You Can't Help but Read It.

A newish song for ya...

2011-12-05T23:09:00.001-06:00

Hey guys! So, I finally finished a demo of this song, called "All In" this week. I also finally got around setting up a bandcamp account, so if you like it, you can listen, buy it, share it, etc. I'm kind of in love with the idea of making my living by writing songs and delivering them straight to fans, which bandcamp is great for. (I also do plan to still make a fully produced CD or EP every few years. So don't worry.)

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://kateklim.bandcamp.com/track/all-in"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;All In by Kate Klim&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Here's the story behind the song:

The idea for it had been bouncing around my head for ages -- the idea that love is a bargain. You'll give me this, and I'll give you that. I'd wanted to use really concrete examples, but the idea never fully formed.

That is, it never fully formed until one day this summer when I needed a ride to the airport at 7am. I was picking up a rental car for a brief Texas tour. A good friend agreed to drive me, and on the way there I told her, "I can't believe you agreed to do this. Truly, it's awesome. But this is a boyfriend job." Because, in truth, we all want someone to come home to and spend our lives with. But we also want someone to drive us to the airport, reach tall cabinets and call during traffic jams.

So, the song was born. Most of it was written in a hotel room in Arkansas, and some of it was finished in the car on the way to the first gig of the tour. I actually sang it at that first show without ever having sung it out loud in its complete form. It's got a special little place in my heart :) -Kate

I’ll give you all of my freckles for the scar on your chin,
I’ll make a strong cup of coffee for a swig of that gin,
And if you’ll drive me to the airport, I’ll water your plants,
I’ll give you a few good years if you give me a chance,

What do ya say now, ‘cause I am all in,
Do we call it a deal now, or do we just call it?
‘cause I spent my whole life, hiding my heart away
I’ll show you mine, if you’ll show me yours,
What do ya say?

Give you a spot for your toothbrush, and the wall side of the bed,
If you can make me feel pretty, on the days I forget
I’ll tell you most of my secrets and all of my jokes
If you hold my hand on the cab ride home,

(Chorus)

I just want someone to look for, and someone to miss,
And something familiar, when nothing else is
And someone to dance with, or sit this one out with
Who tells me he loves me, and I never doubt it,

What do ya say now, cause I am all in,
Do we call it a deal now, or do we just call it?
‘cause I spent my whole life, hiding my heart away
I’ll show you mine, if you’ll show me yours,
What do ya say?
I’ll show you mine, if you’ll show me yours,
What do ya say?

On the Road, in Pictures

2011-11-07T23:04:00.000-06:00

So I drove from Nashville to Corpus Christi and back in just under 4 days. I looked back at the pictures in my phone yesterday, and while I didn't take many, I feel like they offer an interesting glimpse into life on the road. Here they are (all of them, the pretty ones and the boring ones). I've decided I will allow myself only one word captions.

Arkansas.

Soundcheck.

View.

Showtime.

Farewell.

Vegetarians.

Sleep.

Detour.

Anyway, I was in Corpus Christi to attend the APCA Conference, and in hopes that my ten-minute showcase would earn me a handful of college gigs in the spring. It was, in short, fantastic. We're up to ten college gigs (so far) in TX, LA and AR. I look forward to it, and plan to stop at DeGray Lake (above) anytime I pass it.

New Musiks

2011-11-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

Well, while I may not be blogging up a storm, I've been writing up a storm. I still need to demo the love song (that's right! of the non-tragic--albeit hypothetical--variety!) I wrote a few months back that I'm pretty psyched about. So that one's coming. But here's a new (still working the kinks out, rough 2am demo) song called "I Tried to Warn You":

Part of the energy behind all this writing (aside from my ever-complicated personal life) is a great new "Song Salon" I've been attending here in Nashville. Hosted by the incomparable Amy Speace, the salon is a group of great, dedicated songwriters who gather weekly to eat, drink and share their newest songs for suggestions, critique and some cheerleading. It's kind of amazing. And it has me bringing out old songs I'd abandoned, pushing myself to write more, and finding inspiration in my talented friends.

So yay for that :) Happy November.

Cover songs?

2011-10-11T17:39:00.000-05:00

So, I just went to this really inspiring meeting at NSAI about being a DIY musician and using the internet to grow a fan base. One really good item that I learned was that Youtube is the #1 search engine (it is one, after all) for music. And the best way to get people to your Youtube channel is by doing a cover song... (yes, Laura, you have been telling me this for years...)

Anyway, looks like I'll be making a video of a cover song. Suggestions, folks?

A New Recipe/Tradition is Born!

2011-08-15T18:45:00.001-05:00

A little background:

I leave on Wednesday morning for a brief Texas tour. (It's gonna be awesome. I even planned a stopover at Degray Lake on my way there for a little self-reflection.) If you're remotely near Texas, you should come!

