Kate Mann and The Calamaties - a rotating cast of characters possibly including Bernardo Gomez (upright bass), Jason Mayberry (percussion), Marilee Hord (fiddle)...and that's just in Portland. There are Calamities everywhere!!!
Influences
singing cowboys, eighties hair bands, old rock and roll, troubadors, travellers, people with kind hearts...
Sounds Like
People have made comparisons as varied as: Lucindia Williams, Michelle Shocked, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Emmylou Harris, Tom Waits, Gillian Welch, Marianne Faithfull, Neko Case...
“Kate's got a back tat that's the size of Oregon and a voice that's twice as big. Armed with a guitar and harp, she cranks out a chicken-wired wall of country rock that'll have your toes tappin' while you watch out for flying beer bottles.”
Jeffrey Morgan
Metrotimes - Detroit's Weekly Alternative
“Kate Mann is much more than a pretty face with an acoustic guitar. She is an artist in every sense of the word, and her music speaks volumes way beyond her years. The New Mexico native's style was shaped by her surroundings of endless skies and vast deserts, giving her a Southwestern disposition that is a little bit treacherous. Affected by such artists as PJ Harvey, Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waits, Mann possesses a gritty and somewhat jagged sound as she enlists unusual chord progressions to accompany her gruff vocals. While she writes with abstract metaphors that could be construed as idiosyncratic, her messages come across compellingly clear. Since her arrival to the West Coast a decade ago, Mann has become one of Portland's most recognizable talents, winning audiences throughout the entire Northwest. Mann's debut disc, November Songs, was released last year. This first outing was recorded live in the studio in a single weekend, and it shows - I mean that in a good way though. The disc captures Mann raw and exposed. The minimalism of each song is refreshing as she takes you on a dark journey to the corner of her soul.”
Tony Engelhart
Weekly Volcano
“Devil's Rope, (Kate Mann’s) second album, shows her confidence growing, her sound toughening, and her future brightening.”
Marty Hughley
The Oregonian A&E
Kate Mann’s songs take you on a southwestern journey of the nighttime world with snapshots of love lost and dangerous encounters. Kate grew up at the foot of the Sandia mountains in New Mexico, and the texture of the desert subtly sculpts her music. A deeply resonant, unique vocal quality, atypical chord progressions, and compelling and intelligent lyrics combine to conjure comparisons as varied as PJ Harvey, Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave.
A former high school teacher, Kate had an awakening of sorts in 2005 and dedicated herself to music full time. She traded in her car for a van, fixed up her mother’s old 1963 Gibson acoustic, and started touring the Western United States. Her unique brand of moody Americana has been cultivating a loyal local fan base, and she is continuing the trend regionally. Her song “Cowboys are my Weakness” was recently selected as a finalist in the Americana category of the Independent Music Awards, and she received some national airplay for selections off her most recent album. Kate has also been winning fans in Europe, where her first album has gotten airplay and positive reviews.
“Devil’s Rope,” Kate’s second album, was recorded at 8-Ball Studio in Portland and coproduced by Kate and studio owner Rob Stroup. The album, distributed by Burnside Distribution, takes the songwriter into new territory. Whereas Mann’s debut, the 2005 release “November Songs,” was a sparse acoustic recording, “Devil’s Rope” surrounds Mann’s dusky voice and acoustic guitar with aggressive slide guitar and harmonica, rumbling drums, and accordion and classical guitar sounds that conjure images of gypsy caravans. Recording for the artist’s third album will begin in January 2008.
Hey Kate, thanks for takin a minute to stop by. I would be honored to share a stage with you sometime. Perhaps a PDX venue? Be well and have fun out there! Melissa
Hello Kate, twas nice to see you and E Christina at One Up the other night. Hope you enjoyed the show... I do look forward to talking with you again soon. Take care and best of course.
Good to hear from you, albeit in the digital world. I will be back in Portland next week, so if you want to grab coffee sometime, that could be cool. Maybe we can set up a show with some of our many mutual friends. -Matt
The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. *Thomas Merton*
We enjoyed the evening listening to you play. It felt like you were playing just for me. Bless your heart! ::big hugs::
I am now the proud owner of your CD's...something I've wanted since the first day I heard your awesome sounds. Whoop-whoop-whoop-YEE-ha! I hope you will always rock Portland. Your fan, glo :)
Hi kate! I dig your guit-tar pickin' Glad to see you'll be playing in my ol' Idaho stomping grounds... We'll be playing our first show in five billion years at the Red Room on 9/20...
no thank YOU, sweet kate. we really appreciate you givin' us a chance and givin' us a listen. :) NICE INK, girl!! and beauuuuutiful voice. pleasure to find you on this MySpace thing...
Hey, hope your having an amazing week so far. I have been busy planning and getting ready for my trip to Italy at the end of the month. That's right, foreign shores here I come! I'll be gone for two months. But before I go I am having two more Portland shows. If you can come out to one I would love to see you there. The first is on Thursday the 14th at the 9 Muses (2715 SE Belmont). I go up at 8pm and its just a 45 minute set I believe. The other is Thursday August 21st at the The Camellia Lounge (510 NW 11th) from 9-11pm. Be there or don't get awesome cocktails! Hope to see you soon. -Kate
Today I looked up and saw a cloud And looked to remove it by speaking out loud The cloud spoke to me and told me so That all I had to do was to ask and it would go
In a desert I found myself hot and dry A wilderness of nothing nor any reasons why I spoke to the desert on that scorching day And there found an oasis right there on my way.
Inside my heart then I knew That the words formed there must be true And if it seems like the darkness of night All I have to do is give my attention to the light.
And so it is with so many things That you learn to fly with angel’s wings By making a place for your soul within To give voice to your heart so you can sing.
You are never more than you are telling yourself to be And you are always greater than everything that you see.
Oh no! I don't have any drinking shoes, I better get some! On the other hand, maybe all my shoes could be considered drinking shoes...? Hope to see ya soon, and welcome back to Portland, we missed ya! :)
