Flower-Powered Artist - July 2009

Kirsten Proffit

We love indie artists at KGRL. And this is why, while everyone else is covering big-name artists for the billionth time, we love featuring under-appreciated but very deserving artists. This month, we focus on another indie artist whose 2006 record charmed us with lustrous melodies and brilliant pop sensibilities. We are pleased to present our July 2009 Flower-Powered Artist, Kirsten Proffit.

Kirsten was born and raised in California to a music-loving family. Her passion for music began as an obsession with her parents' records. Playing music is hard to resist when there are instruments lying around the house, so Kirsten wasted no time at all and began to play music -- or at least tried to make sounds -- with the guitar. As if to fan the flame, Kirsten received a 12-string guitar as a present. It was quite effective for it prompted Kirsten to take the guitar more seriously. She immediately took lessons, studied some chords, and eventually learned more things about guitar playing on her own. Kirsten, like most singer/songwriters, also had some informal voice training by singing in choirs.

Having written a handful of songs on her own, Kirsten did a few public performances in southern California. Even though there were only a few of these performances, they didn't go unnoticed. Kirsten earned multiple nominations in the Orange County Music Awards and went on to win the “Best Female Artist" award. But her big break didn't happen until she got the honor to perform at Dodger Stadium to sing the National Anthem. This is where she was noticed by producer/composer Bruce Witkin.

Through Kirsten's collaboration with Bruce Witkin, her debut album Lucky Girl was conceived. Lucky Girl was released on May 23, 2006 under Broken Arrow Records. The first single from Lucky Girl, “Something I Can't Be” received an impressive amount of airplay on radio stations across the nation. This was followed up by the record's second single “Redemption Day” which garnered the same amount of radio airplay.

Songs from Lucky Girl also reached the shores of television shows. “Dawson’s Creek,” “Friday Night Lights,” and “The Osbournes” have all prominently played Kirsten's songs. On top of that, some of her songs also made their way to the DVD soundtracks of “Felicity” and “Party of Five”. With regard to movies, Kirsten got to work on Martin Short's “Jiminy Glick in Lalawood.” Kirsten co-wrote three songs for the film, one of which became the movie's theme song.

Kirsten's band consists of Steve Berns on guitars, Jeremy Christiansen on bass, and Ron Pak on drums. Bruce Witkin previously played bass but moved on to run his own indie label, Unison Music. Currently, Kirsten and her band are hard at work on the sophomore album that is promised to be released in 2009.

KGRL is very proud to present our July 2009 Flower-Powered Artist, Kirsten Proffit. Kirsten and her band joined KGRL in the studio for an exclusive performance shot in high-definition video and audio. Check out our CD review of Lucky Girl and stare at Kirsten's photos shot by photographer extraordinaire Jeff Koga. There's also a comprehensive interview with Kirsten Proffit in video, audio, & transcribed form.

As per our usual monthly feature, we are giving away 3 signed Lucky Girl CDs! Just e-mail us 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 Kirsten Proffit Interview

Kirsten Proffit sat down with KGRL for a comprehensive interview right after a KGRL FPA Live Sessions held at The Alley Studio - 03.02.09.

Kirsten Proffit Video Interview (Click to launch the player!)
You can use the "pause" "back" and "forward" buttons to skip back or forward each of the Q&As.
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Lucky Girl CD Review

Kirsten Proffit's debut album, Lucky Girl, was released on May 23 2006. More than three years have passed, but that didn't stop us from revisiting the record and inviting Kirsten over for an acoustic re-imagining of some of her old songs. Before you dig in to the videos below, let me share my thoughts on what made Lucky Girl so charming.

A rock-edged pop track opens up the album with the song Kissing Love Goodbye. The guitars are rocking and the bass is pumping but they don't overpower the song. It also helps that Kirsten's vocals are perfectly suited for the job. As the first song on the record, Kissing Love Goodbye does a great job of setting up listener expectations. It's going to be one hell of a pop journey.

