Kate Akhurst - November 2008 Flower-Powered Artist @ KGRL.fm.

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Official Website: http://www.kateakhurst.com
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/kateakhurst

Life imitates art. This is the case with our Flower-Powered Artist of the Month for November 2008. Her musical career imitates the famous tale of Little Red Riding Hood. We present the main character in our fairy tale this month Los Angeles-based Australian singer/songwriter, Kate Akhurst.

Unlike most fairy tales, we'll skip to the part that really matters musically. It was about 14 years, 9 months, 10 days, 21 hours, 45 minutes ago from the day this feature was published when young Kate picked up her first instrument, the trumpet. It wasn't really the trumpet she wanted to play, it was the saxophone. Unfortunately, every other kid at the band meeting had already picked all the saxophones they had leaving only the trumpet for little Kate to play.

It did not take long for young Kate to realize that music was her calling. And so she began playing a new instrument, the piano. Filled with happiness over her new instrument, young Kate began weaving musical magic by writing music. Seeking to hone this skill further, the songwriter took a jazz course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. This particular act proved to be quite essential in the course of her musical career, as jazz would always be a major influence in her songwriting.

Every budding singer / songwriter wants to put their skills to the test by playing live, and young Kate was no different. She played in a band that played covers of Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as original stuff. By the tender age of 16, she had signed her first publishing deal with Songshed Australia. This deal would surely put focus on her songwriting skill, right? The facts were these: young Kate was to sing songs that were already written under this deal but after spotting the talent, they prodded the songwriter to go on ahead and sing the songs she crafted herself. It was a success! Working on this publishing deal also granted her an opportunity to collaborate with some of Australia's most talented songwriters including Andrew and Michael Tierney of Human Nature and renowned producer Paul Begaud.

Winning various singer/songwriter competitions, including being a finalist in the prestigious "MusicOz Awards" where she was touted as one of Australia's finest unsigned talents, was just the beginning of her musical career. Determined to pursue this career, she went to the US to meet with fellow Australian producer Vince Pizzinga (who was one of the principle people behind the record-breaking success of another Aussie artist, Delta Goodrem). It took multiple trips from the land of Sydney to the holly woods of Los Angeles for Kate to record her EP, which turned out to be a full-length debut album instead. With the help of her musical partner, Vince, Kate signed a management contract with Sandy Robertson over at The World's End. Sandy is one of the music industry's most respected and successful managers, whose clients include "The Matrix" (7-time Grammy-nominated songwriting and production team behind Avril Lavigne, Shakira, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera).

Like a dream come true, Kate's debut album titled Like Little Red Riding Hood was finally released on February 19, 2008. A private showcase held in New York on September of the same year had several major labels offering Kate recording contracts. Not in a rush to just pick from the current crop of offers, Kate ultimately decided to just hold out and wait for a deal that would allow her to have full control over the music she writes. Like a big bad wolf, who knows what big teeth these recording companies have anyway?

We are ending this tale as we offer you the chance to take a closer look at our November 2008 Flower-Powered Artist, Kate Akhurst. This month's feature contains: a review of Like Little Red Riding Hood, photos, our comprehensive interview with Kate Akhurst in video, audio, and transcribed form, and a KGRL FPA Live Session with Kate Akhurst (Courtesy of the FPA herself).

As per our usual monthly feature, we are giving away 3 signed Like Little Red Riding Hood CDs! Just e-mail me at contests [at] kgrl.fm and tell us why you deserve to win. Don't forget that you can request a FREE copy of the FPA live session DVDs as well!

KGRL had a chance to interview Los Angeles-based Australian singer/songwriter, Kate Akhurst. The interview was made possible by our FPA herself, Kate Akhurst. A million thanks goes out to you our dear FPA!

Watch the exclusive Kate Akhurst video interview using the player below!
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Kate Akhurst Video Interview (Click to launch the player!)
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Listen to Kate Akhurst's responses in High Quality MP3 Stream using the player below:

Transcription excerpt from the interview:

KGRL: Why did you name your record Like Little Red Riding Hood?

Kate Akhurst: I named the album Like Little Red Riding Hood because it's actually a lyric in one of my songs, Cause And Effect. The lyric is:

I'm like Little Red Riding Hood in the Holly woods.

That's because most of the album was written here in Hollywood and it felt like a fairytale to me. It was sort of like crazy. There was a big bad wolf there [and] and all the little things that go along with that story. It felt like that to me and like I said, it just felt like a fairytale. I thought that the whole album could fall under that sort of feeling.

KGRL: Do you feel like this record is in the right direction as to how you want your music to be?

Kate Akhurst: Absolutely. I think that it's a perfect[ly]-captured moment of who I am. I think that obviously we grow and my next album will be different, but that album is exactly who I am and I wouldn't change a second of it.

