Album Notes

Seattle's Anna Coogan discovered the folk traditions of the American West after ending a ten-year relationship with opera. A few months after leaving the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, she took to writing songs to fill the resultant musical void. Described in the Portland, Oregon Willamette Weekly as "sweet and clear voiced with a stunning range," Anna fronts North19 with an honesty and courage that bellies her petite stature.

While cutting her teeth in Seattle's smoky open mic scene, Anna met banjo and guitar journeyman Travis Beard. He drew upon his twenty years of varied experience on the Pacific Northwest music circuit to enhance Anna's tunes with intriguing and original instrumentation, drawing from traditional bluegrass, blues, and rock.

A freak accident at the DMV introduced Anna to bassist Kevin Burkett, who had recently arrived in Seattle via St. Louis, MO. His fifteen years of duty in bands ranging from 60's cover music to modern-Americana acoustic-rock helped the newly monikered "North19" increase the focus of their music and begin to truly drive the project forward.

North19 keeps an intense performing schedule in the area, playing venues from Portland to Vancouver, BC. In their time together, they have captivated audiences at the Seattle Folklife Festival, Portland's MusicFest NW, and numerous other festivals. They are continuing to build a regular following playing at venues throughout the region, with plans to tour other parts of the country in the near future.

Audiences have loved the blend of haunting ballads, original bluegrass, political folk tunes, and countrified pop songs. Their dedication to their craft, coupled with live performances at every opportunity, is rapidly establishing North19 as a presence in the NorthWest alt-country scene.