Having cut her teeth on bluegrass and Appalachian Mountain folk music and polished her rough edges with a classical music performance degree, twenty-four year old Colorado-based singer/songwriter Kate Laurel Smith brings a diverse musical background to the plate. She has musical experience most recently grounded in Classical French horn, but looks to a widely varied list of musical influences in every genre from Roots Rock and Roll to Jazz. Ben Folds, Over the Rhine, Natalie Merchant, the Who, Damien Rice and John Mayer are just a few of the folks who have frequented her ever-busy CD player in recent years. Early influences included Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac. With prolific songwriting, a soulful voice nearly matching her six-foot frame in size, a couple of Gibson guitars and equally smooth piano skills, Kate Laurel promises to travel far in the Americana/Folk/Alt. Country music world.
Biography
Kate Laurel Smith has a background as varied and diverse as the music she creates. Emerging as a little gypsy almost 25 years ago, her youth was filled with adventure, travel, and acoustic music, all of which still haunt her. A disciplined, hardworking youth produced an intellectual and learned mind to match her somewhat backwoods, wild heart. College brought polish to this accomplished young lady, rounding out the edges to cap off the deep character she brings to her life and specifically her music.
Kate’s Musical Background has run the gamut of styles and genres, honoring artists such as Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, the Wallflowers, Sara Groves, and Over the Rhine, to name a very few. Her personal musical journey began with home recordings her father made when she was an infant, throwing a tantrum or having a tea party in the background of lyricless acoustic lap dulcimer ballads. She began playing the piano in her early years, as well as singing throughout grade school as opportunities presented themselves. Middle school saw the addition of the French horn to her abilities, launching a musical career that would carry her through college as a classical music performance major. Much to the disappointment of members of the music faculty at her alma mater, Kate made the difficult but courageous choice to sell her horn, descend into poverty, and develop the Americana singer/songwriter voice that she had ignored for so long. Her growing fan base and prolific writing is affirmation and testament to the choice made nearly two years ago.
Kate Has Written over 50 songs on her own, and co-written with nearly half a dozen other artists as well. Recently completing recording work on her second full length album, she has already made mention of upcoming EP(s). While it is not uncommon for Kate to write several songs a week it is even more likely to find her recording for ten or more hours at a time in her small northwest-Denver apartment. Her passion hangs equally in the balance between writing and producing, and she admits she would love to produce others’ work in coming years.
An Abbreviated Interview with Kate yielded the following insights on her complex personality:
Q: What’s your obsession, other than music?
A: Finding beauty and finding the good in the world. I’m a seeker. . .I’m always seeking for meaning in things, especially relationships.
Q: What’s in your CD player right now?
A: Out Like a Lamb mix, which includes just-released “I Want You to Be My Love,” by Over the Rhine, and “Universal Traveler,” by Air, among other “hits.”
Q: You’re on a deserted island. The one disc you have is?
A: “Ohio,” by Over The Rhine.
Q: Favorite sunset memory?
A: I seem to have long term memory loss in this area. Recently one was when I was driving through Northern Arizona with my folks three weeks ago. When we came over a tree-covered hill and saw an orb of red sinking into a sea of orange. It was wonderful!
Q: The best road trip you’ve ever taken?
A: A toss up between the Alabaster summer tour to play in Colorado and work in the wool factory, and my Midwest/Midatlantic fall tour last year. Four to five thousand miles in the car by yourself can really shape your views on things.
Q: Your favorite song you’ve written:
A: Right now, probably Traveling Song. I’ve discovered it’s one of the most transparent commentaries I’ve made on life as a journey and heaven as a destination. And that restless feeling that haunts us every day.