Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, McKinley first began singing at age eight in the choir at his familys Baptist church. Growing up, he imbibed his Kentucky-born fathers LPs, listening to artists like Hank Williams and George Jones, as well as Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, and Van Morrison. By his teens, he was playing guitar and singing in punk bands. However, in his twenties he began writing his own songs, gravitating toward rootsy country and soul sounds, mixing it with his varied rock influences. A troubl...