"Amanda's approach is refreshingly real.... The result is well crafted, honest and captivating art." -Carolyn Kruse, WKLB 102.5 Boston
"With Every Bar Downtown, Amanda McCarthy parades not only her gift for songwriting, but also her supple, graceful voice." -Randy Radic, Guitar Girl Magazine
"An emotive and dynamic soundscape circles McCarthy's image-driven and empowering lyrics perfectly." -Buzz Music LA
"Amanda McCarthy, who challenged societal norms with 'Normal", is back with the cleverly confessional lyrics of 'Vodka', on a full sound recording with a bouncy chorus and a clear vocal delivery, allowing the listener to enjoy the fun rhymes of this potential summertime hit." -Warren Kurtz, Goldmine Magazine
"Easygoing storytelling that left us wanting more. This is a hit, right out of the box." -SongDoor Nashville
"Well-crafted illustrations that paint pictures and tell stories of someone in complete control of her art... original songs that were simultaneously haunting, memorable, and packed with irresistible hooks." -Bill Burke, NH Magazine
Most people don't exactly plan to drop out of college, become a parent before the age of 21, and move to a new city in the middle of a pandemic - but Amanda McCarthy has always been pretty good at tackling the unexpected head on.
In a situation where most would have given up and settled for a traditional 9-5, she has gone on to make a full time living out of her music playing on every kind of stage you can imagine - starting out with cover gigs in smokey bar corners and coffee shops, to opening for national headliners, winning awards with her original music, and playing iconic venues across the country like The Listening Room, Live Oak, 3rd and Lindsley, Bluebird Cafe, Bus Call (Nashville), The Bitter End, Mercury Lounge, Piano's (NYC), multiple Hard Rock Cafe locations, and hundreds more.
After developing the first ten years of her career in her home base of New England, she credits coming face to face with Steven Tyler in a local bar and singing an Aerosmith song for him as the catalyst that convinced her it was time to move to Nashville. "I knew that if I could get through that, I have the nerve to do almost anything", she recalls. Less than a year after relocating, she'd already quit her short-term "day job" and had successfully made music her full time career in Music City.
With both main stage and side stage appearances, she's had the opportunity to share stages and bills with Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith), Hunter Hayes, Hawthorne Heights, Jason Lancaster (of Mayday Parade), Train, Natasha Bedingfield, Hall & Oates, REO Speedwagon, Imagine Dragons, Styx, Rob Thomas, and more. She's also performed for NASCAR at the NH Motor Speedway, and had a featured National Anthem performance in 2014 televised live on ESPN. The acoustic versions of her songs "Elephant in the Room" and "Bad News" made the Grammy Nomination Ballot in 2016. Her songs have garnered radio play in multiple regions of the US and beyond on both mainstream and independent stations, including stations owned by iHeart Radio, Cumulus and Beasley Media Group.
Writing songs both for her own artistry and for other artists' projects, McCarthy was described by one of her earliest mentors as "a storyteller compelled to speak the truth" and she has held that promise true ever since. Blending the pop/rock spirit of Michelle Branch with the country-but-not-COUNTRY cadence of Kacey Musgraves, along with harmony-laden acoustic songs carried by the core of her storytelling, her debut full-length album "Road Trip" was released in 2019 to high acclaim, followed by several singles since moving to Nashville. She is currently crafting a new EP and sophomore full-length.