Katie Clarke and the Green River Band

Artist Information

Biography

Katie Clarke (vocal, guitar, banjo) began performing in 2004. In 2006 she added the hot mandolin licks of John Alphin and the bass and harmony vocals of Gail Hegeman to create a dynamic and exciting full band. Heavenly vocal harmonies and the crack mandolin work of her cohorts sets the band apart, as does their repertiore of original material mixed with select covers of fine and often little-known songs of the old-time country and bluegrass genre. They appeal to many audiences from young hipster 20-somethings to older folks who grew up with Patsy Cline, the Louvin Brothers, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. Katie and her band have had the pleasure of opening for many nationally and internationally renowned artists. Katie was recently a finalist in the WRSI (local commercial Pioneer Valley radio station) songwriter contest for "Our Mother the Moon".

Katie and her band have been wowing audiences all over New England with their crisp and eclectic mix of American roots music at performance halls, churches, festivals, private events and clubs. Often compared to local artist Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, and nationally renowned singer-songwriters such as Gillian Welch and Kate Wolf, the band has earned a solid reputation as a crowd-pleasing group able to navigate the territories of bluegrass, folk, country, gospel, and old time music without sounding derivative. With what was at the time the Katie Clarke Trio, Katie released a CD of original tunes, “Hard Rain,” recorded and engineered by Mark Thayer at Signature Sounds in the Spring of 2006. In November 2007 they were pleased to launch their full length release, “Wrap Me In Green,” also recorded and engineered by Mark Thayer at Signature Sounds. More information at www.myspace.com/katieclarkeandthegreenriverband
Photos etc available on this site.

Instrumentation

Katie Clarke, lead vocals, guitar, clawhammer banjo
Papa John Alphin, mandolin
May Add: Gail Hegeman, bass
Stephanie Marshall, vocals and guitar

Discography

Hard Rain, 2006, 7 song EP
Wrap Me in Green, 2007, full length CD

Audio

• Laura Lee
  Listen  
• June
  Listen  
• Something Dark In Me
  Listen  
• Our Mother the Moon
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Something Dark In Me
• Hard Rain
• June
• Laura Lee
• Season of My Time
• Our Mother the Moon

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez say:
  

  Katie and the band do a bang up job, especially on the Townes Van Zandt tune White Freight Liner!

• Conway Inspirations, Cover Feature for Arts and Entertainment Section, Oct 12, 2006 [+ Show ]
  

  Having found her artistic side and formed a trio, Katie Clarke happily chases stardom..................Having found her artistic side and formed a trio, Katie Clarke happily chases stardom.................Story by Anita Fritz
  Katie Clarke grew up overseas, the daughter of a man in the American Foreign Service. She always loved music and took piano lessons at an early age, but soon got bored with classical training and decided to try something a little edgier. She was blown away with old folk music and fell in love with bluegrass after listening to punk rock in high school and college. A few years after Clarke moved back to the states, she worked at radio stations and for a record label in California. She says working in the music business stifled a creative side she didn't really tap into until she moved back East and settled in Conway. That's when the songs came pouring out.
  "I'd walk my terrier Fergey and be inspired by something on the walk," says Clarke. "The creative energy juices just started flowing. There's something about the landscape, the town, the area, that inspires me. " A coulple of years ago, Clarke started looking for a place to play her music with other musicians. She stumbled upon a bluegrass jam session at the Conway Inn, just a few blocks from her home, in Pumpkin Hollow. Late last summer, the band was born from these sessions.........
  "I can't put a label on the type of music we play," says Clarke. It's a mix of bluegrass, country and old-time Americana. Our fans seem to be fans of those genres. "
  Clarke and dobro player Charlie Conant agree that sometimes the greatest things in life are the result of happenstance. "I'd heard about the jam session and decided to go check it out," says Conant. "I've always loved music and decided a few years ago to get back into it." Conant had been a musician in high school and college. He played in a bluegrass band during his college years, but life and its responsibilities took over and he and his wife decided to raise three children.
  "We all have very responsible and important jobs," says Clarke. "We just love this so much, that we find the time to do the music also.
  Listening to the band is like listening to a big slice out of old time Americana.
  They have performed in local cafes, clubs, festivals, and fairs, opening for a number of nationally known bands. Their current goal is to become much bigger on a regional level. The band's harmony vocals are what it is most proud of and what its members continue to devvelop. They recorded a CD in February with sever of Clarke's original songs, and will record another full length CD including some of Conant's originals, next Spring. "Hard Rain" was recorded by Mark Thayer at the Whately based Signature Sounds' recording studio located in Connecticut.
  The 39-year old has been compared to Rani Arbo, Gillian Welch and Kate Wolf. Clarke likes and respects all of those musicians and is flattered by the comparisons, stating she wants to be known for her own roots-based style with a more contemporary edge than traditional bluegrass or oldtime. "Don't get me wrong, I love the obscure and standard old-time bluegrass numbers, but I also love doing my own and Charlie's stuff.
  Clarke is a self-taught musician; her first guitar was an old Gibson she purchased for $200, a far cry from the Martin D-16 she now plays. "Someone told me if I got a guitar and learned to play three chords I could play "Wild Thing", and that was good enough for me.
  Clarke and the band will open Oct 21 for Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez; Taylor wrote "Wild Thing".
  Clarke's interest in folk music intensified during a 1999 trip to Ireland, after which she studied music and guitar, took a few classes and more deeply researched the origins of bluegrass, oldtime and mountain music in Irish and Scottish music. "I really never ever planned to be a songwriter," she says. "But when something happens and the songs just start coming out and people keep telling you to sing them, you just don't ignore that."
  Clarke's ambitions dont' stop with where she is today. "This is such an amazing Valley and with so many talented people and opportunities; there is a richness of musical variety and there is room for all of us to play what we love most." One ................

• St. James Coffee House
  

  Go to http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=8815

Setlist

Typical set list includes many originals, covers of old-time country artists such as the Louvin Brothers or Hank Williams, instrumentals, and a smattering of covers of tunes by Americana artists such as Steve Earle, Gillian Welch, some bluegrass and old-time standards. Depending on the venue we may select more covers from a particular genre such as bluegrass or old-time country in order to appeal to the audience (festivals, fairs etc). Sets average 50 minutes and can do two 50-minute sets.

Basic Requirements

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