Kaleigh Watts
Montréal, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | SELF
Music
Press
“She’s got a tremendous handle on her art, and her sound is warm and convincing. Plus, the fact that ["Smoke Lake"] was recorded directly in nature gives the EP a lived in-quality that’s quite appealing. This is a short album that’s destined for the cottage, and if you’re looking for thoughtful and quality songwriting, "Smoke Lake" is a good bet for those seeking maturity and wisdom at the hands of such a young woman. Watts is sterling and a consummate performer, so it’s with great excitement to envision what her first full-length may sound like, and which portage trail she leads delighted listeners down in the future.” - Pop Matters (By Zachary Houle)
""In The Attic" by Kaleigh Watts, from "Smoke Lake": An ephemeral pairing of vocal and acoustic guitar, as delicate as smoke over the lake." - Ottawa Citizen (Peter Simpson, The Big Beat)
"There’s something spooky about the way the authority and low range of Watts’ voice combines with the poetry of her lyrics, making her sound like a seer, the tracks captured from a séance. The eeriness is greatly enhanced by the cast of unconventional sounds in the background … The album’s vision of capturing the feel of a wild, isolated place seems like a sonic analog of other ways of bottling pieces of the wild like wildflowers pressed between glass or taxidermy and the record carries the same aura of rarity about it." - Couch Assassin (By Chrissy Steinbock)
"She's incredibly talented and when I first met her I was really struck by how beautiful her alto singing voice is and how fluid it is." - Lynn Miles -
"Her voice is sultry, like the softness of a dusty red grape, the powder on red wine." - Ian Tamblyn -
Discography
Hung Me Dry (To Be Released) (2017)
Smoke Lake (2014)
A Quiet Winter (with Snowday) - Single (2014)
Ophelia - Single (2013)
Of Your Youth (with Common Citizens) - Single (2012)
Photos
Bio
Kaleigh Watts is a Canadian musician and songwriter, born a songbird of the wild, water, and woods. Her alto singing voice has been described as raw and hauntingly beautiful, which perfectly complements her rhythmic fingerpicking on acoustic guitar and her old soul as a lyricist. Throughout live performances, Watts musically captures audiences with her on-stage performance charisma, nostalgic melodies on her vintage würlitzer electric piano, and imaginative use of household objects and trinkets that she plays using violin and cello bows to create breathy, eerie sounding textures.
Watts’ debut project “Smoke Lake” was recorded without electricity in her family cabin and along portage trails in Smoke Lake, Algonquin National Park, Ontario. Many of the tracks were inspired by the familiar surroundings of Algonquin, and include field recordings and textures of the park’s wildlife and natural atmosphere.
While obtaining a Bachelor of Music degree from Carleton University, Watts was mentored by many notable Canadian musicians, including Juno Award and Canadian Folk Award winner Lynn Miles, and songwriter Ian Tamblyn. Over the course of her training and mentoring, Watts has developed an eclectic and diverse vocal resume, with performing genres ranging from electronic pop, indie, folk, blues, and jazz. Watts’ voice and instrumentation have been featured on electronic tracks with Toronto EDM duo Snowday, and as an alto jazz vocalist in the Carleton University Jazz Ensemble. Watts’ notable performances include the National Arts Centre, CityFolk Festival, RBC Ottawa Bluesfest, and an eastern Canadian tour with “Toronto’s The Most Loyal”.
Watts is set to release her second project “Hung Me Dry” this spring, which will feature songs that were composed during and inspired by her five years living in the city of Ottawa.
Band Members
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