August 18, 2011 (Thursday)
Johnny Cace's Restaurant, Longview, TX, 7:00pm

August 19, 2011 (Friday)
Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse, Dallas, TX 8pm, www.unclecalvins.org

August 20, 2011 (Saturday)
Hummingbird House Concerts, Austin, TX. 8pm, www.hummingbirdconcerts.org

Anyway, I showed some restraint and decided to NOT go out to dinner tonight, but rather use up some of the food in my fridge. Specifically, anything that would go bad while I'm on the road. And with that, I give you this recipe. And by recipe, I mean a series of questions that leads to food. (Confession: I did consult a couple recipes for some guidance. But then threw most of that out the window)

Kate's Pre-tour Everything in the Fridge Black Bean Burgers

One can of black beans? Definitely
Leftover brown rice? Yup.
Strawberries? No. Gross. Eat those on the side.
Most of a bag of clementines? Also, no. Eat those with the strawberries.
Shredded carrots? Hmmm. Yeah. Why not. But just a handful because a carrot burger sounds gross.
Some of your roommates onion? Yes. Sauté it. Fancy girl.
Bag of pre-peeled garlic cloves that says "Best used by August 11th"? Also, yes. Two cloves. Sauté that too.
Sweet and Spicy Korean Sauce? Live dangerously! Shit just got interesting!
Now squeeze/mix it all together with your right hand (which is going to be covered in this stuff) while randomly throwing spices in with your left hand. BONUS: This has no meat so you can taste as you go to make sure this doesn't taste like poison. I used cumin, chili pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

...AND IT WAS AWESOME. I made the patty and pan fried it in the leftover oil from the onions and garlic. (Healthy fats, right?) I also managed to use 2 of my last 3 slices of bread and top it with the remnants of a bagged salad, as well as some more of that Korean Sauce which turned out to be a brilliant decision.

A tradition is born, my friends. Who knows what the next tour will bring? Kate's Pre-Tour Everything Perishable Pasta salad? A girl can dream. See you in Texas. :)

P.S. - Yes, I should have taken a picture but I was very hungry.

That song's done(ish)

2011-07-17T22:39:00.002-05:00

It'll still have some lyrical tweaks. And this is kind of a sloppy bedroom demo. But I kind of love sloppy bedroom demos.

It's been a while...

2011-07-05T22:45:00.000-05:00

Is anyone ever prolific when life is easy? Well, it's good to be creating again...

Here's a sample of the newest. Just the first part, so prepare for it to end abruptly:

At the Same Time

2011-03-26T18:14:00.001-05:00

At the Same Time.

I am at the symphony.

I am listening, absorbing… and soon find I am instructing myself to let the music wash over me. Just let it come.

My mind wanders to just a week before, when I was standing in the ocean and pondering big things, as one can’t help but do when standing in the ocean, and telling myself the same thing. Let it wash over you. Just enjoy it.

I think about how similar the experiences are. I also think about how long ago that seems. One week.

I think, these two points in time seem distant because I am standing on the timeline.

If I took a step back, the two points would seem closer together.

If I stepped back even further, and then further than that, the two points in time would be indistinguishable. Just one small, single dot in a very long string that started long, long ago.

So, I am at the symphony

And at the same time, I am in the ocean

At the same time I am trying out for the school play and

There’s a bang of the timpani.

There’s a big wave and I jump.

At the same time I am meeting him.

At the same time, I am 5 years old and afraid to jump off the swing.

At the same time, he is breaking my heart.

From far enough away, it appears that I am taking the SATs while simultaneously making the world’s best margarita and having my diaper changed.

At the same time, I am 7 and jump off the swing only to land face first in the gravel.

At the same time, I am turning 80 years old and have obviously survived the swing incident of 1988.

At the same time, I still love him.

At the same time, I am in my bedroom, writing this down

But the entire orchestra is playing hand cymbals and it sounds like snow, or confetti and I will always be here.

And the water is unseasonably warm.

Science!

2011-02-03T13:10:00.000-06:00

Oh creativity, you always strike in the wee hours. Like 1am.

I feel like I've been writing a bunch of science songs lately. I just finished a song about love and the apocalypse (literally mentioning birds falling from the sky, massive amounts of dead fish, and Iran enriching Uranium). Hopefully I'll record that one soon. And while it's not a new song, "Nothing To Do With You" mentions Occam's razor. Ooh, and the bridge to "Why It's Blue" loosely explains how certain colors of the light spectrum get absorbed by the atmosphere. Maybe my next album will have science theme...

I started this song, and made this rough recording last night. This is just the start of a song about stars and space. Or really, it's about my desire for big and distant things, and how the difficulty or distance doesn't make them shine any less brightly, nor appeal to me any less.

These aren't going to be the final lyrics. I wanted to re-record "where we're going" as "where I'm going," but at that exact moment, science failed me and my recording equipment decided it did not want to play nice with Snow Leopard. Technology thwarts my science song!

So, a glimpse into my creative process...

It’s all about the circumstances…

2011-01-24T21:25:00.002-06:00

When I’m at home, weak coffee in a Styrofoam cup tastes like… weak coffee. And I don’t even have any Styrofoam cups at my house. In short, it’s not good.

When I’m at the YMCA, weak coffee in a Styrofoam cup tastes like accomplishment. It tastes like “hey, way to actually GO to the gym this time” mixed with muscle fatigue. It doesn’t taste so bad, really.

When I’m traveling from gig to gig, as I am right now, weak coffee in a Styrofoam cup (most likely pumped or poured from a carafe in the lobby of a two star hotel) tastes like adventure. It tastes like renewed independence and the thrill of actually making a living as a musician. Occasionally, if left on the burner for too long, it has a hint of homesickness. Sometimes when the lid doesn’t fit quite right I miss my pillow (you know, the good one) or having dinner with friends at a place I know well. It can't all be good.

But then, I take another sip. And another. By now the coffee has found a home in the cupholder beside the driver’s seat, and I am on my way. That’s when, homesickness aside, I remember how much I do love weak, crappy hotel coffee in a Styrofoam* cup, with that unmistakable flavor of “where next?” that Starbucks has never quite mastered.

