Anna Coogan & north19
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Anna Coogan & north19

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"No Depression"

A former opera singer, Seattle's Anna Coogan turned to twang a few years back, "detraining" herself via the city's open mike nights. Glory, Coogan & north19's full-length debut, is an exciting listen that showcases her stunning vocals, which bring to mind the sweet but striking approach of Kelly Willis and Iris DeMent. Coogan brings out the hurt in songs such as "The Ones Who Love You The Most" and "South Of The City", showing tremendous range and care. The lyrics offer the typical lonesome roads and heartbreak, but there are some nice details and surprises, especially the title track and 'Drop A Line". The rest of north19 (banjoist Travis Beard and bassist Kevin Burkett), along with several guest musicians, provide lively support; Beard also penned the standout "Love Will Find a Way" and the instrumental "Colombia". - Andy Turner


"Seattle Post-Intelligencer"

Listening solely to her voice, you may doubt Coogan's country credentials. Unlike many of her peers, she doesn't survive on grit and vinegar. She's a classically trained opera singer, and when fronting her band, north19, her voice slides from note to note without ever slipping. Coogan's style fits nicely with the new wave of singer/songwriters that blend traditional influences with modern. (Think Shelley Campbell or Tift Merritt.) Her debut, "Glory" (Tarnished) incorporates liberal amounts of banjo and slide guitar, and the songs roll along with the gentle shifts of a horse's walk. - Tizzy Asher


"KEXP 90.3 FM, Seattle"

This Seattle trio has been getting quite a bit of attention lately for their rootsy folk-country. Anna Coogan has a lovely voice with some affecting breaks that she uses to wring plenty of emotion out of the bands well-crafted songs. The stripped-down accompaniment includes prominent banjo and occasional dobro and pedal steel. Fans of folks like Iris DeMent would do well to check 'em out. - Don Yates, Programming Director


"The Stranger"

Based on her powerful pipes and the catch in her throat, she could just as easily pass for a native of Nashville... circa the late-'60s heyday of Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Like those First Ladies, Coogan isn't afraid to stretch her wings stylistically, too; the title track of Glory boasts a reassuring gospel quality, and elements of blues and rock also underpin much of her rootsy material. - Kurt B. Reighley


"Victory Review"

Oh, man. Ooooooh, man. Anna Coogan and north19 are here, and they have a sound like no other. Let's say up front that Glory is one of those records that stops you in your tracks; it's the new benchmark for country music. Get on board, children. Word is that Anna Coogan started out taking vocal lessons and might have ended up singing opera, but turned to twang instead. She's got PIPES. She has astounding control and the biggest bag of effects, but Glory is not a recital or a display. Coogan sings exactly what needs to be sung, exactly why it needs to be sung, and she can do everything that needs to be done. Every note is heart wrenching.
The instrumental work is similar. It is anchored by the amazing Travis Beard on banjo, who manages a huge range on the one ax: a kind of Maybelle Carter effect, holding down rhythm and melody both. Beard gives Glory a radical but delightful sound, as the happy burbling of the banjo is set against the dark passions and deep convictions of Coogan's songs. A more conventional approach, with guitar and fiddle, would cast the record as 'country noir'; instead of slitting one's wrists, the listener just pushes 'repeat'.
The CD is full of variety. 'Another Day' is a fine, medium-groove country song to start things off. Then they go 'South of the City', a slow song distinguished by Coogan's frightening wails. The title track is slow gospel, but next up is bright, quick instrumental 'Colombia', which bluegrassers should pick up. This command of different moods and tempos augurs well for north19: this is a band that is nowhere close to exhausting its creativity. This is also a band that could, if it wanted, cover some classics or rescue great songs done by mediocre singers. After hearing Glory, it's easy to figure that Coogan has the capability of turning in the once-and-for-all version of just about anything - Tom Peterson


"Like Butter: Anna Coogan's voice will melt your heart"

Her name is Anna Coogan, and she piles on the sugar whenever she opens her mouth and sings. Hers is a honey butter voice, touched by twang, drenched in sunshine. She could sing the Missoulian's legal notices and still captivate your ear. But instead she opts for the considerably more melodious material of her band, north19, and that's a good thing. - Joe Nickell, Missoulain


Discography

Sleepwalker- 11 Song LP to be released Spring 2007
Glory - 10 song LP- released Fall 2005

Radio Airplay for 'Glory':
KEXP Seattle
KBCS Bellevue, WA
KXCI Tucson
KPFA Berkeley
Altville Burbank
KFJC Los Altos Hills, CA
KVMR Nevada City, CA
KWMR Point Reyes Station, CA
KRCB Santa Rosa
KZSU Stanford
KPIG Watsonville
Folkscene West Hills
KDNK Carbondale
KCUV Denver
KRFC Ft. Collins
KSUT Ignacio
KVNF Paonia
WWUH West Hartford
XM Satellite Radio (X Country) Washington
Countrybear.com Lake Placid
WMNF Tampa
WJJC Commerce 
WFHB Bloomington
WGCS Goshen
WRFL Lexington
WFPK Louisville
WMKY Morehead , KY
WMMT Whitesburg
WHAY Whitley City
WUMB Boston
WERU East Orland
Acoustic Café Ann Arbor
WDBM East Lansing
KAXE Grand Rapids
KOPN Columbia
KDHX St. Louis
WGWG Boiling Springs
WSGE Dallas
WNCW Spindale
WUIN Wilmington
WDVR Sergeantsville
WFDU Teaneck
KWRP Santa Fe
Music Choice New York
Sirius Satellite Radio (Outlaw Channel) New York
WOUB Athens 
WCBE Columbus
WYSO Yellow Springs
KUSH Cushing 
WQBR McElhattan
WSYC Shippensburg
WRIU Wakefield
WETS Johnson City
WDVX Knoxville
WEVL Memphis
Western Beat Nashville
KGSR Austin
KUT Austin
KBSO Corpus Christi
KFAN Fredericksburg
KNBT New Braunfels
KSYM San Antonio
KHYI The Colony
KTXN Victoria
KZAM & KGUL Victoria
KRCL Ogden
WNRN Charlottesville
WGRX Fredericksburg
WHEE Martinsville
Allegheny Mountain Radio Monterey
WYOU Virginia Beach
WJMQ Clintonville

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Since forming in June 2003, Anna Coogan and north19 have established a sound both unique and familiar. Drawing from traditional bluegrass, country, rock and blues, the band’s sparse, banjo-driven sound cradles Coogan’s clear, powerful voice as she delivers tales of hope, heartbreak and desolation.

Their newest album, Sleepwalker (to be released March 2007), is the best document yet of the band's sound. Mixed by S. Husky Hoskulds and Dylan Fant, the album showcases the mature songwriting of Coogan and her bandmates with entrancing ballads and haunting Americana.

north19 has captivated a range of audiences with an intimate sound that demands the listener’s undivided attention. Evocative songwriting, inventive banjo work, and a solid, colorful rhythm section are the hallmarks of this young band.

The moving banjo stylings of Travis Beard, a 15-year veteran of the Northwest music scene, coupled with the smooth bass lines of Kevin Burkett and solid grooves of drummer Eric Hastings, provide the perfect backdrop for Coogan’s haunting vocals.