel every note, every sigh, every emotion. - Audio Fuzz (Music Blog)

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of documenting Tim McNary as he launched his North American Tour to an audience of friends, fans and family members at the Red Light Cafe in Atlanta. You can see the videos HERE. It was an intimate night of authentic, heartfelt music that left us with the impression that Tim McNary was on a journey of personal growth and exploration that we all could experience through his music.

For this artist, the journey IS the destination. Tim McNary is one of those unique performers who can be exposed and vulnerable in his thoughts and feelings, and by sharing those moments, he connects with the audience in a truly memorable way. The show was at times rocking and raucous, then quiet and reserved, and all along his music was like an old friend that you were reuniting with.

At the show, and in the home studios where he recorded Above The Trees, Tim brought along some friends like Paul Warner who produced, and fellow musicians Bryan Gibson, Rob Henson and Drumming of Darren Stanley, among others. Together that have found a special balance as musicians and friends and there is a vibrant immediacy to their music that is undeniable.

Following a tumultuous period in his life, Tim McNary reflects on the sad, the funny and the inspiring experienced along his path. He defines his sound with patience and humor and Above The Trees makes a lasting statement by being humble and earnest. There are a lot of great artists making music right now. Tim McNary is one of them. You should check him out. - Rust Magazine

Music is something that we connect to and long for in good times and bad; it connects with something inside of us that longs to be explored and solidified. With Tim McNary’s new EP, Above The Trees, the singer-songwriter has dug deep into the well of the soul to find sounds that echo with my own personal questions and longings. It is no easy task to find something that so resonates with the human spirit, but every song on the album finds a place inside of me to call home. Each path we travel has something to teach us, and McNary’s experiences reverberate throughout Above The Trees.

Raised in a strict evangelical home where secular music was prohibited, McNary chose his own path, which led him to Brazil. The experience was captivating; after two years, he moved back to the States, found himself burnt out by corporate America, and decided it was time to pursue a career as a musician. McNary played in bands, started his own, and found success opening for artists like the Civil Wars. Mcnary’s path led him to Atlanta; while living in his van, fulfilling tour commitments, his van and all of his musical equipment was stolen. The songsmith’s path then led him to Nashville; after a year and a half of working and saving money, he was able to record his third EP, Above The Trees.

Recorded in a cabin in the mountains of Georgia, the album’s songs were inspired by a five year roller-coaster ride of depression, homelessness, and finding contentment through meditation, and explore heartbreak, a longing for personal connection, the journey towards courage, and a hope for transcendence.

The opening track, “Be With Me,” begins with the haunting echoes of McNary’s voice over the finger-picking of a guitar; he expresses longing for closeness, and tells tales of his South American exploration. The chorus soars as the singer cries out, reiterating that longing for connection and closeness. The title track, “Above the Trees,” is a true standout and my personal favorite from the EP; a beautiful song permeated with sounds of transcendence and the intense desire to reach a place of euphoria, McNary cries out in the chorus, “when I close my eyes and will that I would float above the trees,” and exemplifies the yearning to escape and find a place of peace and rest. The third song, “Missus,” is musically simple, but authentically profound, displaying the singer’s daunting honesty and transparency. As he makes confession after confession of his personal stuggles, the track, filled with gorgeously lush string arrangements and lap steel swells that ring out throughout the song, resembles a letter that McNary is writing to someone willing to listen and accept him for the person he is. The final and most poetic song of the album, “Echoes of A Whole,” shuns complicated productions and instrumentation, allowing his powerful lyrics and voice to shine; thematically, it resonates with the album’s other tracks, as he repeats “hold me like new believers holding onto God,” further evidence of longing. Each word and rhythm is deeply felt and leaves the listener with an ending, but no conclusion. No answer is found, but the journey and the people he’s met along the way are worth it.

Above The Trees is a veritable wellspring of the questions that we all ask ourselves, and McNary tells us the beauty is found in the wandering; he embraces the journey and recounts it with conviction in songs that wonderfully capture the human spirit. I am so excited to see where Tim McNary’s path leads him next. - Mother Church Pew

If you’re no stranger to my site, you probably remember an interview I featured with Tim McNary about a month ago. In the interview piece, we talked about his new album Above the Trees, which officially releases tomorrow. Tim began songwriting during his time in South America, experiencing a “re-birth in many ways.”

With tomorrow being the official drop of Above the Trees, I thought there would be no better time to share my thoughts on the seven-track album that speaks clearly of the adventurous spirit Tim possesses.

While not defined as a concept album, you will clearly hear a cohesive message laced throughout the project if you listen hard enough. You’ll notice at times, that the sounds underlying his soulful vocals are reminiscent of nature; featuring ambient echoes, floating chords and wave-like percussion.

The album was written over the course of five years throughout many life-changing moments for, Tim, one of them being his move to Nashville in the Summer of 2013.

The title track, “Above the Trees” is a reflective song on the album that brings about a feeling of melancholy when you hear it. The song starts out with a stream of choir-like harmonies, making way for Tim’s powerful, yet subtle vocals that grow in strength throughout the track. The simplistic hook allows for the verses to tell a true testament that I think everyone will take their own way.

“Be With Me” is my favorite track on the album. The dark, earthy instrumental contrasts perfectly with Tim’s story-telling. Think Bob Dylan meets the Civil Wars and they all go camping.

“The Heist” is another album gem with a lot of sentiment. With possibly the catchiest hook on the album, it is a percussion-driven track with a whimsical and mysterious moral. You can almost picture the entire music video as you watch it. A gray-cast, abandon diner somewhere in Arizona where one car arrives to do a drop and another shortly follows to pick it up, the initial dropper waiting by a pay phone to hear some news but nothing comes.

“I gave you the money, give me what I want.”

The unique, honest quality in Tim’s music is hard to come by. You will not find stories and daring sounds merge together so seamlessly as one in many other places. He is the type of artist that paints visuals with his music, easily appearing to every listener in a different way and I think that’s something only great artists are able to do. - Livewell's Latest (Music Blog)