*Of course, I’d prefer a paper cup. Styrofoam is the devil. Somebody tell the hotels and the folks at the Y.

Why It's Blue

2011-01-20T12:31:00.000-06:00

Okay. I'm really excited about the upcoming album. I know it's taking forever. And I've been posting some sneak peeks to the secret blog (pre-order the album from kateklim.com for access) but don't want this blog to feel neglected.

So here's an unedited, incomplete version of Why It's Blue. Even though it's incomplete, I think you can tell where it's going... Sigh. I'm so happy :)

Kamikaze Love

2010-12-11T15:24:00.000-06:00

Oh, how I do love this new album.

It's coming along great! Ridiculously behind schedule? Yes. But worth every extra moment, and every crazy trip to Boston during my rare free weekends.

I've been posting a lot to the making-of-the-CD blog (which you can have access to if you pre-order the CD! Just use the handy-dandy paypal button at kateklim.com) but didn't mean to deny this blog the occasional sneak peak. So here you go:

How To Video: Sweet Potato Horse Head (And What I'm Thankful for This Year)

2010-11-25T00:56:00.002-06:00

Well, it's Thanksgiving, and I have much to be thankful for (including, but not limited to: the great folks who support my art, my family, amazing friends, health, happiness and Local Taco). I'm super thankful, but I won't bore you with it. Just know that I am.

For this post, I'll just write about one thing in particular that I'm thankful for: family traditions. Specifically, my favorite tradition of all time, the Thanksgiving Sweet Potato war.

Friends, let me tell you a story.

The Story of the Sweet Potato War

Twenty years ago, when I was 8 years old, and long before I thought they were delicious, I was offered my first taste of sweet potatoes. As most second graders would, I instantly thought they were revolting. Impressed by my incredible bravery, my older brother asked how they were.

"Delicious," I responded without thinking. I don't know why I lied. Wait–yes I do. I lied so I could trick Matt into eating them. He fell for it, and after he'd taken one mushy, disgusting bite, I burst out laughing. The seed was planted. He would have revenge.

The next year, Matt snuck sweet potatoes into my food. One sneaky little spoonful was tucked underneath my regular (safe, delicious, non-orange) mashed potatoes. Oh the horror! Later that meal (or perhaps the following Thanksgiving... it gets blurry) I snuck sweet potatoes into his milk. Simple enough.

It grew from there. In 5th grade, I made a blow dart out of a drinking straw, and in a move that would become Klim family history, blew sweet potato into his mouth from across the table as he raised his fork to eat.

In college, I worked in a hardware store and (partially out of boredom) started plotting months in advance. I came home armed with invisible wire, eye hooks, and a CD that included Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. This was now the post-divorce era, and our Thanksgivings were no longer the big productions of my childhood. Assigned seating was a thing of the past, but one person had an assigned seat that year.

Matt humored me by sitting at the seat in front of the place card bearing his name.

I waited until dinner was well underway, and then turned around and pressed play on a portable stereo I had stashed beneath a side table. The chorus began to play. At that moment, I untaped the end of the invisible wire, which had been strung through a series of eyehooks in a makeshift pulley system, and as I slowly fed the wire more slack, a sweet potato lowered from the ceiling onto Matt's plate. My cousins applauded. Once again, history was made.

Since then, the tradition has faded as life continues to offer more and more distractions and holidays become rushed. I missed the past two Thanksgivings to play gigs. Matt has a family of his own. There have been attempts (such as giving Matt's daughter a Mr. Potato Head as a Thanksgiving gift, and having her unwrap it in front of him only to find a sweet potato adorned with plastic facial accessories), but I've never matched the Hallelujiah-descending-potato.

Until now, perhaps:

Gigs and Album Stuff (In other words, a copy of my October newsletter, posted to my blog.)

2010-10-16T23:30:00.002-05:00

Greetings friends!

I'm writing to you from the futon in my producer's studio, just outside Boston, MA. We just finished editing and listening to "Why It's Blue," and I won't lie–I'm giddy. The angel-voiced Kristin Cifelli comes over tomorrow do sing background vocals, and I couldn't be more excited. If you've been meaning to pre-order, please do, and if you want to make the liner notes (by donating $50 or more to the project) there's a deadline of October 22nd to make it into the graphic design. Be immortalized. (Just imagine... It's the year 2159, and someone's discovered a time capsule from the early 22nd century. Enclosed is a copy of my album, Kamikaze Love, and your name is listed under the thank you section. The people of the future can only assume that you were extremely important and altruistic. They name a holiday after you. And at least one bridge.) You can pre-order or donate here:

www.kateklim.com

Philly area gig - Saturday, October 30th at Burlap and Bean

My first Philly area gig in FOR-EV-ER. Not only will this be co-bill with fellow pianist John Conahan, but it will be cheap (ten bucks) and wicked fun. If we sell out in advance, I will wear a child's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Costume (you can view it here). Find out more about the venue, and buy tickets in advance (recommended) by visiting burlapandbean.com.

Cheesecake recipe...

