Denver-based Americana songstress Katey Laurel has an alluring voice which sounds like springtime in the Rockies and her songs—“Everything I Love,” “The Wheel,” and many others—embrace American magic and longing in their sounds, themes, production and intonation. Laurel has begun to attract the attention of other songwriters and a list of her accolades sounds like a musical trip through the mountain time zone: Walnut Valley Festival New Song Winner, Tucson Folk Festival National Finalist, Great American Song Contest Finalist, Nine West “Voice of Vintage America” National Finalist, Texaco Country Showdown Southwest Regional Finalist.
Laurel has graciously offered her recent EP, From Here, as a free download to 200 East Portland Blog readers. Follow the links below to hear or download her music. Also, please take some time to sign up for her mailing list.
Recently she answered some email questions from EPB to give you a clearer picture of her career and goals.
What should your fans know about your musical and personal past?
I guess most people find it interesting that my folks were hippies into the 80s and I lived in VW buses, one room log cabins and teepees among other places to call temporary homes. I think that’s where my inner-child dreamer originated. I want to believe in the best in people and situations. About my musical past, I played Classical French horn for fifteen years which surprises most folks, and I started off by listening to “Tommy” by The Who and playing along with The Overture. I guess my heart really always was in rock and roll….or at least it’s folk counterpart.
What were some of the bio-type events which shaped you as the artist you are today?
I think the main thing that happened to me in my life that made me who I am was growing up in a small town where a person learns that every single person in the community matters. I’ve taken that approach to my life and it’s given me a great sense of purpose and therefore confidence. Small-towns and those people that live there really give their all to the concept of the village raising children. I had amazing parents who weren’t afraid of their frailties and mistakes as humans and have taught me the value in being real and honest. A small-town church family gave me the gift of faith and growing up knowing God is real and present.
Do you write your material? Talk a little about the creative process. Do you write from a guitar? Do the words ever come at the beginning of the process?
I write or co-write all of my songs and occasionally write for other people. I do, of course, play a few covers live…ones that touched me as an artist, so some of them are as obscure as my early career has been to my audiences – that’s half the fun!
Nowadays my creative process often includes a few days to weeks of incubation of an idea or concept before I sit down to write about it. Part of that is just the busy-ness I’m experiencing right now with my new album recording, etc so I have to be patient with my songs. I will often then sit down and write them in a matter of an hour or two. I write with both guitar and piano these days, but more often guitar since I don’t have my keyboard set up much of the time. Lazy and convenient, I guess I just write with what’s handy. Sometimes it’s ukelele.
Lyrics…sometimes they are the easy part, sometimes they are stubborn. Lately, I’ve been writing and rewriting them which I used to never do. I’m pushing myself harder to say what I’m trying to say more and more accurately rather than settling for my intuitive word choice. Often I’ll have part of the lyrics or a phrase with a melody long before I sit down with an instrument to flesh it out.
What makes for a great song?
I think a great song is one that makes you feel something. That’s it.
What makes for a great live performance?
Much in the same way, a great live performance is one that makes goosebumps stand up on my arms (as a listener) or makes me think about or feel something differently. As a performer, a great performance is when someone comes up afterwards and tells me I touched their soul in some way. Of course, I think the gift is channeling God’s power somehow and that’s who is really doing the touching. 🙂
Who are some artists to which you enjoy listening? What is it about them which you find to be appealing or important?
Speaking of spiritual performances, I love Josh Garrels and Trevor Hall as well as Over The Rhine. Lately I’ve been loving Austin band Alpha Rev. And of course, always Patty Griffin. So many others too!! All of these people say things in ways I haven’t heard before and get down to the heart of me with the spiritual depth of their performances.
What are your artistic plans for the immediate future?
This year is an album year so I’m pretty focused on finishing that up. It should be done by the end of the year. I’m super-stoked to be playing Hotel Cafe in LA next month, that’s been on my bucket list for awhile. After that, who knows? Winning a Grammy? That’s my long-term goal.
Do you like pug dogs? What’s the nicest thing you can think of to say about pugs? (It’s ok if you don’t like pugs, just know that East Portland Blog is very fond of pugs…)
I’ve never spent much time with pugs so I honestly can’t say I’ve met one I didn’t like. 😉 I do remember they feel like velvet. I don’t actually have a dog, myself.
Is there anything else you’d like your fans to know?
I love pumpkin pie. Especially with whipped cream, and any time of the year.
Official Site
www.kateylaurel.com
Listen:
soundcloud.com/kateylaurel/sets/from-here
Download:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/QlVoTXRTZ2c0b0F3anNUQw
