Growing up with musician parents made songwriting a natural part of life for Sean McConnell, who penned his first song at age 10. That one didn’t make it to the recording studio, but others he’s written have been put out by Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Meat Loaf, Jake Owen, Christina Aguilera, Buddy Miller, and more. With 13 albums of his own, you’d think McConnell would be a household name, but he’s content to let others go big while he works his latest record, Secondhand Smoke, in rooms where people can hear every vivid lyric. “Fewer and fewer people are taking the time to sit down and really listen to a song,” says McConnell. “I hope people give this record that space, and then just go on that journey—whatever that journey is, because it’s going to be different for everybody.”
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