McCarley began her musical career in San Diego, where she'd moved after college to pursue a non-musical career. It was during this time that McCarley met producer/writer/keyboardist Jamie Kenney and the two began recording the songs that would become her debut album, Love, Save the Empty.[citation needed]
Love, Save the Empty
In 2008, McCarley performed at the annual SXSW Music Festival where she was discovered by Universal Republic Records.[citation needed]Love, Save the Empty, was released digitally on December 30, 2008 via iTunes, debuting #86 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart.[5] A physical album followed on January 6, 2009. The first single from the album, "Pony (It's OK)" was the iTunes Single of the Week for the first week of 2009.[citation needed]
During 2008, she was part of the "Hotel Café Tour" playing across the United States.[6][7] She was also part of the "Ten Out of Tenn" tour in Winter 2008/2009.
McCarley spent 2009 on the road with various musicians including Brett Dennen,[8] James Morrison,[9] Paolo Nutini[10] and Mat Kearney.[11] In May 2013, she performed the song "Re-arrange Again" with K.S. Rhoads at the Oslo Freedom Forum in Oslo, Norway.[12]
My Stadium Electric
On August 28, 2012, McCarley's second album, My Stadium Electric, was released exclusively to iTunes. "Amber Waves" was promoted as the iTunes Single of the Week.[citation needed]
Influences
Near the top of the list of McCarley's favorite artists are names like Fiona Apple, Patty Griffin and Greg Laswell (the latter of whom co-wrote "Bobblehead").[citation needed]