The album's first single, Something I Can't Be, comes next and paints a pretty pop picture. The lyrics are witty and the arrangement is straight-forward pop. It has radio hit single stamped all over it, and indeed it was quite successful in that regard. I don't usually fall for the lyrics but who can't like a song that has Picasso, Mozart and Moses all mentioned in the chorus? Genius!

The third track, Chance & Circumstance initially appeared on the 2003 album of Peter Malick (who is widely known for his collaborations with Norah Jones) of the same title. In that regard, we can say that this acoustically driven song sets the path towards pop nirvana followed by the previous two songs on Lucky Girl. Chance & Circumstance was written by Kirsten along with co-writers Bruce Witkin and Peter Malick.

Perhaps one of the standout tracks so far on the record -- if that's possible on an album that is so seemingly chock-full of pure pop bliss -- is the fourth track Worth The Wait. I fell in love with the way the refrain works all the way up to the chorus, as well as the lovely bridge part. This was all further intensified with Kirsten's perfect vocal delivery.

Bruce Witkin gets the sole credit for writing the next track, Fallout. This song does not feel detached from the rest of the tracks. In fact, it perfectly blends in with the album. I guess it found its home on Lucky Girl. I especially liked the part where it goes a whole note higher in the chorus after the bridge and then back to the original key for the end part.

After the five upbeat tracks, we suddenly come to a screeching halt with a slow emotional ballad. The title track Lucky Girl impresses us with very expressive and highly emotional vocal work by Kirsten. The steady strumming of the acoustic guitar and deep sound of the upright bass are outstanding; they really add to the weight of the song.

Tell That Girl brings us back to the pop-rock realm. By now we're already expecting more hooks and addictive melodies. Thankfully, this track delivers just the right dose. Unfortunately, the next two tracks, Let Me In and Girlfriend Potential, lack the impact of every other song we've covered thus far.

Just when you think the steady pace of stellar pop tracks has ended, we get another one. The fervent gusto of the instruments and vocals in Redemption Day share center stage with this track's slick and easily hummable melody. It's no wonder this track garnered an impressive amount of radio airplay, although I'd have to say that almost every song we've heard so far has enormous radio potential.

There's a magical spell cast by the next track, Going Under, and I can't help but be charmed. The vaguely familiar yet entirely original melody, emotion-filled vocals, and even the pulsating heartbeat-like beats and scratches in the intro of the song, all make sure that I stay under the spell. Going Under is definitely my favorite track on this record.

Kirsten does seem to have a knack at putting famous names in her songs. In the album's closer, Kirsten steps into the shoes of an actress named Marilyn. Marilyn In Love ends the album in a hopeful mood. This song reminds me of Layla Kaylif's Shakespeare In Love, and not just because both songs deal with famous individuals. They share the same type of structure and instrumentation.

If you're looking for an obscure and eccentric record, look elsewhere. But if you're into melody-driven catchy pop songs, this record is perfect for you. The songs on Lucky Girl may be stuck in conventional pop music, but its gorgeous melodies and carefully-crafted hooks firmly establish Kirsten in this particular genre.

Kirsten Proffit Photos

KGRL FPA Live Session - The Alley Studio 05.16.09

KGRL proudly presents another installment of our FPA Live Sessions monthly series. This month we present singer / songwriter Kirsten Proffit (with Steve Berns on guitar and Ron Pak on cajon). The streams can be viewed using our embedded flash player. We do hope you enjoy these wonderful exclusive videos shot in high-def video and audio. There are also 720p (1280 x 720 resolution) high-definition videos of Kirsten Proffit's Kissing Love Goodbye and Going Under.



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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Flood & Fire	Worth The Wait	Chance & Circumstance
Something I Can't Be	Something So Strong	Redemption Day

Kissing Love Goodbye

Going Under

Kissing Love Goodbye 102Mb

Going Under 112Mb