Caitlin Cannon & The Artillery
New York City, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"I love the CD. The production is excellent with a great mix of instruments and each instrument fitting into the mixes with its on space. I love your voice, the inflections, the Alabama “twang” ... Your writing style is crisp and fresh and to the point."
-Gary Clardy - Gary Clardy
Caitlin Cannon began developing her Americana cred as a child in Huntsville, Alabama, where she was raised by Hank Williams, Jr's hairdresser (how's that for close to the source?), and steeped in all the country classics. After a stop over in Durango, Colorado, Caitlin now rocks her own brand of alt-country dream pop in every corner of New York. Wanna see for yourself? Don't miss her current residency at Teddy's in Williamsburg.
SCOUT: Did you grow up wanting to be a musician?
CAITLIN: I wanted to be Sonja Henie, the actress/figure skater.
SCOUT: Nice. Who were you listening to while you were dreaming of the magical acting/skating life?
CAITLIN: I was the last one to get a CD player so growing up it was the Huntsville, Alabama local country radio and my stepdad’s Queen and Beatles records. My Mom liked the Judds and cut Hank Williams, Jr’s hair, so that trickled in. My grandmother and I used to sit in the Baskin Robins parking lot eating mint-chocolate chip and singing Cole Porter tunes. But when I moved to Colorado, it all mixed in with more Alt-C stuff like Uncle Tupelo, Ryan Adams, Tift Merritt, Jenny Lewis and The Drive By Truckers. Now, I like to cover songs from Shirley Temple movies.
SCOUT: What's in heavy rotation for you now that you're in New York?
CAITLIN: I’m that girl who gets attached to a T-shirt and wears it everyday until it’s not T-shirt anymore. Right now it’s Justin Townes Earle, Joanna Newsom, and Maria McKee.
SCOUT: You've been a part of the local scene here for awhile now, are there any local, under the radar bands you'd recommend?
CAITLIN: Desert Stars, Rosy Nolan, Megan Burtt, Jane Herships, Spider, Alexis Blaire, Zac Brown (not that Zac Brown) and Holler. Something for everyone!
SCOUT: What's been the trickiest part of trying to break as a musician in these parts?
CAITLIN: I’d have to say not getting romantically involved with your bandmates. I found “The Artillery” at my yoga studio. Aidan (fiddle) and Joel (upright bass) are married, so that’s lucky! And then, asking other people to pay attention to what you’re doing.
SCOUT: How would you describe your sound to new fans?
CAITLIN: I call it Alternative Country Dream Pop, in which uncomfortable concepts are explored through chirpy melodies and evocative arrangements.
SCOUT: Where are your favorite places to unwind and hear music in New York?
CAITLIN: I try never to miss Kathryn Bloss’s house concerts in the East Village ... She always gets the greatest Nashville Songwriters to play and sing right in your lap.
SCOUT: What's the horizon look like? Anything we should watch out for?
CAITLIN: I just finished my first record self titled Caitlin Cannon and the Artillery. You can hear sample tracks at www.caitlincannonartillery.com or pick one up at Teddy's in Williamsburg the 2nd Wednesday of every month. - ScoutMob
Discography
Caitlin Cannon & The Artillery - 2011
Photos
Bio
Caitlin was born in Alabama, her mother a hairdresser and father, a lineman for the Huntsville Utilities. With her parents hard at work, her Grandmother put curlers in her hair, taught her every Cole Porter song in the book and drove her to auditions all over the city. Caitlin was enrolled in a performing arts academy and soon branched out into community and regional theatre productions.
During those early years, her father moved to a farm in Hot Rock, Tennessee, and on the long drives to and fro, she became friendly with everything playing on the local country radio stations. At 10 years old, she was given her first CD player and began stocking her collection with The Beatles, Queen, Hank Williams, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and The Judds.
Her grandmother bought her first guitar just before she moved with her mother and stepfather to the Durango Colorado: The Wild West. Those raucous high school days brought with them a passion for more contemporary alt-c artists. She quickly became enamored with Uncle Tupelo, Ryan Adams, Jason Isabel, Tift Merritt, Jenny Lewis, Patty Griffin and Lucinda Williams. All the while continuing her theatre pursuits, Caitlin was awarded the Patricia Barry (The Twilight Zone) Scholarship, to attend Stephens College, a celebrated women’s performing arts school, in operation since the 1833.
She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Theatre, dance and music, and a couple professional theatre credits under her belt (Roxie/Chicago and Bianca/Kiss Me Kate). She stuffed a duffel bag full of shoes and bought a plane ticket for New York City where she enrolled in the 2 year Meisner training program under the instruction of Bill Esper.
Furthermore, she began composing her original music and made her debut as part of NYC’s Honkytonk Angels. Since, she has performed in venues such as Hill Country, The Living Room, Piano’s The Knitting Factory, Hanks Saloon, Life Cafe, Spike Hill, Pete's Candy Store, Jalopy Theatre, Zebulon, and Kathryn's House, where she opened for David Olney and split the bill with Eleanore Whitmore of The Mastersons.
In 2010 Caitlin was co-founder of a project called William’s Daughter’s in which she gave concerts and administered songwriting all over the Northeast. She has worked with populations in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, libraries, after school programs and high schools.
She continues her own studies in music and performance wholeheartedly, and has received songwriting instruction for Mary Gauthier, Daryll Scott, Chris Williamson, Paul Reisler, Amy Speace, Emory Joseph, and Pat Pattison (Berklee).
Now living in Brooklyn New York, Caitlin is currently acting in a film under the direction of Actor/Director Clark Middleton (Sin City, Kill Bill), in which her music is being featured as part of the score. Also this year, alongside producer Tim Edgar (Nico Vega, Earl Greyhound), Caitlin released her first album of original songs, self titled: Caitlin Cannon and the Artillery. The record delicately explores uncomfortable concepts and beautifully expresses them through chirpy melodies (Fire Escape) and evocative arrangements (Stranger).
Caitlin performs live, with The Artillery every 2nd Wednesday of every month at Teddy’s in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A power trio of guitar and upright bass, and fiddle who showcase Caitlin’s touching alt-country dream pop originals, mixed in with Appalachian traditionals, Western Swing hits and Country Classics. Don’t be surprised to find them all dressed up like toy soldiers or mixed in with a medley of oddball’s singing the blues, playing ragtime-y toy piano, and having a benny ol’ time.
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