Pat McLaughlin is a quintessential maverick, right down to his pointed shrugging off of all the moniker implies. The revered, if a bit enigmatic, singer, songwriter and guitarist has spent years honing his layered style. Dedicated only to the pursuit of a new groove or an old feeling, his songs rehash the sights and sounds of a reformed nomad with roots in Iowa, footprints in San Francisco, New Orleans and Chicago, and a home in Nashville.
Raised in Waterloo, Iowa, McLaughlin landed in San Francisco, California, in the early 1970s. He had given college in Arizona a try but found the lure of music unshakable. In California, Pat began to write songs, playing alone at open mic nights and in the streets near the bay.