Ok, truth–I'm pretty much a vegan these days, and I just thought by including the words "cheesecake recipe" in this email's subject line [which I TOTALLY DID when I sent this out as an email], you'd be compelled to read it. But once upon a time a made this cheesecake. It weighed approximately ten pounds and the gentleman friend I made it for took one bite and exclaimed "You made this from ingredients?!" It was that good. We got extremely possessive about the cheesecake, and when his roommate cut what we viewed as an excessively large piece, we stared at him until he finished every last bite. (Wasting any would have been an unforgivable offense.)

The recipe can be found here at allrecipes.com. I also read all the user comments and tweaked accordingly. If you make it, let me know how it turns out. Preferably in person, at one of my upcoming shows.

Speaking of Upcoming Shows...

Aside from the Philly show, I have a number of other shows coming up, including some in Memphis, Texas and more. Find all my tourdates at kateklim.com.

That's it for now. Thanks for listening (and reading)!

xoxo

Kate

Twitter: @kateklim

Blog: kateklim.blogspot.com

Occasionally, things are perfect.

2010-10-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

Intentionally and pretentiously written in the third person:

SCENE: A perfect fall Saturday in central Ohio...

While en route to the local Whole Foods, Kate stumbles upon a farmers market, peace demonstration and adorable main street where more people are walking than driving. Since the farmers market is closing up, Kate finds her way to a local coffee shop where she counts seven chess games being played, with competitors representing every generation. The barista pretends to to warm her scone with his mind, while making superhero noises.

And with that, Kate falls utterly, hopelessly in love with Worthington, Ohio.

---

PS- Concerning my last blog post... I decided this moment was definitely worth sharing :)

Some Things You Save...

2010-09-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

At one point this summer, I found myself staring out over a lake at sunset.

I had an impromptu sushi picnic in a random park.

I walked my way down Newbury Street to the Boston Common, and two willow trees framed the skyline perfectly.

Each time, I found myself reaching for my phone to take a picture and post it on twitter. Each of these times I also had the sense to stop myself, thinking "some things I need to save for me."

Oh, Twitter, you're so addictive. It's so tempting to publicize every occasion in which I do something cool. Because, people will think I'm cool, right? Don't get me wrong—I'm not anti-twitter. I initially signed up to keep fans in distant cities engaged and share new music. I continue to use it because it allows me to feel connected to old friends, and even helps me find new friends. And, well, sometimes I find myself hilarious and want the world to know.

In fact, I just tweeted. (Cough. Excuse me.)

I'm a writer and performer, so I love sharing my thoughts and feelings. I do it on a regular basis, and value the vulnerability that comes with singing my songs for an audience, or writing them and immediately posting them to this blog. There are lots of folks out there who think there's far too much information (and far too much useless information) taking up prime real estate in our brains. I'm undecided on that one.

What I'm trying to keep in check is my motivation for sharing parts of my life, or even my motivation for the activities I post about. (I've caught myself pushing myself to do something adventurous because it would be an "awesome tweet." That historically does not lead to my best decision-making.)

Mainly, though, I'm just going to try and remember that some moments need to belong only to me—partly because I just think they should, and partly because there are some moments that can't be descibed or shared. And certainly can't be communicated in 140 characters or less or with a crappy picture from my cell phone.

I will continue to write and share songs that mean something to me, though. I'm definitely going to keep making odd videos. Ooh. And blog and tweet whatever goofy thoughts I have. No question. It's just that I had a great lunch adventure in Boston today... and I'm not telling you where. I'm saving that one. :)

The Habit

2010-08-17T00:14:00.000-05:00

So, it seems I've gotten into the habit of creating. All the time. I left Boston on Friday, and was back in Nashville by Sunday night (stopping for a wedding in Pittsburgh on the way) so don't get me wrong... I'm exhausted. I fully intended to head to bed early tonight. But then music happened, and I recorded this idea that had been bouncing around my head for the past month:

This isn't from the album (the album recording quality will be much higher, and have other people playing instruments. I swear!). I just miss spending each night til dawn recording.

Maybe I'll just stay this way :)

Guilt trip marketing:

2010-08-11T13:40:00.000-05:00

Puppy face! Cough!

Life in Boston

2010-07-30T18:05:00.001-05:00

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry I've been neglecting you. The truth is... well... I've been seeing another blog. I've been making this CD, and I put up a blog to keep all the folks who have donated and pre-ordered updated on it's progress.

But I didn't mean to spend so much time away. And I have CD updates for this blog, too.

1) It's gonna be AWESOME
2) Bass, drums, and piano for most of the tracks are done
3) I'm having an incredible time making it
4) Our bass player is hilarious, and tells ridiculous stories like this one, the "Iguana Story"

So, I've been spending a lot of my time lately laughing... more soon :)

-Kate

Ya Know What I Love?

2010-07-11T23:25:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure when it happened, exactly, but at some point during high school or college, my mom was trying to coax me out of heartbreak by reminding me of life's simple pleasures. Most of the conversation is lost to me, but I remember one statement:

"Ya know what I love? Pockets."

And my mother proceeded to explain how sometimes, when everything seems to be going wrong, she reminds herself how much she loves pockets. Because they're convenient. Because at some point, someone had to invent them. They go unnoticed, but they're essential. (I recall this conversation whenever I wear trendy pants and find myself missing the place to anchor my hands during nervous conversation. Or to store/find a quarter).

Anyway, this post isn't intended to preach about love. It's just interesting to note that there are lots of things to love other than (okay, maybe in addition to) people. The new album starts recording tomorrow, and I think it's going to be named after the song "Kamikaze Love." So, it's on my mind, I suppose.

Ya know I love?

