Katie Barbato

Artist Information

Biography

Katie has shared the stage with Matt Duke, Jackie Greene, Deb Talan and Steve Tannen, Citizen Cope with Meshell Ndegeocello, Sharon Little, and Melissa Ferrick. She has performed at notable venues and festivals such as Bethlehem Musikfest, TurksHead Music Festival, Block Island Music Festival, Club Passim, The House of Blues, Tin Angel, World Cafe Live, Pianos, The Bitter End, and The Rockwood Music Hall. Barbato was one of four winners of the “Revolution” contest held by The Philadelphia Songwriter's Project in 2011. She has done commercial work for Clear Channel, and has been featured on Radio 104.5 FM, WXPN 88.5FM, Boston's WERS and the NBC 10! Show.

New Album The Millay Tapes 2012

WHO: Philadelphia musician Katie Barbato and friends
WHAT: Barbato was granted permission in October 2010 from The Millay Society to write, record and
release "The Millay Tapes", a compilation of 12 original songs set to the poetry of the great Edna St. Vincent Millay.
WHEN: Official record promotion winter 2012.

Katie Barbato Revives Early 20th Century Poet's Work

Barbato began writing songs to Millay's poetry in 2006 after spending an afternoon in an antique bookstore in the ocean town of Kingston, RI. "I was thumbing through the poetry section and her name sounded so alluring to me. I read a poem entitled " Exiled" and could immediately hear the tune. I wrote 3 songs over the next month."

Taking Millay's ethereal, sometimes complex, sometimes simple, and sometimes humorous words and encapsulating their mood in music is not an easy task, but for Barbato, the connection she felt to Millay made the evolution an easy one.

“I know I am not the first person to have fallen head over heels for her poetry and feel captivated by her presence on this earth. It makes sense that this inspiration landed me writing an entire album to her poetry."

"The Millay Tapes" was performed in its entirety on October 22, 2011, at a private event held at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia and had since been distributed digitally through Itunes, Cdbaby.com, Amazon.com and other outlets.

Barbato, who has become a Philadelphia staple since moving to the city in 2003 and founding Lickety Split's open mic on South Street, drew on her extensive network of amazing musicians, to be featured on The Millay Tapes. The featured album guests include Michael Ronstadt, Kurt Unterkoefler, Dan Collins and Danielle Miraglia.

Katie has been folkin and rockin as a solo artist and with her band The Sleepwells for the past 7 years. When not recording at her home SineStudios(www.sinestudios.com) or performing solo shows, Katie has spent her time in Philly developing music programs for after school and community mental health and addictions agencies with her Master's degree in clinical social work from Temple University. She also spent a summer teaching songwriting with Leonard "Hub" Hubbard of The Roots at Settlement Music School in Germantown, PA.

Instrumentation

Katie Barbato : Vocals, guitar, and keys
Matt Teacher: Guitar
Adam Schwartz: Bass
Mike Lawson: Vocals and drums
Rebecca Rankin: Vocals

Discography

The Art of Falling (2013)

Mercy Road (2012) Single

The Millay Tapes (2012)

Singles 2009-2011
New Year
By My Side
A Ghost in You
Walk Away
Dawning of A New Age

Somewhere Over the Radar (2008)
The Tapestry Room (2002)
Dangerous Daze (2001)
Shootin' For Noon (1999)

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Katie B and The Sleepwells

Audio

• Dawning of a New Age
  Listen  
• The Curse from The Millay Tapes
  Listen  
• Mercy Road
  Listen  
• The Little Ghost from The Millay Tapes
  Listen  

Video

The Sleepwells on the NBC 10 Show

Photo Gallery

Press

• CBS Philly Best Indie/Alternative Bands 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  The Sleepwells merge Lilith Fair folk rock with layers of atmosphere. Singer and songwriter Katie Ba...The Sleepwells merge Lilith Fair folk rock with layers of atmosphere. Singer and songwriter Katie Barbato’s reverb-drenched, clarion vocals act like a siren’s call, drawing you close to the more sinister side of the band’s songs and then lifting you clear with a soaring chorus.

• City's Best Weekend Concert Review [+ Show ]
  

  Katie Barbato and her group The Sleepwells have pretty much skipped right over the "newcomer' phase ...Katie Barbato and her group The Sleepwells have pretty much skipped right over the "newcomer' phase and gone right to "local mainstays" status. This is thanks in part to their tendency to invite musical friends to join the group as they please. Any number of musicians might make up the group at this Tin Angel show, but The Sleepwells' gentle and melodic tunes are always presented with thrilling skill.
  Sat., March 19, 7pm; $10

• The Sleepwells: CD Review [+ Show ]
  

  The Sleepwells, Andrew Bird, Matt and Kim top new music releases by Ben Johnson Thursday January 2...The Sleepwells, Andrew Bird, Matt and Kim top new music releases
  by Ben Johnson
  Thursday January 29, 2009, 1:00 AM
  
  
  "Somewhere Over The Radar"
  The Sleepwells
  MySpace.com/katiebarbado
  Singer/songwriter Katie Barbato has been penning pretty songs of personal realism for a few years, but previous releases by the tender-voiced musician were fleshed out with help from musical mercenaries, project producers and others. Now that she's got a committed band behind her, Barbato's songs feel stronger in foundation and smoother in delivery. The title track, aided by the harmonies of Rebecca Rankin, builds around a haunting, almost child-like piano line. But as drummer Mike Lawson and bassist Adam Schwartz move from a bouncy groove to a steady, building chorus ("And there's no way around it as you cast yourself into the stars, somewhere over the radar"), and guitarist Matt Teacher goes into a slightly distorted descending line, you realize this isn't just another folky outfit borrowing jam band riffs. It's a band and a songwriter who have carefully developed a pop sound that if let out into the sun might shine brightly.

• WVGN Radio Virgin Islands [+ Show ]
  

  The Indie Spotlight CD is "Somewhere Over the Radar" by Philadelphia band, the Sleepwells. The band ...The Indie Spotlight CD is "Somewhere Over the Radar" by Philadelphia band, the Sleepwells. The band has a nice acoustic rock sound and has played some of the summer music festivals around the Northeast.
  

• The Sleepwells: CD Release Party [+ Show ]
  

  The Sleepwells 8pm. $5. With Box Five, Discount Heroes + Conversion Party. Connie's Ric Rac, 11...The Sleepwells
  
  8pm. $5. With Box Five, Discount Heroes + Conversion Party. Connie's Ric Rac, 1132 S. Ninth St. 215.279.7587. www.conniesricrac.com
  Once Boston folkie Katie Barbato fled to Philly after three solo albums, she founded the four–piece Sleepwells, whose new Somewhere Over the Radar was recorded in the local studio run by guitarist Matt Teacher and drummer Mike Lawson. For good measure, it was mixed in Nashville, though the band leans more toward piano–anchored pop than country. Fresh off teaching songwriting and voice lessons at Settlement Music School, Barbato guided the Sleepwells to a live spot on ’XPN and from there an upcoming CD release show in New York.
  
  

Setlist

Katie is available for public and private events as a solo artist or with a full band. Material for 1-3 hour sets including originals and covers

Solo: vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, or uke
Full band: vocals, guitars, banjo, keys, cello, drums or hand percussion, bass

Basic Requirements

Calendar