Akron, Ohio transplant Jennifer Markey, who grew up on Broadway musicals and The Carpenters, got her first guitar at the age of thirteen, acquiring a few chords, but put it away after trying in vain to play Beatles' songs.

At thirty-one, a bitter divorce drove her to learn a hundred classic country songs. Sharing the stage with Minneapolis legends Sherwin Linton and Trailer Trash, she created a buzz on the music scene, but breaking into songwriting in 2005 put her on the map. Tunes about Old Crow whiskey and riding the rails to escape abusive parents flowed from her guitar and onto first album "We're All Going To Hell!" It's loaded with classic country twang and booze-soaked anti-love tunes; the January 2010 CD release packed St. Paul's Turf Club. A quick follow-up entitled "The Sparta Session" was recorded in 24 hours at Rich Mattson's Sparta Sound Studios in February 2010, with 9 more original songs; intense, well-written, and laden with Markey's signature offbeat humor.

"on top of her sharp sense of humor, Markey sings with a loud, brash voice that gives her wry lyrics even more bite." -Andrea Swensson, City Pages

"Make no mistake: This is no warbling folk-pop or faux-roots indie rock; it’s classic femme-country rock on the order of Wanda Jackson and Rosie Flores." -Jim Walsh, MinnPost

"Markey's comfortably-worn alto sounds as good bare as it does with her band's seasoned twang of guitars, (and) speaks of desolation on the road and in her heart, and a feeble, worry-laden journey to where she wants to be. Though it was risky for Markey to momentarily remove her trademark tongue from her cheek, the bet played out well, letting listeners see behind the slapstick." -Erin Roof, City Pages

Albums