Google search montages! (especially when the images are of varying size and quality because I'm lazy and quickly use screen capture without any further editing...)

Amen, my friend. Who doesn't love cookies?

Kerrville Folk Festival Video Shenanigans.

2010-06-02T18:29:00.003-05:00

So, there's nothing like being in a songwriting contest with an ex-boyfriend. I took advantage of this situation, and made this little video with fellow songwriter, and former boyfriend, Chris O'Brien about what it was like to date me. This video was recorded at the 2010 Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas.

*Despite what people have suggested, I TOTALLY did not edit Chris's responses in this video. That would be dishonest.

I won.

2010-06-01T13:33:00.001-05:00

Aghhh! I won!

http://www.kerrville-music.com/newfolk.htm

I'll have more info up soon. And a crazy video I made with singer/songwriter Chris O'Brien. And pictures of hippie graffiti.

But I just wanted to let you know that after several years of not winning songwriting contests, I actually won one (homophone alert!). Of course, this means I'll be in Texas an extra week. Good thing I only packed four days worth of clothes :)

Also, the view from the Starbucks I'm at right now:

Slowing Down.

2010-05-28T13:24:00.001-05:00

My former roommate, Ashlee, used to make fun of me, because I never walked anywhere in our house. I sprinted. Occasionally, I pranced. But mainly, I bounded up the stairs and ran from one room to another.

In my new house, I do the same thing - if I forget my cell phone in the other room, I literally run to get it. Most of the time, this causes my roommate's dogs to start furiously barking. I still haven't gotten used to the dogs.

I'm not sure why I do this. As far as exercise goes, I generally think running is tantamount to torture, so it's not due to any kind of athletic habit. I guess, when I decide I want something, I want it now. I move fast. I think this is a good quality to have when you're pursuing a career as difficult as music.

Of course, I can't be like this all the time. I have a tendency to run until I burn out. Most of the month of May was spent working, running around, working more, playing shows, writing music, planning my album, and not sleeping. That's why, when planning my trip to the Kerrville Folk Festival, I decided to take the long way.

Option 1: (More direct route)

Option 2: (The long way. The fun route. The eat lunch in New Orleans and sleep by the Gulf of Mexico Route)

Every once in a while, I need to remind myself to slow down. Take my time getting from point A to point B, and maybe eat fried dough in New Orleans for lunch.

Or walk knee-deep into the Gulf of Mexico. (The shores of Galveston are not yet affected by the BP Spill. But I apologized to the Gulf while I was there, and promised to trade in my car for a hybrid as soon as I can afford one.)

I guess that's it. I'm going to leave this Starbucks and make my way to Kerrville now. And I promise to take my time. Did I mentioned that my internet deal-searching skillz got me a room at this place? Taking the long way pays off.

PS - You may be wondering, "Hey Kate, are you slowing down because you got a speeding ticket and opted to go to internet traffic school rather than get the points on your license?" The answer is, I don't think so. But the timing of both makes for a good tie-in. Thanks for asking :)

It's not a question of IF this video is awesome, but rather HOW it can be so awesome.

2010-04-30T09:14:00.003-05:00

Am I overselling the video with the above blog title? Possibly. But the theme of this next video was in fact, "awesomeness." When my newest wacky friend, Nate Baker and I heard that the Tennessean's On Nashville blog was looking for "Awesome April" themed videos, we began plotting. Unfortunately the plotting took most of April, but we've managed to get it out into the world before the month's end.

The result is this award winning* (see below) chronicle of craziness (with a bit of Nashville history thrown in for good measure).

*And our not-at-all photoshopped award:

Album Update! New Vlog about Alabama!

2010-04-05T22:16:00.003-05:00

Dear blog readers, music supporters, and insomniac web surfers,

First, let me just say "Woo hoo! We've hit the 40% mark for the new album's fundraising campaign!" For those of you who have given, I really can't thank you enough. I feel so fortunate to have such a great support network, and people who care enough about me and my music to help me realize my dreams. If you haven't given, and would like to, travel on over to this blog post from earlier this year.

(...Searching for a good segue to the next topic)

So, anyone seen any llamas lately? Or giant chickens? I have.

Love,
Kate

Dress Up for Laundry Day

2010-03-14T23:09:00.001-05:00

Long ago (2005) in a land far, far away (Somerville, MA), I used to have to go to the laundromat to do my laundry. It was quite inconvenient, as well as annoying. But everything changed when I invented "dress up for laundry day."

You see, by the time laundry day rolls around, all of your good clothes are dirty. Most folks at the laundromat wore some combination of PJ pants, workout clothes, old t-shirts, or other miscellany. I wore a similar sad uniform as well- until I realized one other type of clothing remained clean come laundry day: my fancy clothes. Once this realization occurred, there was no doubt in my mind as to what must be done. "Dress Up for Laundry Day" was born.

I started to look forward to laundry day. There was a local coffee shop (True Grounds, how I miss thee!) that I would often walk down to after transferring my clothes to the dryer. I remember the day I ordered my chai latte wearing a bright pink tube dress, purple shrug, and black and white checked shoes.

This memory occurred to me today, as I sat down to do a task I wasn't particularly looking forward to. I believe, with a little creativity, most tasks can be fun.

That said, this is what I wore while I highlighted and entered my EZ Pass statements into excel in preparation for my taxes, and yes, that is a big bow in my hair:

Dress Up for Laundry Day, please meet Dress Up for Tax Prep Day. I think you'll get along just fine.

