Tourdrobe

Recently, I was lucky enough to venture out into the wilds of California to scope new talent and you’re not going to believe who I found – I am proud to present to you Katie Cole, straight from the land Down Under. I got an opportunity to see Katie perform at The Mint in L.A. at the beginning of June and knew I had to put her on Tourdrobe.

Her music is self-described as “happy and insane, not heartbreaking,” which is a nice change of pace from many female singer/songwriters – we don’t always need to be sad, do we? We can rock out with the boys, right?! Anyway, aside from her original material, Katie performed an amazing mash-up of 2 of my fave 80’s hits: “Shattered Dreams” by Johnny Hates Jazz and Kim Wilde’s “Hangin’ On.” She told me it was a last minute addition to the show and she learned them only days before which completely blew me away seeing as how they were seamlessly spot on! Her EP “Lost Inside A Moment” is set to be released by iTunes in July, but we have a sneak peek for you here:

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My favorite thing about Katie, besides her music, was her sense of stage presence. While on stage, my favorite moment between songs was when she looked at the audience and said, “I love having 3 guitars with me to play – it’s much like a costume change, only a little more expensive.” Unfortunately, The Mint doesn’t allow videotaping (subject to a ridiculous fine) but Katie was kind enough to allow me to post her video: Katie Cole

Katie grew up in Australia listening to a really diverse selection of music from soul to Rock & Roll like Led Zepplin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin to Peggy Lee, Stevie Wonder and Dusty Springfield. Per my convo with Katie she had this to say about her favorite live acts, “I guess I have always been amazed at great live musicianship. The best shows always involve a combination of showmanship and musicianship. Subsequently, I love U2, Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain, Robbie WIlliams and think that P!nk is amazing. No matter what some music critics say Madonna and Kylie Minogue both know how to ENTERTAIN. You’re not expecting vocal acrobatics or guitar solos from them, it’s all about the SHOW. I honestly think you can learn something to use in your performance from every great show you see but your own artistic identity should still come from within and grow as you do.” See why I love this girl?!

If you want to see Katie perform outside of L.A., she is planning to tour in Nashville before the end of 2010. It also looks like she is going to be opening a few shows in NYC soon for Jesse Malin and The St. Marks Social. To find out more about Katie, please check out her website: www.katiecoleofficial.com or her Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/officialkatiecole. For more video footage, you can check her out here: www.youtube.com/katiecoleofficial.

So, until next time, remember it’s your life – live it like a shrimp on the barbie, hot & spicy! -MK