Margo Price burst onto the country music scene in 2016 with her debut album Midwest Farmer’s Daughter. Possessing a classic voice reminiscent of stars like Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, Margo Price quickly became one of the best female singer-songwriters in contemporary country. Fans of Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Dolly Parton are sure to love Margo Price.
While many of today’s top female country artists veer toward a more commercial pop-influenced sound, Margo Price is raw and original. The 36-year-old Nashville-based performer writes songs that reflect the honest, often gritty reality of America. Her songs weave a rich fabric of highs and lows, of love lost and won. This skillful storytelling sets Margo Price apart from her peers.
Margo Price has been called “country’s next star” by The Fader. When you listen to her albums, it’s easy to see why.
Early Career
Born in a small town in Illinois in 1983, Margo Price displayed a talent for music and performing from a young age. Country music, in particular, flowed through Margo’s veins. Her great-uncle, Bobby Fischer, was a songwriter for many of the genre’s greatest stars, including Reba McEntire, George Jones, Charley Pride and Conway Twitty.
In 2003, when she was 20, Margo dropped out of Northern Illinois University, where she had been studying dance and theatre, to move to Nashville, Tennessee. She never looked back. Alongside her husband and songwriting partner, Jeremy Ivey, Margo worked various odd jobs while playing in several local bands.
She soon became a prominent fixture of the local Nashville music scene, playing with Buffalo Clover and her band Margo and the Pricetags. In 2014, Rolling Stone named Margo Price on their annual list of Country Artists You Need to Know.
Still, fame remained elusive. According to her official website, in 2015 Margo was “a country underdog just trying to keep enough gas in the tank to get to the next gig.”
Midwest Farmer’s Daughter
But Margo’s luck changed almost overnight with the 2016 release of her debut album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter. The first country record to be released on Jack White’s Third Man Records label, the album received widespread critical acclaim. It debuted at #10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and made Margo the first solo female country artist to gain this accolade.
Thanks to the album’s success, Margo became one of 2016’s hottest country stars. She performed on Saturday Night Live, Later… with Jools Holland, Charlie Rose and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Margo also began performing at huge festivals all across the globe.
Her sophomore album, All American Made, only added to the momentum surrounding Margo’s career. Released in 2017, All American Made continued to explore the themes of her American roots and her bold authenticity. Critics compared All American Made to the best works of Willie Nelson, and the album received a high 82 score on Metacritic. All American Made debuted at #89 on the Billboard Top 200.
Awards & Recognition
From her down-to-earth lyrics and rebellious aesthetic, it’s likely that Margo Price doesn’t spend much time thinking about awards and recognition. However, it’s rewarding to see a unique talent like Margo acknowledged in the mainstream.
In 2018, Margo received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. Prior to this, in 2016 Margo won an Americana Music Honors & Awards “Emerging Artist of the Year” award as well as the 2016 Ameripolitan Music Award in the Honky Tonk Female category.
In 2017, she received the American Music Prize for Best Debut Album for Midwest Farmer’s Daughter as well as a UK Americana Award for International Song of the Year for her song “Hands of Time.”