Charity Opportunity... And How I Write Songs

2010-03-04T13:56:00.006-06:00

Hello there! I just received a pretty cool email from a fan (and album supporter).

"Hey Kate,
I need to make a donation to the Chilean Red Cross relief fund; I would be anyways, but especially since one of my sister's friends' families lives there. I was going to do what everyone did on Twitter with their accounts for Haiti (# of followers I get in a month, I'll donate that much to the Red Cross). Since I have all of 4 followers and almost never tweet, this doesn't work out well for me...so I have a challenge for you - you have 112 followers at the moment. Spread the word via some tweets, your blog, at shows, etc, and at the end of March, I will donate $1 for every follower you can add."

This fan, Ed K., has already been an amazing support to my career. He was, in fact, the first donor to the new album! If you're not following me on twitter yet, please do. I win, you win, Chileans win, and Ed wins (in the sense that his already large reserve of good Karma will become even more plentiful.)

---

Next on the agenda... I stayed up far too late last night listening to bits of old songs. For those of you who are writers... do you have notebook upon notebook of unfinished ideas? I have a hard drive full of what I affectionately refer to as "song nuggets." Some of them are good. Some are not so good. Sometimes I write them, save them, and forget they exist until a bout of insomnia has me browsing through the old files.

I've also had several conversations lately about my songwriting process, and decided that it would be fun to put myself out there: post one of these unfinished, barely formed ideas and show you how my brain works.

Here's the mp3, about 6 months old, complete with jumbly lyrics I hadn't settled on yet, 3am vocals, and the sound of me getting off the keyboard bench at the end and pressing the stop button. (Note - the sites that host these mp3s keep going under, so apologies if you've read this post at a moment when the mp3 was broken or missing.)

Here's my process for the above song, explained:

1) The song starts with one little piece, generally what I hope is some unique thought, or some emotion expressed in a way that (again, hopefully) hasn't been done before. In this case, this song started as a metaphor, which occurred to me while driving from Boston to Philly* in winter of 2008. "You were my raincoat, but now you're the rain." I had, at the time, been reflecting on that crappy-post-breakup feeling of how when you lose someone you love, you also lose your support system that you need for that kind of loss. Similar metaphor: getting kicked out of your Social Acceptance Club.

*I tend to remember exactly where I was, which is often in my car, when such ideas occur. The second verse of "Blue Sky Love" was written on Mass. Ave. in Cambridge, heading towards Somerville, between the Lizard Lounge and my old apartment. "Franklin" was written, in it's entirety, on highways 91 and 84 in Connecticut.

2) The idea is either born with a melody, or attaches to one rather quickly. Then it bounces around my brain for a gestational period of 1 minute to 2 years. In this case, it went into hiding and resurfaced after my next heartbreak. (I returned to this song in fall of 2009, at which point I also wrote: Recover, Can't Wait, The Secret, and 2 other heart wrenching songs. Breakups = songwriting juice.)

3) I sit at my piano until a piano part that moves me comes along. The original idea turns into a chorus (or in this case, a refrain). Maybe a verse comes. In this case, I came up with some "filler" for the verse. I don't love it, so it will eventually be re-written, with the L-word omitted, and less space before the refrain. You can tell it's filler by the fact that I sound like I don't *really* know what words come next.

4) Generally, I would write in this order: chorus,verse, verse, bridge, and then I'm done. The order it would be performed in would be: verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, bridge, chorus, or something along those lines, as I'd hate to use the same format every time. In this case, I had an idea for the bridge, which is why the recording has a verse, refrain, and bridge. It's still missing a second verse, and the first verse is tentative.
5) I get into a zone and finish the song. Most of the time, when I have this much of a song, there's enough momentum to finish. But I write songs for two reasons: 1) catharsis 2) relating with people. My sadness meter started edging back towards "pretty ok" around this time, and the catharsis became unnecessary. As for relatability, it would have been forced at this point. So the song will remain a nugget, at least for now.

So, that's how I write songs. And why I write songs. In case you were wondering.

Road Trip! Video blog from the APCA Conference

2010-02-28T22:18:00.002-06:00

This was, by far, the best APCA conference ever. I made you a video blog... enjoy :)

Album Update, Sweet New Haircut, Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-12T13:09:00.001-06:00

A three part blog update...

Part 1 - Album Update

Thanks, thanks and thanks for supporting the upcoming album! It's been less than two weeks, but we've raised 15% of the funds needed for the new album! If you're considering donating (which reserves you one or more copies of the album as soon as it's done) go here:
or you can e-mail me directly at: kate@kateklim.com if you’d rather mail a donation. For a detailed description of all the perks and levels of support, see my last blog post :) I'm so touched by the help I've already received. You all deserve puppies. (But I can't give you puppies, so you'll have to settle for the new album. At least the album will never go number 2 in your shoe.)

Blog, Part 2: My new haircut.

I got a haircut today. I also made a crazy face.

The combined result is this picture.

Blog, part 3: Happy Valentine's Day.

I feel obligated to say this, primarily because a three-part blog sounds cooler than a two-part blog. I've been hanging out with a lot of five year-olds lately. For them, Valentine's Day is all about the candy, and has nothing to do with romance. They are SO right.

Epilogue:

Album, haircut, candy = good
Valentine's Day, untrained puppies = meh.
Thanks for reading :)

-Kate

The NEW Album Is Coming! (But I Need Your Help...)

