Bianna McGeehan
Born in Portland Oregon to a musician and composer father from a traditional Irish- American family with rich musical roots, Brianna McGheehan's home was always filled with melodies and dances. Her great grandfather, a master of Irish Dance as well as a flute and fiddle player, began a familial musical legacy that her father and brother continued, and Brianna felt the call from a very young age. She began behind a piano at five years old, and her musical curiosity continued as she subsequently picked up violin, singing, guitar and joined multiple choirs. After graduating high school, Brianna studied abroad in Tanzania and India, collecting new inspiration, learning new instruments, and exploring new cultures.
LONG / PRESS BIO:
Following her time abroad, Brianna's interest in political and musical studies brought her to Boulder, Colorado’s Naropa University where she studied performance with a focus on anti-colonial and anti-racist works. Her studies at Naropa came to a close when the department shuttered, leading her from Boulder to Brooklyn, New York, and ultimately home to Portland, Oregon. It was there that she decided to raise her daughter, write her first songs, study music therapy, and begin her first band, Dreaming in Colors. Brianna's training in music therapy bolstered her belief in music as a tool for healing and influenced her work as a writing and performing artist by encouraging her to focus on the process of creation in lieu of the product.
Out of Dreaming In Colors, another dream was born, Pretend Sweethearts with Drew De Man. Now Brianna’s husband and musical partner, the two have released two albums together, Becoming the Tender Animal, self produced with friends in 2015, and American Eclipse, produced by Peter Case in 2018, in addition to a few singles. They have toured the US opening for Allison Russell and Raising Appalachia while also raising a family. Brianna's sound is influenced by a swath of artists including Lauryn Hill, Radiohead, The Cranberries, Dad’s Beatles & Aunt Kitty’s Irish folk tapes. Growing up in the 90’s in the Pacific Northwest, grunge was one of the building blocks of a healthy musical diet, but rainy afternoons also lent themselves to Beethoven on the piano. Her music tells the sonic story of her influences lyric by lyric and note by note. Most recently, Pretend Sweethearts has taken a hiatus for Brianna to focus on writing for her solo project.
As a solo artist, Brianna is on the precipice of a new musical chapter. She has released three singles and was recently interviewed by RTE about her song, “Mother Maiden.” A music video for "Mother Maiden" features her daughter, a dancer, and friends, continuing a strong history in Brianna's family of performance and music.
Her debut solo EP will be out this October just in time for her tour of Ireland.
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