Bridget Kearney
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Bridget Kearney (kə́ːnɪj, car'-nee) is an American musician and songwriter. She is a founding member of the band
Lake Street Dive Lake Street Dive is an American multi-genre band that was formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. The band's founding members are Rachael Price, Mike "McDuck" Olson, Bridget Kearney, and Mike Calabrese. Keyboardist Ak ...
and winner of the 2005 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Jazz category. Kearney's solo recording work began with her debut solo album, ''Won't Let You Down'', which recordings took place over three years, largely encouraged and supported by drummer/engineer/producer Robin MacMillan in his Brooklyn Studio, and released by
Signature Sounds Recordings Signature Sounds Recordings is an independent record label specializing in Americana and modern folk music. Jim Olsen and Mark Thayer founded the label in 1995 to promote acoustic musicians who were playing in Northampton, Massachusetts. Signatu ...
in 2017. A number of singles followed, some of which found their way onto Kearney's second solo album, ''Snakes of Paradise'' self-released in 2023. Similarly, singles from her third album,''Comeback Kid'' were also released in advance of the April 12, 2024 release by
Keeled Scales Keeled Scales is an independent record label based in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2014 by musicians Tony Presley (Real Live Tigers) and Seth Whaland (Literature, Tres Oui). The label has released over 60 albums from artists such as Buck Mee ...
for that album on an expanding number of streaming platforms and social media sites such as
Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...
,
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
,
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and
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
as well as physical media outlet channels such as
Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...
.


Early life, influences and education

Kearney was born and grew up in
Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, fifth-most populous c ...
. Her mother played flute. Her grandmothers, Ellen and Vickey, were both musicians; Ellen Kearney, to whom she credits her preternatural love of low tones, played the upright bass, while Vickey, a vocalist, was a touring musician with the "Tangen Sisters". Bridget started her journey with music in the
Lutheran Church Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...
's Cherub choir. Kearney took piano lessons at the age of 5 and began playing bass in the 4th grade. She listened to her parents' rock and roll records from the 1960s and gained an appreciation of the Beatles' music. In high school, she played in the school orchestras and jazz bands and was in a number of extracurricular rock and roll bands. At age 13, Kearney and her band, Metro Pilot, won a songwriting contest for a song called "Live" (
verb A verb is a word that generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual description of English, the basic f ...
) about the dangers of tobacco, where the prize was to perform the song in front of a live audience including keynote speaker and former United States Surgeon General
C. Everett Koop Charles Everett Koop (October 14, 1916 – February 25, 2013) was an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator who served as the 13th surgeon general of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989. According ...
. Bridget fronted the band playing electric bass and singing lead vocals. Recalling playing bass in the fourth grade, Kearney said, "I just thought I would go with the bass that year and switch instruments the next year, but after I started playing bass and got to know it, I decided to stay with it. The cool thing is that if you’re a bass player, there’s always demand. There were points at which I was in 12 different bands." In interviews she recalls how her jazz band director in high school, Rich Medd, always made class fun saying, "I was always excited to go to jazz band rehearsal and that is one of the reasons I’m still playing music." Lake Street Dive's early 2023 "Gather Round Sounds" concert tour found Kearney returning to Iowa City for a sold-out show at the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
Hancher Auditorium on January 24, 2023, with Mr. Medd and other local music educators joining as the horn section. Already an accomplished and devoted bass player at a young age, Kearney played electric bass through junior high school, after which her interest in jazz music and the sounds she wanted to create guided her toward playing more upright or double bass until about age 35 when Kearney began to acquire a number of electric bass guitars and other gear to expand her sound and versatility. Kearney's knowledge, skills and innate capacity for creativity took her to a much higher musical level while studying with Mark Urness, a versatile bassist, composer, and educator in Iowa City at the time who later moved to teaching at
Lawrence University Lawrence University is a Private college, private liberal arts college and Music school, conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second colle ...
in Wisconsin. Her very earliest bass influences were three bass instructors, all women, all of whom played double bass. Kearney has credited Paul Chambers, Charles Mingus and Charlie Haden as some of her main influences from her jazz study period. In college Kearney double-majored. She earned a Bachelors of Music from the
New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
in Jazz Studies (bass) and a Bachelors of Arts from
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
in English. As a sophomore, she was a member of two bands she helped found: Joy Kills Sorrow and
Lake Street Dive Lake Street Dive is an American multi-genre band that was formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. The band's founding members are Rachael Price, Mike "McDuck" Olson, Bridget Kearney, and Mike Calabrese. Keyboardist Ak ...
.


