Canadian-born, Chicago-based Ian McKinley is a purveyor of lyric-driven country music, playing story-heavy songs about purpose, love, and regret. As a solo artist, McKinley leans into acoustic folk, drawing comparisons to James Taylor and John Prine. With The Ian McKinley Band, McKinley and bandmates turn up the intensity, adding healthy doses of volume and grit to a base of sweetened twang.
Born and raised outside Toronto, McKinley got his start playing in bands at some of Toronto’s finest dive bars, most notably as the original bass player for blues-rockers, The Noble Rogues.
Upcoming Shows:
August 19 (w/Mike Fox) at The Owl
August 25 (solo) at Nabala Cafe
Fox Valley Folk Festival (solo) – Labor Day Weekend, date TBA
September 19 (solo) at the Horner Park Farmers' Market
September 24 (w/The Ian McKinley Band) at Uptown Lounge
The Sunrise now streaming!