True North
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True North, an Americana original music group, has been recording and performing together since 2002.
True North has been recording & performing together since 2002, with concert appearances throughout middle America. Their style of Americana music is inspired by icons such as Guy Clark, Lyle Lovett and Jason Isbell. The band has opened for a multitude of national artists such as Cross Canadian Ragweed and Jason Boland. They recently released their sixth album, "Songs From the Attic" on vinyl, CD
11/03/2026
“Texaco Drive” is a song about late nights, porch lights, and the places that shape us.
It’s about piling into the car with nowhere to be, feeling the weight lift as the road stretches out, and realizing later that those small drives held more meaning than we ever knew at the time.
What once felt ordinary ends up becoming part of who you are - some places don’t fade — they stay lit, waiting for you to come back.
What road or drive still feels like home to you?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2zTxXjFKGprr74hXOl7uEt
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/texaco-drive/1701936984
Texaco Drive True North · True North · Song · 2003
04/03/2026
“Old Martin & Mandolin” is a song about the bond between a father and a son — and the way music becomes a bridge when words begin to fall short.
It’s about instruments passed down, songs learned by listening, and the moments when a familiar melody can bring someone back, even if just for a few verses. Music has a way of holding onto what time and illness to take.
What song or sound instantly takes you back to someone you love?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2gcbm4HjZd0tagula7YHk3
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/old-martin-mandolin/274879739
Old Martin & Mandolin (Live) True North · Live at the Cafe · Song · 2008
25/02/2026
“Kansas Made” is a song about roots — the kind you don’t outgrow, no matter how far you travel.
It’s about honest beauty, wide skies, and the steady pull of home- a little old-fashioned in the best way. Grounded. Genuine.
Shaped by wheat fields, friendships, and a place that doesn’t need to explain itself. Some people leave and never look back, others carry home with them wherever they go.
What does being “Kansas-made” mean to you — wherever you’re from?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6jbs4Btlja0KT4m4lC42eu
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/kansas-made/319259025
Youth Gets Wasted On the Young by True North on Apple Music Song · 2009 · Duration 5:50
18/02/2026
“Hopelessly Romantic” is a song about knowing where your heart lives — and staying there.
It’s about tuning out the noise, the arguments, the comparisons, and choosing love the simple way: showing up, staying present, and holding on. Not flashy. Not performative. Just real.
Some people call that outdated....we call it commitment.
Who or what are you hopelessly romantic about?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/29oYH8ed3RCjpp8P94pnv0
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/hopelessly-romantic/128955371
Hopelessly Romantic by True North on Apple Music Song · 2006 · Duration 4:30
11/02/2026
“Likely to Scar” is a song about resilience — about getting back up after the fall and carrying forward what the hard moments teach us.
From scraped knees to broken hearts, it’s about the challenges that test you early and the lessons that shape who you become. Not every wound heals clean -— some go straight to the bone — and still make you stronger.
It’s a reminder that the road to who you are isn’t always smooth, and often filled with hard knocks.
What’s a challenge you’ve faced that helped make you stronger — even if it left a scar?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7J2einZz3erfhiAqt92VAL
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/likely-to-scar/1701936730
Likely to Scar by True North on Apple Music Song · 2003 · Duration 3:49
04/02/2026
“Whisper to a Scream” is a song Gary wrote about his daughter — when she was around ten years old.
It captures that moment when a kid is becoming their own person: curious, expressive, full of contradictions, and completely unafraid to be themselves. One minute quiet and thoughtful, the next bursting with personality — a whisper to a scream.
It’s a song about watching someone you love grow into who they are, right before your eyes.
What’s a moment you remember when you realized someone you loved was becoming their own person?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2WQRudcEuQNCCXIPaKypZp
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/whisper-to-a-scream/319259058
Whisper to a Scream by True North on Apple Music Song · 2009 · Duration 3:43
09/01/2026
As we kick off 2026, we wanted to say "thank you." Since we started sharing a song every Wednesday in 2025, we’ve posted 30+ original songs - we’re just getting started!
There are 45+ more original tunes coming in 2026, and plenty waiting in the wings.
It’s interesting to step back and realize how deep our original music catalog runs — and even better to know people are listening, connecting, and sharing the music with us.
Thanks for being part of it. Here’s to another year of songs and stories. 🎶
“The Credit” is a song about owning up to the truth - not the excuses we make, not the stories we hide behind, but the real reason someone walked away.
It’s about a man who finally stops blaming the bottle, the ci******es, the late nights, or anyone else… and admits that the hurt, the ending, the heartbreak - the credit - belongs somewhere he hasn’t wanted to look.
It’s raw, simple, and honest in a way that hits home.
What’s something you’ve learned to take responsibility for - even when it stung?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3x0ub2ghQVKvDrVra63uW5
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/the-credit/1701937798
The Credit by True North on Apple Music Song · 2019 · Duration 4:24
08/01/2026
Gary & Garrett will be joining Caleb Nelsen for a Nashville-style singer / songwriter night at Compass Point home of Dirty Girl Adventures on Friday, January 16th.
Doors open at 6:00PM - show starts at 7:00 PM - Tickets are $13.49 via Eventbrite or $10 at the door the night of the show.
Come out and join them for an intimate evening of storytelling and original tunes!
Tickets - click the link below.
Songs from the Heartland - Gary McKnight, Garrett Rake, Caleb Nelsen Join Compass Point, home of Dirty Girl Adventures, for a special evening of music, Songs from the Heartland featuring 3 singer-songwriters.
17/12/2025
"Youth Gets Wasted on the Young” is a song about the wild years we don’t fully appreciate until they’re long gone — and the lessons you only learn after you’ve already burned through the moment.
It’s about the recklessness, the missed chances, the laughter, the heartbreak…and all the ways those early years carve us into who we become.
Fast, unforgettable, and a little reckless — that’s youth.
If you could go back and tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6jbs4Btlja0KT4m4lC42eu
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/youth-gets-wasted-on-the-young/319259025"
Youth Gest Wasted on the Young True North · Dimestore Hemingway · Song · 2009
11/12/2025
"Daddy’s Eyes” is a story about a gift no one is prepared to give — and a miracle no one forgets.
It’s written from the perspective of a man who receives his sight through the donated corneas of a little boy’s father. What follows is a letter from a grieving son, full of innocence and hope, reminding him that the world he now sees is thanks to a final act of kindness.
It’s a song about loss, generosity, and the way love echoes long after we’re gone.
What’s a moment of kindness that changed the way you see the world?
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/79j4L9spIV8VK0u6s47t6t
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/daddys-eyes/1701936990"
Daddy's Eyes True North · True North · Song · 2003
08/12/2025
Friends - If you joined us this weekend for the Compass Point home of Dirty Girl Adventures shows on Friday or Saturday - thank you for coming out, supporting live local original music, and making both nights unforgettable.
There’s nothing better than looking out and seeing a room full of smiling faces, people singing along, sharing stories, and lifting up the music right along with us. The energy and back-and-forth with the crowd - you made both nights special.
We’re grateful to everyone who showed up, cheered us on, and continues to keep original music alive in the community.
See you at the next one. 🎶 True North