-> READ the full transcript along with high/low quality mp3 of the Interview by Clicking Here! <-

It might have been quite tiring flying back and forth from one place to the other to record an album. But if that's what it takes to pursue your goals then so be it, right? That was the exact situation Kate Akhurst was in when she recorded her debut album, Like Little Red Riding Hood. Now that she has accomplished the goal of putting out the record, join us as we pick up some flowers and follow the musical path this little red riding hood traveled.

It is a delightful treat listening to the album opener, titled Cause & Effect. One of the key elements that breathes life into it is the orchestral arrangement, all thanks to Vince Pizzinga. The extremely-easy-to-get-addicted-to melody gets a majestic treatment with all the multi-layer synthesized tracks, wind and string instruments, as well as the bassline. There is no denying that the jazz influence is there even if the electronic pop sound predominates.

The very first thought that came to mind, after listening to Cause & Effect, is that it is simply perfect for a TV show or a movie. A lot of indie artists get the attention they truly deserve after being featured on TV, which is a great. The only thing that boggles me, now that this song has been out there for quite a while, is why no TV show has picked up this song yet. I honestly feel that this song will make it to an advertisement at least.

The next track, Damn, is done in an R&B fashion. The electro-pop sound from the first track is applied here. I can't help but feel so bubbly while listening to this tune. Kate is just too sweet and cute singing the chorus of this song, especially when she does the line “damn damn damn... love.”

You're Welcome is another track that took me by surprise. The beginning stanzas are more in the conversational style of singing, almost like a slow rap, followed by a strong chorus with an equivalently powerful voice. That's all it really took to get me suckered by this excellent tune. I may not be into rap but allow me to borrow the title of the previous track as an expression: damn! This track is easily an instant favorite as it is really a good showcase of Kate's talent. Now is a good time to point you to the KGRL FPA Live Session video to watch, listen and be enchanted by our FPA.

As if it was not enough to assault my auditory senses with that last track, we get treated with another winner. War In Your Warning is a slow R&B / electro-pop ballad heightened with intensely moving accompaniment. What a joy it is to be able to hear such lovely songs! Also, it is great to hear the use of guitar even if it was only used to bridge the first and second part. If I were to introduce Kate Akhurst to someone who has not heard of her yet, this song is the one I'd use.

If not for the poppy sound that permeates the track, I would say End Of The Day is close to being straight jazz tune. Parts of the instrumentation is actually pretty jazzy. While it's not one of the best tracks on the record, it's a good break from the slow ballads. It is lively and so full of energy that it is probably a great track to hear live with a full band.

Undo is a more melodic type of lively pop track. While you always hear me say pop, this kind of pop is not the kind you hear being played all the time in mainstream radio. This is still very much rooted in singer / songwriter type pop with a flair of jazz and the arrangement that sounds truly special. There is a strong presence of Vince's mastery in orchestral arranging. I just have to admire every single layer of instrumentation, synthesized or not, in play on every track that elevates it to new heights.

The slow groove and serene pacing of the track Six Cold Feet is almost ethereal. Bravo on the vocal work and the minimal accompaniment. I guess it helps that Kate feels so strongly about this piece. I can really feel all the emotions flowing. It's quite a departure from the rest of the tracks on the record in an almost meditative manner.

Crazy On That Stuff is a lot closer to rap than You're Welcome. I think the stanzas are basically rap. Thank God it isn't the annoying kind! The chorus fares better. Sadly, I'm not that crazy on this stuff. In the end, it's still a good listen.

The Fire, on the other hand, is an infectiously catchy lively tune. On my first listen, it felt like a familiar tune. I realized that I had not heard of it before, it's just that catchy. With a bit of switch in arrangement this song can fall under ska or reggae, but I really love it how it is in this record –- kudos to that!

Another kudos for ending the record with a bang! Hello Ground is simply an instant favorite. I just love it to death. The vocal is soaring high and the instrumentation is so perfect that it gives me goosebumps. That arrangement in the very last part is extraordinary. What a glorious way to elegantly end such an amazing track!

If I could have given this album a more glowing review, I would have. I guess it's all in here, radiant on its own like the album it discusses. It's all up to you now. Pick up this record not just to support indie artists but to support such a great talent like Kate Akhurst.

Buy Little Red Riding Hood on Kate's label website (Click Here)!

Buy Little Red Riding Hood on iTunes (Click Here)!

Buy Little Red Riding Hood on Amazon.com (Click Here)!

Tracklist:

Cause & Effect
Damn
You're Welcome
War In Your Warning
End Of The Day
Undo
Six Cold Feet
Crazy On That Stuff
The Fire
Hello Ground

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KGRL proudly presents another edition of FPA Live Sessions featuring Kate Akhurst. The streams can be viewed using our embedded flash player. This edition was made possible by our FPA, Kate Akhurst.

And remember, those of you who support the station by donations can request a copy of the DVD. Click here for more information on how to obtain the DVD!

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Crazy On That Stuff

Damn

You're Welcome

Undo

Six Cold Feet

Cause & Effect

Feature Credits:

A million thanks goes out to our FPA, Kate Akhurst!