Lucy Kitt

Lucy Kitt is a lady who manages to combine the soul of Norah Jones with the country of Alison Krauss. A singer song writer from London, Kitt’s acoustic songs are simple and honest. Twinned with a knowing and undulating voice there is an element of maturity to her sound, meaning songs are somewhat timeless, easily enjoyed by anyone, anywhere, at any time. Tassled leather, hay bales and cowboy boots spring to mind through songs such as Right or Wrong and Laurel Canyon whereas Eagle could easily be the back drop to a dinner party or simply listened to in the car.

Her combination of pop, folk and blues means her sound is authentic yet contemporary and having performed for over 10 years, Kitt has picked up fans around the world from Europe, California and the UK, and it’s not hard to see why.
- amazingtunes.com

Originating in the South East of England and touring as far as Sweden, Switzerland and California while remaining a regular on her local scene; Lucy Kitt provides a much needed breath of musical fresh air in an over-produced and over-hyped industry. Her attributes have seen her win a loyal fan base that includes Billy Bragg. Having recently taken part in the Mahogany Sessions she will hopefully begin to gain the recognition that her authenticity and home-grown charm deserves with her recent Where I Belong EP.

Together with an occasionally detectable but endearing faux-Texan twang and effortlessly plucked guitar strings, Lucy’s self-penned and thoughtfully composed singles are each as interesting and unique as the last, with the simplicity of their production further enabling her to showcase her varied vocal ability. Naive lyrics highlight her youth but Kitt thoroughly understands the chords and notes that flatter her tone and thus uses them accordingly; the result being a cross between the catchiness of Fleetwood Mac and raw likeability of Bombay Bicycle Club, with her own artistic integrity resonating wholeheartedly.

If her modest EP does not provide you with enough insight, Lucy will shortly be gigging in Canterbury, Maidstone and Exeter (further dates can be found on her Facebook page) or you can hit up the London Folk and Roots Festival in October – judging by her live sessions to date, it may be worth the trip.
- Drunken Werewolf.com

MUSIC is in songbird Lucy Kitt's blood. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter grew up immersed in the world of folk and blues thanks to her musical parents.

After a stint in an all-girl grunge rock band in her teens she switched to acoustic folk when she moved to Canterbury to study at the University of Kent.
The petite blonde fell in love with the city's buzzing music scene while studying archaeology and the classics and now lives here full time.

Meanwhile, her star is rising fast. She performed at the Lounge on the Farm music festival on Sunday – she has played there every year since it started in 2006 – and last Friday supported folk duo Turin Brakes at the King's Hall, Herne Bay.

She has appeared on TV, made a music video on Whitstable beach and reached the finals in BBC Radio 2's Young Folk Awards.

She has performed in Stockholm and San Francisco. She tells Lowri Stafford about her hopes for the future...

You started in a grunge/ rock band?

When I was 16 I played lead guitar and wrote songs for an all-girl grunge rock band. It was fun but we went our separate ways when we all went to different universities around the country. It was a totally different sound to the music I play now.

What's your style now?

I play more acoustic, folk stuff. I've built up a bit of a fan base playing solo shows.

Where did it start taking off?

I entered BBC Radio 2's Young Folk Awards in 2007 and came second. I made some good contacts and got a lot of support and experience, which has helped me on my way.

You've played internationally?

I went to San Francisco and played a few cafe sets and took part in an open mic night at the Hotel Utah Saloon. Then I travelled a bit and played a festival called the North Country Fair Festival. It was a life-changing experience. I came back a lot more confident.

I also went to Sweden and played some gigs in Stockholm, which went down really well. It was amazing to see how my music translated overseas.

Where are you from?

Upminster in Essex. My family still lives there. I do a lot of travelling between Essex, London and Canterbury!

Why Canterbury?

I came to study archaeology and the classics at the University of Kent and discovered its excellent music scene. Plus Lounge on the Farm is here!.

You play at Lounge every year?

Yes, I was lucky to be asked to play at the first one. It was just one field back then. It's great that I've been able to grow with the festival. I usually play one of the small stages or the folk stage.

This year I played on Sunday with Nick Mulvey. I know him from the gig circuit.

Is music a full-time job for you?

I'm hoping it will be but I also have a part-time job working at the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury as a learning support assistant. So many people want to do music as a career it would be a privilege if I could. I am getting some really good gigs, which is promising.

You supported Turin Brakes in Herne Bay last month. How did that come about?

That was a great night. Their team asked if I would do it. I was on quite early but the venue was still packed. People seemed to really like my sound.

Who are your influences?

Artists like Neil Young, The Lemonheads, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. But I also like more modern bands like Radiohead.

How did you get into that type of music?

It's always been in the background of my life. The likes of Leonard Cohen and James Taylor were always playing at home. Plus, my mum and her sister were in a folk band in the 60s and my dad was a blues guitarist. He taught me all the chords when I was young.

How did you make the leap from grunge rock to acoustic folk?

If you listen to grunge, you can hear folk influences in the songs. It comes from country and blues music originally, so it's all connected. I still appreciate grunge but my style is more folky now.

What's next?

