Bob McNeill is one of New Zealands best known Folk artists for his work solo and with Ben the Hoose. An innovative songwriter, he has three New Zealand Music Awards, all for Best Folk Album. His songs have been covered by artists in New Zealand, Scotland, Australia and the USA. An expatriate Scot, he now divides his time between New Zealand and Scotland.
McNeill’s musical and songwriting style is a hybrid of the Celtic music of his native Scotland and the American New Folk and Americana styles. The Dominion Post compared him to Jackson Brown, James Taylor, Luka Bloom and Dougie MacLean; New Zealand Musician compared his songwriting to Bruce Springsteen and Mark Knopfler.
McNeill’s songwriting has been widely praised. New Zealand Musician called his songs “endearing” and “haunting”. His characters sway on the horizon, sometime after the moment of decision... rare perspectives and sweet melodies, like the farmer inheriting his father’s dogs in Southland Man’s Lament, or the shell-shocked divorcee escaping a forest fire in Jesusita.
In autumn 2009 McNeill joined up with producer Rob Winch to re-record his best known songs alongside new material. This project, which became the album Me and Mary Ann, has been widely praised. Largely recorded in Nashville, with an American band, the record also features guest appearances by many of the New Zealand musicians McNeill has worked with over the last 10 years. For this project McNeill is also joined by Galway singer and regular collaborator Marie Dolan. Also appearing are New Zealand musicians John Egenes, Mark Mazengarb, Mike Moroney, Siobhan Moroney, Kenny Ritch and Davy Stuart.
McNeill tours New Zealand in support of the new record in February and March 2011, with shows all over the country.