2010-01-30T16:35:00.001-06:00

Hello friends, fans, and music supporters,

After a year or so of dodging the question “when will the next CD come out?” I finally have an answer! It will be recorded in Boston this summer, and produced by the talented Brian Packer. (Those of you who have seen my band in action in Boston will recognize him as my super awesome guitar player.) This spring will be spent fundraising (cough, cough) and the album should be released in the fall. It’s going to have an amazing band, and some of my favorite songs from the past few years (Kamikaze Love, Nothing to Do With You, Franklin…) You can hear some of my new songs on this very blog.

The ultimate fundraising goal is $10,000, which sure sounds like an awful lot of money, but is actually on the low end as far as CD budgets go. While times are tough, I’m confident that it can be done, and welcome any support you can give. If 100 people give $100, we’re there! If you don’t have $100, give what you can. Pre-ordering the CD costs $20, and if half this mailing list does that I will still exceed my goal! No matter what you give, a donation will grant you access to my recording blog, where I will keep you involved in the recording process (videos from the studio, title suggestions, etc.) I’m also looking for some Album-fundraiser house concerts, so please shoot me an email if you think you could contribute by hosting one of those!

Here are the levels of donations (ALL of which are appreciated!)

$20 – Autographed, pre-ordered copy the CD, which will be released in fall 2010.

$50 – 2 Autographed, pre-ordered copies of the CD, which will be released in fall 2010 AND a thank you in the liner notes (Note: Deadline to be in the liner notes is Dec. 8th, 2010)!

$100 - 4 Autographed, pre-ordered copies of the CD, which will be released in fall 2010 AND a thank you in the liner notes! (Use them as Christmas gifts!)

$200 or more – Sponsor a song! Receive everything from the $100 level, but also your name listed as the sponsor of a song of your choice (first come, first-served) on the CD.

$500 or more – House concert! Receive 4 Autographed, pre-ordered copies of the CD, which will be released in fall 2010, a thank you in the liner notes, and a house concert performance for you and your friends. (House concerts must be within 100 miles of: Nashville, Atlanta, DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, NYC, Boston, Chicago and fit within my existing tour schedule)

$1000 or more – Lots of CDs. I’ll make you brownies. You’ll be listed as an “Angel” donor on the CD with a really long thank you. I’ll make a video of me singing whatever song you want and put it on youtube. Hand-made puffy paint T-shirt? You got it. You get the idea ☺

I have a paypal donation button set up here:

or you can e-mail me directly at: kate@kateklim.com if you’d rather mail a donation. I’m really looking forward to making a terrific album, and appreciate everything you’ve done for me in my crazy musical adventure so far. The era of major-label backed albums is over, but I look at this as an opportunity for this new album to be a shared effort. I can’t do it without you ☺

Much love,
Kate

Hey Kate, Whatcha Been Up To?

2010-01-29T13:21:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the blog absence for the past week or so. Life in Nashville has been just grand, but a bit busy. I finally got to bring my new FlipHD to a live show, but learned the hard way that I need to position it far from any speakers. I'm really psyched about playing with a drummer (Steve Sinatra) and a singing, strumming side man (Russell Wolff) though, so I'm going to post the video from this Tuesday's performance at the Basement New Faces Night despite its sketchy audio. This is mainly because I want you to hear the new "trio" setup, but also because I really like the shirt I chose to wear. Russell and Steve are invisible (camera was on a tripod focused on yours truly), but they're cool as hell.

Enjoy :)

The cities I've lived in, personified as boyfriends (and a video of "Ripple")

2010-01-16T15:31:00.000-06:00

Boston - My first true love. I fell for you deeply, and completely. I dreamed of us spending the rest of our lives together, but I suppose I always knew. You came from money, and I was never going to be able to afford that lifestyle. You were often cold, and hard to navigate. In being with you, I distanced myself from my family. You brought out the wild child in me - the college girl, up-all-night adventures. You moved me into my first apartment, were with me at the bar when I turned 21, and gave me a long hug goodbye when I packed up and left you at 25. We spent a total of 7 years together, and I think a part of me will always wonder... what would have happened if I had stayed?

Philadelphia - You were an old high school friend, and I came running to you after my break up with Boston. I wish I had treated you better, but I suppose we both knew that you were a rebound. You're a great guy, really, and I wish more people knew it. We saw some great concerts, ate some great food, and watched the Phillies take the World Series together. I hope we can still be friends. I really mean that. I'll call you. Say hi to my mom.

Washington, DC - Oh DC. Our relationship was a mere 6 months, but intense nonetheless. I'd had a crush on you for years. I should have known better when I realized that you weren't really into music. I let you drive my car to Annapolis that one time and you crashed it. The sad part is that I was would have stuck with you, had you not broken my heart. But now I'm bitter, and not afraid to tell you that sometimes you smell bad. And you're bad at baseball. Ha.*

Nashville - Dear Nashville, with your independent coffee shops and your surprisingly good sushi. With your Centennial Park and your unbelievable songs. With your friendly strangers and secret society of blogging geeks. I think, maybe, you're the one.

*Disclaimer to the couple of DC-area fans who read this. I love you guys! Just not my DC experience and how hard it is to get a dang show there. I promise to visit and sing songs as soon as I can.

Speaking of, here's a video of me singing a song in the DC area, at last year's Mid-Atlantic Song contest ceremony.