I have an EP coming out soon. I have been recording with Sam Beer from the Treetop Flyers who opened the Hop Farm Festival in Paddock Wood last month.

I'm also playing on the new talent stage at Cambridge Folk Festival at the end of the month and have several gigs lined up in London. There's lots going on at the moment. I'm just hoping to continue getting lots of gigs.

First record?

Frogstomp by Silverchair

First car?

A Fiat Seicento. I still drive it now.

Ever seen a ghost?

Not that I know of!

Dream dinner part guests?

Neil Young, who is a music hero of mine and a legend.

Claire Danes because she is my favourite actress.

And Bill Hicks, if he was still alive. He was an amazingly funny comedian.









- This is Kent.co.uk

Lucy Kitt is an up-and-coming singer/songwriter who fits snugly into the folk genre.

She’s been slotted into a space between Norah Jones and Alison Krauss by critics, and is a proficient musician too. She already has a couple of EPs under her belt, and recently appeared at Cambridge Folk Festival.

Her take on folk is refreshing and contemporary, yet you can hear traditional influences throughout her music. Writing music since she was in her teens, Lucy has come a long way. We spent 20 seconds with Lucy to better understand where her music comes from and where she wants to take it next.

How long have you been making music?
My songwriting days started at 16 in an all-girl grunge rock band called Ostara. I played guitars and wrote the tunes. We were performing around the Romford/Essex area in pubs and clubs for a year or two. It was during my university years in Canterbury that I became a solo performer, and my songwriting developed into a more folk rock style.

What inspired your new album?
After my first EP Mornin Sun, my songwriting had already developed from a style of acoustic folk, into a sound I would call my own. I had many new songs to record by the time I decided to start making my new EP Where I Belong. A big inspiration of mine has always been honest and simple songwriters; the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr. All artists who wrote from the heart. I never force writing a song. It has to naturally flow, so much of my inspiration comes from life situations and personal experiences.

What process do you go through to create your music?
I like to write the guitar part first to a song. Sometimes I will have a guitar tune hanging around in my head for months, even years, until a song develops out of it. I start with the lyrics when I feel I have something to say, or some experience has made me want to write.

How would you describe your sound?
A blend of folk rock and country blues.

What would your dream collaboration be?
I’d love to write with Neil Young. His songwriting is a big inspiration to me. I’d also love to sing with Emmy Lou Harris. Her country songs and voice is so legendary. I love her sound.

Where can we catch you performing next?
Besides some London venues on my Facebook Lucy Kitt Tunes page, you can catch me playing on 19 October with Pete Molinari at The Astor Theatre, in Deal. Alos at the London Folk and Roots festival on 28 October, held at The Amersham Arms, New Cross.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lucy-Kitt-Tunes/191466740919848?ref=hl

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDy7NbTpcsI&feature=relmfu

Souncloud: http://soundcloud.com/lucy-kitt
- PRS FOR MUSIC ONLINE MAGAZINE

Singer-songwriters are ten a penny these days. It’s reached the point where even the most unimaginative critic would hesitate in labelling someone who sang and played an acoustic guitar “the new Nick Drake”.

There should, by rights, be only a certain number of things you can do with a voice, an unamplified guitar and a selection of songs that err on the melancholic side of life.

And yet… and yet, somehow the magic is still there: themes, melodies and chords are re-invented on a regular basis into something new and rather special. It’s all rather glorious really.

If you need proof, look no further than the utterly beguiling Canterbury based Lucy Kitt. This unassuming songstress, formerly of an all-female grunge act, has a five track EP available, “Mornin Sun”. And it is a very beautiful thing.

Kitt takes much of her inspiration from the Canadian folk tradition. There are big hints of a record collection featuring Joni Mitchell and Neil Young here. But occasionally, she takes a trip much further south, down to Tennessee to play with the country-rock sounds of Sheryl Crow or Seasick Steve (check out the title track, midway through the EP).

As you might expect from a musician who takes her cue from Mitchell and Young, there is a certain amount of introspection and lingering sadness in Lucy Kitt’s work. The EP opener, “Laurel Canyon” is a song about seeking the solace of solitude after a break up.

Similarly, “Gone” is a regret-tinged, post-break up song, dwelling on “what would have, could have been”. Meanwhile, the aforementioned title track is an angrier sounding song directed as much at the singer herself as the former lover with the “selfish disposition”.

But there is still room for happiness and a cheerier attitude in Lucy Kitt’s songs. And this is more than evident in the simple, but elegant “Days Like These”, a contemporary folk anthem in the tradition of “Big Yellow Taxi”. But rather than bemoaning not knowing what we’ve got till it’s gone, this song is more about not believing we’ve actually got it so good: “You know that life ain’t perfect/but today’s that what it seems.”

When Lucy Kitt performed this song to a small, devoted crowd at the Smugglers Festival in September 2011, this was a clear, obvious highlight of the weekend. The song is a real treat.

Lucy Kitt’s songs have a gentle splendour to them which you cannot but help falling in love with. She’s currently forming plans for a return to the studio where, no doubt, more of these musical gems will appear.

Here’s hoping anyway. No. Here’s knowing.

Find out more about Lucy Kitt at http://www.facebook.com/LucyKittTunes
- ROCK KENT.COM