Personal life

Kearney likes to travel, play tennis, and run to stay fit and raise money for her favorite charities. She often seeks adventure on the road, like surfing in Mexico and bungee jumping in New Zealand, and is a master of chipology. Her first job, during college, was selling souvenirs at
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
. She once held the one-game record for selling the most (104) foam fingers during a Boston Red Sox game and humorously refers to this early career as her "fall-back, in case the music thing doesn't work out."


Songwriting

As a songwriter/composer she has registered over 85 songs as a member of
Broadcast Music, Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 22.4 milli ...
Of those, at least 25 are held solely by her, and the rest with different songwriters/composers and artists including
Lake Street Dive Lake Street Dive is an American multi-genre band that was formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. The band's founding members are Rachael Price, Mike "McDuck" Olson, Bridget Kearney, and Mike Calabrese. Keyboardist Ak ...
, Cuddle Magic, Joy Kills Sorrow,
Benjamin Lazar Davis Benjamin Lazar Davis is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and record producer. He is a member of several bands, including Okkervil River and Cuddle Magic. Davis attended New England Conservatory of Music. ...
and
Margaret Glaspy Margaret Glaspy is an American singer and songwriter based in New York City. She began playing and living in New York at 21 years old and is currently signed with ATO Records. Her debut full length album, ''Emotions and Math'', was self-produce ...
. She credits some of her song writing acumen to authors such as
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...
, having once been quoted as saying "A lot of my ideals as a songwriter come from novelists and poets, like Hemingway's idea that to start writing a story, all you have to do is write one true sentence. A song works that way too. You just need to find one seed, the rest will grow from there."


Teaching

Kearney is a skilled songwriting and instrumental instructor who taught private lessons online for charity and also taught songwriting to larger classes online with "School of Song", a community-concept based songwriting school with rotating instructors where she was also a student. She has co-taught a songwriting class with
Paul Muldoon Paul Muldoon is an Irish poet. He has published more than thirty collections and won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the T. S. Eliot Prize. At Princeton University he has been both the Howard G. B. Clark '21 University Professor in the Humani ...
at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
. Of her love for teaching she once wrote about her students, "...a joy to witness how practicing a creative act can bring the world around us into sharper focus, drawing our attention to little wonderful things that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, while simultaneously softening some of life’s rougher edges and making the big things that dominate our attention seem less daunting. What an insanely powerful force!!"


Music Production

Kearney's musical career spans the period from when most listeners purchased
phonograph records A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...
,
cassette tapes Cassette, also known as cassette tape, refers to a small plastic unit containing a length of magnetic tape on two reels. The design was created to replicate the way a reel-to-reel machine works with tape moving from one reel to another while bein ...
, and
CDs CDS, CDs, Cds, etc. may refer to: Finance * Canadian Depository for Securities, Canadian post-trade financial services company * Certificate of deposit (CDs) * Counterfeit Deterrence System, developed by the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence ...
through the birth of
music streaming services A music streaming service is a type of online streaming media service that focuses primarily on music, and sometimes other forms of digital audio content such as podcasts. These services are usually subscription-based services allowing users to s ...
, an important part of the digital revolution. Concomitant technologies which developed in parallel gave music creators, such as Kearney and others, new opportunities to create and deliver new sounds and music to larger and varied audiences on a global basis. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Kearney has been part of the revolution as a follower, participant, contributor, and leader, increasingly relying on her musical prowess to deliver contributions in popular, world, independent, and, experimental music. Kearney parlayed most advances in music production and distribution technology, including social media, to expand her craft, for her personal enjoyment, and to help others in production of their own music by contributing production elements. On April 19, 2024, the first album she produced was released; “The January Album” by the band The Brother Brothers”, their fifth album.


