Christmas 1989

Melissa Kay McCarthy

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    Grandma's Christmas Cigarette 3:26
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    Lost and Found 2:42
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    Reindeer on the Wall 3:25
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    Not Be Read 2:33
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    Loralee 2:57
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    Christmas 1989 3:35
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About Melissa

Melissa Kay McCarthy is a Wisconsin-based folk/country singer-songwriter recognized for her narrative-driven writing, understated delivery, and emotionally resonant storytelling. Drawing influence from artists such as Reba McEntire and Lori McKenna, McCarthy crafts songs rooted in lived experience, characterized by lyrical precision and a stripped-back acoustic style that highlights the core of her songwriting.

With more than two decades of writing and performance experience, McCarthy independently released her early albums When I’m Gone (2007) and Live at Corner Coffee (2008), establishing her signature blend of intimate folk and traditional country elements. Her creative trajectory shifted in 2005, following the loss of her cousin Elliot, leading her to pursue a degree in biopsychology and a career in mental health. This dual background—music and behavioral health—continues to inform her artistic voice, adding depth, empathy, and thematic weight to her work.

At 22, McCarthy relocated to Alaska due to a job-application mix-up—a move that ultimately shaped her worldview and songwriting perspective. Throughout her career, she has auditioned for major network talent platforms including American Idol, The Voice, America’s Got Talent, and Nashville Star, experiences that reinforced her commitment to authenticity over commercial competition.

McCarthy returned to recording in 2021 after a 12-year hiatus, driven by the need to process the 2018 and 2019 overdose deaths of two cousins. The resulting studio album, Hourglass (2022), reflects a renewed artistic clarity and explores themes of time, family, and personal restoration.

Since Hourglass, McCarthy has continued to balance her work in mental health with the pursuit of her master’s in social work, maintaining songwriting as a foundational part of her creative and professional life. In October 2025, she attended a songwriting retreat in Scotland, where she wrote the title track for her upcoming holiday album, Christmas 1989.

MUSIC

Hourglass

Melissa Kay McCarthy

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CD Download

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    Hourglass 3:03
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    How Our Family Grieves 3:56
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    Warm Bed 3:54
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    Elliot 4:36
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    Forgive Me Father 3:37
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    Miss Diagnosed 2:51
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    Wonder Woman 3:23
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    Why 3:32
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    Painful Place 4:53
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    9th of May 2:52
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Live at Corner Coffee

Melissa Kay McCarthy

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Recorder at Corner Coffee, Minneapolis, MN.

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    Last Hymn (Live) 7:21
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    Or Longer 3:44
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    Stumbling is No Way to Walk 4:52
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    You Won't Give Up On Me (Live) 4:07
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    Hell 2:56
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    Anywhere But Here (Live) 4:34
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La Crosse Local | Podcast Interview
September 28, 2022

Melissa sat down with the La Crosse Local to talk about the new album, her writing process, and the lyric book. Be sure to check out La Crosse Local and learn about all the happenings in La Crosse:  https://lacrosselocal.com/

SHOWS

Previous events

Sundays at The Brick | Melissa Kay McCarthy

Sundays at The Brick | Melissa Kay McCarthy

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Brick Sip Haus, 800 Superior Ave, Tomah, Wisconsin, Tomah, Wisconsin

Sundays at the Brick continues with Melissa Kay McCarthy Join us at Brick Sip Haus on Sunday, March 1, 2026, from 1–3 PM as Melissa Kay McCarthy brings her powerful voice and captivating performance to the Brick. Spend your Sunday afternoon with live music, great coffee, and the intimate atmosphere you’ve come to love. No cover. Just music. Sundays at the Brick Brick Sip Haus Sunday, March 1 | 1–3 PM

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Wausau Christmas 1989 Album Release Show

Wausau Christmas 1989 Album Release Show

Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, 309 McClellan St., Wausau, WI

Melissa brings her Christmas 1989 album home to Wausau for an evening steeped in deer guts and Grandma’s cigarette smoke. Blending laughter and tears, she invites you into the warmth and weirdness of a Wisconsin holiday.

$20 in advance | $25 at the door | $10 student

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La Crosse Christmas 1989 Album Release Show

La Crosse Christmas 1989 Album Release Show

The Grand Hotel Ballroom, 207 Pearl Street, La Crosse, WI

Melissa brings her Christmas 1989 album to The Grand Hotel Ballroom for an evening wrapped in deer guts and an ode to Grandma’s cigarettes. With songs that drift between laughter and tears, she invites you to step back into the warmth and wack of a Wisconsin holiday.

$20 in advance | $25 at the door | $10 Students

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Suicide Prevention Mural Reveal

Suicide Prevention Mural Reveal

Family & Children's Center, 811 Monitor Street, La Crosse, WI

Join us for the unveiling of a newly commissioned mural that symbolizes hope and resilience, completed this fall by artist Kristy McCarthy with the help of community members. The event will feature speakers, a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the mural's completion, and music by Melissa McCarthy. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase apparel showcasing the mural and enjoy light refreshments. This event is open to all, and we invite the community to come together in support of mental health awareness and suicide prevention

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Fourth Fridays

Fourth Fridays

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Front Street, La Crosse, WI

Fourth Fridays is a monthly summer event series bringing food and drink vendors, arts and crafts, music, and fun to downtown La Crosse. Free for all ages to attend. Bring your blankets, chairs, and friends to enjoy Fourth Fridays in Riverside Park!

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Previous Venues

2nd Moon Coffee Cafe (Minneapolis, MN) 
Acoustic Cafe (Winona, MN) 
Acoustic Cafe (Eau Claire, WI) 
Bantr (Rothschild, WI)
Bloombox House Concerts (Bloomington, IL) 
Blue Heron (Winona, MN) 
Brick Sip Haus (Tomah, WI)
Caffeine Cafe (Nashville, TN) 
Canadian Honker (Rochester, MN) 
Caribou Coffee (Minneapolis, MN) 
Charles Allis Art Museum (Milwaukee, WI) 
Corner Coffee (Minneapolis, MN) 
FInnish Bistro (St. Paul, MN)
Four Sisters Wine Bar & Tapas Restaurant (La Crosse, WI) 
Grand Hotel Ballroom (La Crosse, WI) 

KVIK Radio (Decorah, IA) 
Lakehouse Winery (Townsend, WI)
Limericks (Wausau, WI)  
Malarkey's (Wausau, WI)  
Midwest Music Festival (Winona, MN)  
Mill Pond Market (Eleva, WI)  
Mugshots (WSU - Winona, MN)  
New Moon Cafe (Oshkosh, WI)  
Peaberry's (La Crosse, WI)  
Popcorn Tavern (La Crosse, WI)  
Post Town Winery (Rochester, MN)  
Starbucks (La Crosse, WI)  
Trempealeau Hotel (Trempealeau, WI)  
Uncommon Pints (Rothschild, WI)
Wausau Festival of Arts (Wausau, WI

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