First Video Blog! Snow Day Adventure...

2010-01-09T14:15:00.000-06:00

Well, my brand new Flip UltraHD came in the mail this week. Friends, I am in love. When Nashville declared 1/8/10 a snow day, I decided to film my first video blog entry with my good friend Brooks West.

Enjoy!

My hair, at this moment (oh yes, and Happy New Year)

2010-01-03T22:30:00.000-06:00

Wow. I just went to brush my teeth, and the craziness that is my hair caused me to laugh out loud. I want to share this crazy hair with you:

But I can't blog JUST about my hair. (Can I?). I don't know how you folks welcomed in the New Year, but I spent my 1/1/10 in a coffeeshop plotting how to be a more fulfilled and successful artist. I recently read an article about how an artist can make a living (or most of one) if they have 1000 true fans (a true fan being someone who goes to all or most of your shows, buys your new albums, and perhaps reads your blog even when it's just silly pictures and rants). With a new CD on the horizon, this really does seem like the right approach. So stay tuned as I implement my ideas (working on my mailing list, video blogs, street team, etc.) and feel free to share your suggestions, let me know if you think you're a "true fan," and tell anyone who will listen that I exist.

Oh, and you can read that article here.

Download my new song, AND shenanigans from my temp job.

2009-11-25T12:21:00.000-06:00

Hey there friends.

First, I want to say that I've cleaned up my home-made demo of "Like You Mean It" and put it up on Noisetrade.com for free (or pay what you want) download. It's a very cool site promoting "fair trade music." and very in line with my views of what the music industry should be (music straight from artist to fan). Check it out by clicking here.

That's enough business. As established in earlier posts, I have a temp job through holidays. Being the day before Thanksgiving, I'm the only soul here and have nothing to do. Here's my day so far:

Handstands for about 20 minutes...

Surprise Stapler Attack from Behind Overturned Desk Chair:

Figuring out if I can fit under the row of office chairs (yes, I can):

And recreating my face with post-its:

Oh yes. And the phone rang. Once.

New song! "Like You Mean It"

2009-11-22T20:20:00.002-06:00

A fun day of recording at Casa Klim (things really started moving after my roomie supplied me with some red wine). I'm pretty psyched about this one...

Kate By Numbers

2009-11-19T12:23:00.000-06:00

Hey friends. I have a temp job through the holidays, and not much to do. I thought I'd waste time, and at the give you some information about myself that you probably don't need or care to know.

Here it is. Kate by numbers.

19: the number I arbitrarily picked as my lucky number while in Jr. High
4: siblings
1: Number of broken bones in my lifetime
5: Months I've lived in Nashville
7: Years I lived in Boston
14: freckles on my right arm visible to me at this moment.
3: Shows and concerts I've been to within the last week (God bless Nashville)
13: Musical theater shows I did in Jr. High and high school
5: Days per week that I spend as a vegan
2: Days per week that I break down and eat sushi or baked goods
4: Maximum amount of drinks I can have before I behave in an embarrassing manner
7: Number of drinks I tend to have at weddings
12: Number of Tic Tacs I've had today
11: Number of songs I plan to have on my next album
9: Things that are yellow that I can see from this desk right now (number is high due to my love of post-its)

Ok. I will subject you to no more. I'm working on a new song I plan on posting here over the weekend. It's very indie-pop and I'm psyched. So check back my friends :)

Kate

Another New One...

2009-10-25T14:27:00.001-05:00

Did somebody ask for an upbeat hypothetical love song (about not being able to tell the person that you love them because of stupid dating rules)?

No? You didn't? Well, whatever. No give backs.

It's called "More Than You Know"

ALSO!

One of the reasons I've been putting songs up is because I'm seeking feedback for what songs to put on the next album. It'll be recorded/released in 2010, so let me know what you want to hear. I'll be doing pre-sales and fundraising in the near future... please start sucking up to that rich uncle of yours :)

Much love,
Kate

Peanut Butter

2009-10-19T22:58:00.000-05:00

Things made better by peanut butter:
-Chocolate
-Bread, in combination with jelly
-Banana(s)
-The effectivity of mouse traps

Things made worse by peanut butter:
-Laptop keyboards
-People with severe peanut allergies
-Any sandwich with meat (specifically, bologna)
-Personal grooming products of any kind

Oh, and here's a video of a new song, "Recover."

New Song - "Can't Wait"

2009-10-17T15:03:00.001-05:00

I was sick when I recorded it, but I kind of like how it makes my voice sound :)

Kate's First Blog Post

2009-10-17T15:02:00.000-05:00

So... I went to a tech conference in Nashville today to attend a session on viral marketing. Since I've been battling the plague for the past few days (a.k.a. a nasty sinus infection) it seemed all too fitting.
Anyway... the guy suggested I start a blog.

Lately I've been recording my new songs as soon as I finish them, and posting them to my myspace, so this seems like another great way to deliver new material directly to you. Since moving to Nashville, I've been fascinated by the music industry, and what everyone seems to think is its imminent demise. I don't think the "industry" is dying though... just the middleman. (Fortunately, the middleman was kind of an a-hole.) I think that the future is a world where artists deliver music directly to fans, which I hope to do here. It's also a world where those artists then get on their hovercrafts and fly off to pick up their robot-children from Gymboree (also run by robots). Also, in the future I'm 5'6 and know karate.

So, keep an eye out for new music up here. And other odd musings. I have plenty of those, too.