Bands


Lake Street Dive

Kearney is a founding member of Lake Street Dive, which was founded in 2004 and started touring in 2007. She has appeared with Lake Street Dive on many national shows: ''
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'', ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Conan'', ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'',
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
, ''
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'' with
Garrison Keillor Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...
and on ''
Live From Here ''Live from Here'', formerly known as ''A Prairie Home Companion with Chris Thile'', is an American variety radio show known for its musical guests, tongue-in-cheek radio drama, and relaxed humor. Hosted by Chris Thile, it aired live on Saturday ...
'' hosted by
Chris Thile Christopher Scott Thile (; born February 20, 1981) is an American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality, best known for his work in the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek and the acoustic folk and progressive blue ...
. The band has uploaded numerous videos, including their annual, humorous
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covers, and T Bone Burnett asked them to perform on the ''Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of "Inside Llewyn Davis"'' show and album. The band has traveled and performed in almost every state in America and over a dozen foreign countries. Originally with
Signature Sounds Recordings Signature Sounds Recordings is an independent record label specializing in Americana and modern folk music. Jim Olsen and Mark Thayer founded the label in 1995 to promote acoustic musicians who were playing in Northampton, Massachusetts. Signatu ...
, in 2016 the band signed with
Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Nonesuch ...
and subsequently released their "Fun Machine: The Sequel EP" on
Fantasy Records Fantasy Records is an American independent record label company founded by brothers Max and Sol Stanley Weiss in 1949. The early years of the company were dedicated to issuing recordings by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who was also one of its inves ...
in September 2022.


Bridget Kearney Solo and Backing Bands

Kearney has appeared as a solo performer and also worked with a varying array of other musicians, producers and performers to create her own recordings, videos, and, tours, at times solely performing her own music under her own name. Other performances and tours were designed as collaborations with varying musicians each taking the lead role in arranging and performing their own songs with the other members backing and exchanging instruments. These appearances were sometimes referred to under the name of each, or all, performers.


Bridget Kearney and Benjamin Lazar Davis

Bridget Kearney and
Benjamin Lazar Davis Benjamin Lazar Davis is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and record producer. He is a member of several bands, including Okkervil River and Cuddle Magic. Davis attended New England Conservatory of Music. ...
began making music together performing as "BbGun" from the time they were students together at the
New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
. In 2015 the two alumni teamed up to create original works which are in part a fusion of music from the west African country of Ghana and Kearney and Davis' music. Various artists, including Stevo Atambire and Aaron Bebe Sukura as well as musical instruments and cultural elements from Ghana were used by the artists from Ghana, Kearney and Davis in the making of these recordings. The results of these creative efforts are contained in two recorded music releases: "Bawa" in 2015 and "Still Flying" in 2020.


BB Wisely

Kearney launched the band BB Wisely with
Benjamin Lazar Davis Benjamin Lazar Davis is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and record producer. He is a member of several bands, including Okkervil River and Cuddle Magic. Davis attended New England Conservatory of Music. ...
and Will Graefe in August 2022. The trio had been writing songs, recording and touring as a trio and alternating duo pairs for a few years prior to deciding on BB Wisely as the name of the band. The band name is a fusion of Bridget, Ben, and "Chime Wisely", a band created by Davis and guitarist Will Graefe.


Joy Kills Sorrow

Kearney was also a major songwriter and stand up bass player for Joy Kills Sorrow from 2005 to 2012. Joy Kills Sorrow was a Boston-based, indie pop, American roots, string band formed in 2005. This band released three albums before Kearney left the band to join Lake Street Dive full-time.


