It took Tim McNary his fair share of twists and turns before he could call himself a Nashville artist. Born in Chicago, McNary was brought up in a evangelical environment so strict, he was exposed only to the music of the church– no secular music allowed. This considerable hurdle didn’t stop McNary from traveling and finding his way into songwriting, though. He took an extended trip to South America, and began singing in an east coast southern rock band, until eventually, after living four months touring and living in his van, it was stolen. This led McNary to Nashville, where he started working at a Mexican restaurant, and began work on Above the Trees, his debut EP releasing on April 8th.

Today, Elmore is premiering “Be With Me,” a track from his upcoming release. McNary talks about the long process of creating the song; “This was one of the first songs I ever attempted to write. I was in the highlands of Guatemala studying Spanish at the time. The song remained unfinished for over ten years, until I finally put the finishing touches on it right before we hit the studio last year. I was in a completely different head space and time in my life at that point, and I feel like the song’s final incarnation reflects that. I would like to think the final version takes on a more transcendent theme than the original incarnation.”

“Be With Me” indeed has a quality of transcendence– it’s a beautifully constructed indie-folk track, with gentle guitars and thoughtful lyrics. McNary is accompanied by a quiet echo of female vocals, which help amplify the track’s lush, dreamlike quality.

McNary’s new record here,  and listen to “Be With Me” below.