Akron has had favorite sons from Devo to Joseph Arthur to The Black Keys, but the torch might get passed from favorite daughter Chrissie Hynde to the up and coming Kate Tucker.
This young lady, who grew up in Akron and found her way to Seattle, released Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden in 2007 and received some critically acclaimed airplay within the Starbucks Coffee store chain. Two of her songs later appeared on the company’s compilation CD’s Have You Heard in 2008 and Sweetheart in 2009.
But Kate has returned to Akron after finishing up her latest record White Horses, which will be released on June 29th. Kate’s beautiful soft soprano voice is what makes her music stand out. Part melodic and part gothic, she writes songs that pierce through your heart with a sharp edge blade. From the opening track “Blue December” to the finale “First To Leave”, Tucker takes the listener on a journey using all vintage instruments and amplifiers. “I wrote these songs as I was facing some serious questions I had buried along the way, questions about faith and love and the sustainability of relationships in a constantly changing landscape” says Kate adding “I suppose I made White Horses for myself as much as anyone, to find my own voice and sing out into the darkness.” Songs like the album’s lead single “Where Are You (I Am Already Gone), “Stained Glass” featuring a Hammond B3 organ , and the gorgeous “First Day of The Year” are some of the excerpts you should sample.
Although Tucker used a new resource where independent artists create an internet pledge drive page to fund a portion of the production expenses, it really comes down to the fans and friends who have bought records and go out to see the shows that made the new LP a reality. Along with touring, Tucker will begin acting this summer in a film about music therapy which features her music as the soundtrack that should be out sometime in 2011.
To hear tracks and see a listing of upcoming shows, visit www.myspace.com/katetuckermusic or www.facebook.com/katetucker
