LA singer-songwriter Jensen McRae hits KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio with searing cuts from her sophomore LP “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!”
LA singer-songwriter Jensen McRae hits KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio with searing cuts from her sophomore LP “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!”
Video directed by Kylie Hazzard. Photos by Vivian Villa-Caratachea. Graphic by Rommel Alcantara/KCRW

Jensen McRae: KCRW Live from HQ

Intimate performances, fresh sounds, and candid conversations with a view.

Written by Marion Hodges

Incisive LA singer-songwriter Jensen McRae is a familiar presence around KCRW. Her first live session for the K was part of our In Residence series in 2020, then she joined us IRL for an acoustic show Live From: Anne’s Backyard the following year. Now — on the heels of her sophomore album I Don’t Know How But They Found Me! — she makes her Annenberg Performance Studio debut.

Since we last caught up with McRae, she signed to Dead Oceans, befriended Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and toured with Noah Kahan and MUNA. Plus, she teamed up with producer Brad Cook to give the new album a crisp, straightforward, and countryified pop sheen. But as we called out in 2021, McRae is a “word girl” first and foremost. Her lyrics always steal the show.

In between stops of her massive, continent-spanning “Praying For Your Downfall” tour — which included two sold out hometown shows at El Rey(!) — McRae hit HQ solo with her acoustic guitar, impeccable turns of phrase, and her empathy machine of a singing voice. Watch her via the video above as she tears into I Don’t Know How cuts including “Savannah,” “Let Me Be Wrong,” and (naturally) “Praying For Your Downfall.” Then watch the interview video below as Morning Becomes Eclectic host Novena Carmel guides her through a revealing batch of crowdsourced questions.

Explore more KCRW Live From sessions




Credits:

KCRW Music Director: Alejandro Cohen
Interviewer: Novena Carmel
Director/Director of Photography/ Editor: Kylie Hazzard
Camera operators: Milana Burdette, Kylie Hazzard
KCRW Recording / Mix Engineer: Katie Gilchrest
Assistant Engineers: Hope Brush and Nick Lampone
Executive Producer: Ariana Morgenstern
Senior Producer: Anna Chang
Event Producer: Krissy Barker
Digital Producer: Marion Hodges
Digital Editorial Manager: Andrea Domanick
Social Video Editor: Tohar Zamir
Lighting Design: Jason Groman
Art Director: Evan Solano

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