McPherson was born as the youngest child in his family in rural southeastern Oklahoma, growing up on the family's cattle ranch near the town of Talihina.[5] His father was a farmer and ex-army, while his mother was a church minister.[6][7] He took up the guitar at age 13.[4] In high school, he played in a number of local punk rock bands and began writing his own songs.[8] He has stated that he has always been in a band of some sort since he was 16 years old.[9]
JD McPherson and band in 2016
Of his youth growing up in a quiet rural area, he said that this allowed him to involve himself in the pursuit of music:
But where I actually grew up was just completely removed from anything resembling a town or a city. It was an hour away from the nearest supermarket. What that granted me was a lot of isolation and when you are bored you tend to work really hard on your interests. I was granted a lot of opportunity to play the guitar, listen to music and read about music. So it probably would have been a different story if I grew up in a town somewhere.[9]
During this time, McPherson also developed a strong interest in 1950s rock and roll after being exposed to the music of Buddy Holly. This went on to shape his song writing and sound for bands he was in such as The Poison Okies and The Starkweather Boys.
He studied visual arts in college, earning a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Tulsa, and later worked as an art and technology teacher.[3] McPherson taught middle school art for four years before embarking on a music career,[5] later remarking that he loved teaching but did not enjoy the bureaucratic aspects of the job. As McPherson stated, "It feels like another life now... It taught me that I'm a terrible employee. I actually really enjoyed the teaching part of it, but wallowing in the mire of administrivia is not a thing I'm very good at."[10]
McPherson in 2017
After deciding to pursue music more seriously, McPherson sent a demo to Jimmy Sutton of the small independent record label Hi-STYLE Records, which specialized in roots music. Sutton agreed to produce McPherson's debut album, a process that ultimately led to 2010's Signs and Signifiers.[4]
After its wider release through Rounder Records, Rolling Stone gave Signs and Signifiers a 3½ star (out of 5) review in November 2012 and labelled McPherson an "Artist to Watch."[11]
In October 2015, JD McPherson and band appeared (in animated form) as musical guests performing a new and original song "Crazy Horse" for the DreamWorks animated TV series, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show on Netflix.[13][14]
McPherson's debut album, Signs and Signifiers, was released in 2010 on Hi-STYLE Records. The album was given a major-label release by Rounder Records on April 17, 2012,[3] debuting at number one on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and number 161 on the Billboard 200 the week of June 2, 2012. It also reached number 47 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart.[19]
The single "Your Love (All That I'm Missing)", from the album Signs and Signifiers, was released by Rounder/Hi-STYLE in the UK on June 18, 2012.[20]
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"North Side Gal"
JD McPherson
2:31
2.
"Country Boy"
Big Tiny Kennedy
2:44
3.
"Fire Bug"
JD McPherson
2:18
4.
"Signs & Signifiers"
McPherson / Sutton
4:46
5.
"Wolf Teeth"
McPherson / Sutton
2:57
6.
"Scratching Circles"
McPherson / Sutton
2:10
7.
"A Gentle Awakening"
McPherson / Sutton
3:26
8.
"Dimes For Nickels"
JD McPherson
2:43
9.
"B.G.M.O.S.R.N.R."
McPherson / Sutton
2:59
10.
"I Can't Complain"
McPherson / Sutton
2:37
11.
"Your Love (All That I'm Missing)"
Joseph Simeone (of The Bellfuries)
3:01
12.
"Scandalous"
JD McPherson
2:28
Total length:
34:34
Let the Good Times Roll
McPherson's second album, Let the Good Times Roll, was released on February 10, 2015.[21]
JD McPherson's third album, Undivided Heart and Soul, was released on October 6, 2017.
The song "Under the Spell of City Lights" is featured in the soundtrack of MLB The Show 18.
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Desperate Love"
JD McPherson / Doug Corcoran / Jason Smay / Ray Jacildo / Parker Millsap / Jimmy Sutton
JD McPherson's fourth album, Socks, a Christmas album, was released on November 2, 2018. In Matt Collar's AllMusic review, he asserted that the album is "a jubilantly rockin' production, rife with humor and the Oklahoma-born singer's knack for old-school '50s R&B."[22]
