Album Notes

Recorded at Erickson Sound Labs in Buellton, Calif., The Voyage Out is an 11-song, vocally driven Celtic/country record (with a little rock and pop on the side). The tunes range from the foot-stomping, back-porch hootenanny, “Been There Before,” to the driving rocker, “This is Just to Say,” to the sweet and twangy waltz, “Aubade.” Kat is joined on the record by a full band—Nate Keezer on drums and percussion; Bear Erickson on bass, lap steel and electric guitar; Jim Pugh on piano and organ.

Kat sings with a vocal sweetness reminiscent of Dar Williams, Emmylou Harris, and The Weepies, and she picks, pulls, hammers, and slides up and down the fret board with ease to produce guitar sounds that can drive percussively or lull melodically. Kat’s lyrics, many co-written with Shannon Brennan, have the seeming simplicity of folk, but with layers of metaphor and meaning that remind one of Ani DiFranco, or of more indie rockers like Neko Case and Sun Kil Moon. While Kat most often plays solo, she likes a big sound, and creates it through the expert use of a loop station that transforms her music into a symphony of vocal percussion, soloing guitar, and layered vocals.