Cuddle Magic

Cuddle Magic is a chamber pop collective that varies in membership. Kearney has written songs for and played with Cuddle Magic.


The Fundies

The Fundies was another part-time band collaboration featuring
Margaret Glaspy Margaret Glaspy is an American singer and songwriter based in New York City. She began playing and living in New York at 21 years old and is currently signed with ATO Records. Her debut full length album, ''Emotions and Math'', was self-produce ...
, Rachael Price,
Brittany Haas Brittany Caroline Haas (born 1987) is an American fiddle player, who also sings and plays the banjo. She is a member of the Boston-based alternative bluegrass band Crooked Still, which is currently on hiatus. She was a regular performer on Live ...
and Kearney. Their first performance was in 2010, and they self-released an EP called The Fundies in 2012. It has been mentioned that, in retrospect, the Fundies was an all-female Super Group. Each member has gone on to launch their own, successful musical career. Each of the Fundies has played with at least one other Fundie since they parted, while some continue to do so on a regular basis. Glaspy and Haas played a Fundies reunion gig in 2015. There have been rumors of a reunion show with all of the original members.


Other Groups and Musicians

Kearney has played live, written for, and recorded with, a host of acts as a collaborator and backing musician, including
Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...
,
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
, Aoife O’Donovan,
Margaret Glaspy Margaret Glaspy is an American singer and songwriter based in New York City. She began playing and living in New York at 21 years old and is currently signed with ATO Records. Her debut full length album, ''Emotions and Math'', was self-produce ...
, Bella White, and Brazilian singer Tiago Iorc.


Discography


Solo Work


Albums

* ''Won't Let You Down'' (2017) * ''Snakes of Paradise'' (April 21, 2023) * ''Comeback Kid'' (April 12, 2024)


Singles

* ''I Bet UR'' (Nov 2021) * ''So Badly'' (Dec 2021) * ''Diary Fire'' (Feb 2022) * ''All This Time'' (Mar 2022) * ''Don't Think About the Polar Bear'' (Dec 2023)


With Lake Street Dive

* ''In This Episode'' (2006) * ''Promises, Promises'' (2007) * '' Live at the Lizard Lounge'' (Video) (2011) * ''
Lake Street Dive Lake Street Dive is an American multi-genre band that was formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. The band's founding members are Rachael Price, Mike "McDuck" Olson, Bridget Kearney, and Mike Calabrese. Keyboardist Ak ...
'' (S/T) (2011) * '' Fun Machine'' (2012) * '' Bad Self Portraits'' (2014) * '' Side Pony'' (2016) * '' Free Yourself Up'' (Early 2018) * '' Freak Yourself Out'' (Late 2018) * '' Obviously'' (2021) * ''Fun Machine: The Sequel (EP)'' (Sep 2022) * ''Good Together'' (June 21, 2024)


With BB Wisely

* ''Right Time'' (Dec 2020) * ''Sam'' (Dec 2022) * ''Coal Canary'' (Aug 2022) * ''Vegas Nerve'' (Mar 2023) * ''Voice of Reason'' (Jul 2023) * ''How To Get Better'' (Aug 2023) * ''Teddy Bear'' (Nov 2023) * ''People Pleaser'' (Aug 26, 2024)


With Benjamin Lazar Davis

* ''BAWA'' (2015) * ''Still Flying'' (2020)


With Joy Kills Sorrow

* ''Joy Kills Sorrow'' (2006) * ''Darkness Sure Becomes This City'' (2010) * ''This Unknown Science'' (2011)


With The Fundies

* ''The Fundies EP'' (2012)


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kearney, Bridget Living people 1986 births New England Conservatory alumni Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences alumni American multi-instrumentalists American double-bassists Women double-bassists 21st-century American composers People from Iowa City, Iowa Signature Sounds artists Iowa City West High School alumni 21st-century American women composers Lake Street Dive members The Fundies members Nonesuch Records artists