As one of Boston’s leading singer-songwriters, McCracken paints with strokes of compassion and warmth, using her long-standing love of songcraft to grip listeners to the soft spots of her heart. Her ears are trained to translate tenderness into works of art — and so is her eye for sentimental visuals, thanks in part to a BFA in Fine Art Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Originally from western New York, McCracken’s obsession with strong songs began at just eight years old, long before she began tinkering on the guitar and drums as a preteen. It wasn’t until she was 19 that the world got to hear her strongest instrument – her voice – but she’s been using it to embrace crowds ever since. Now rooted at the core of the Boston music community, McCracken’s passion for writing, arranging, and producing music remains front and center in her career, although her knack for pivoting between sparse solo sets and boisterous big band performances is just as impressive. McCracken’s May 2022 song help me, hold me, heal me took a literal approach to her signature call for openness, rousing a bold sound that asks for gentle patience and understanding. The single’s outreach clearly resonated with the scene; in recent months, McCracken nabbed a New England Music Award for “Soul/R&B Act of the Year,” as well as a nod from NEMA in the “Female Performer of the Year” category and a Boston Music Award nomination for “Singer Songwriter of the Year.”