Kim Koren
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | INDIE
Music
Press
"So why do people go out and buy Carrie Underwood records when they can listen to people like Kim Koren in their own back yard?
This Dundas-born country rocker has a voice that could melt butter. She writes with Stevie Nicks' power. And her band, Punchbuggy Yellow, led by husband/guitarist Frank Koren, kicks butt! You can hear it all on their new cd, Sun Went Down". - Hamilton Spectator
Koren’s voice suffuses this country-but-not-so-country blues-rock with a rare soulfulness.
Every track has something going for it, be it a strong lyric, a driving rhythm, a memorable melodic hitch, or plaintive guitars. And Koren sings it all with seasoned charm and conviction.
The whole package is a welcome local surprise from a Hamilton singer who deserves much play. Never Said Goodbye, I Love, and Melbourne Jam are highlights.
- Hamilton Spectator, Jeff Mahoney
Discography
"Simple" by Punchbuggy Yellow
Independently released in 2003
songs from Simple can be heard on CFMU, Goldenflash in Belgium, CBC Radio3
"Sun Went Down" Kim Koren
Independently released May, 2007
CBC Radio 3, Sounds Like Canada, Daybreak Alberta, CBC Saskatchewan
"Raven Heart" official release on Sept. 17th, 2010
to date the album has been played on CFMU, C101, and CBC Radio 1
Photos
Bio
Just a small town girl: Kim Koren
It's one of those tales straight out of a storybook. Born, bred and still living in a blink-and-you'll miss-it small town, nestled in a valley below the Niagara escarpment in rural Ontario, Canada, Singer/songwriter Kim Koren draws from her roots to deliver an uncompromising musical melange from alternative country rock to beautiful ballads.
Kim Koren began performing at the tender age of four, sitting on her father's knee and singing while he strummed his banjo. From that moment on, she knew that music would be the driving force in her life. She taught herself to play by writing her own songs on a Yamaha her dad gave her for Christmas, and she still plays that same guitar at all her shows. Born and raised in Dundas, Ontario, Kim has a burning desire to see the world, and a passion for meeting people. Her music is described as a blend of country, rock, and blues.
She released her debut cd "Simple" in Sept. 2003, and Sun Went Down in May 2007, which was picked up by CBC for national distribution, enjoying airplay on Sounds Like Canada, Daybreak Alberta, Fresh Air, and Saskatoon Weekend.
Since then, Kim has performed shows throughout Europe, and twice in New York City. For Canadian Music Week 2008, Kim and the band showcased at the Hard Rock Cafe in Toronto, and the Dakota Tavern for NXNE, shared stages with Steve Earle and Country Joe McDonald at the Festival Of Friends, and opened for Barney Bentall and Tom Wilson.
In 2007, Kim was nominated for three Hamilton Music Awards. Female Artist of the Year, Alternative Country Recording of the Year, and Female Vocalist of the Year. She has also become involved in organizing musical fundraiser events for the SPCA , and wrote "Light In The Window" for Design Hope 2007 to raise money and food donations for the less fortunate of Hamilton. In 2008 she won a HMA for Best Event("Year of the Cat").
From 2008 to 2010 Kim has been constantly performing in the Southern Ontario area. Mar 2009 found her on a small tour through the UK from London to Liverpool, sharing the stage with Fiction Planes, Joe Sumner.
In September, 2010, Kim released her third self-produced album,
"Raven Heart", a co-write with Tom Wilson(Junkhouse, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, LeE HARVey OSMoND), which was nominated again for three Hamilton Music Awards for Best Songwriter, Best Alt. Country Recording and Best Female Artist, and she performed at the awards show to a nationwide audience. Koren will be returning to Europe and the UK on the summer of 2011 to promote "Raven Heart", which has already been receiving airtime on BBC Leister.
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