KTB (aka 24-year old Katy Bennett) began
her career at the age of 12 writing songs about elephants, atomic bombs, road
accidents and unrequited love (see debut cd All
Calm In Dreamland, 2002); From there, during her late adolescence, she
wrote songs about herbal tea, depression, innocence lost, Gram Parsons,
vegetarianism and unrequited love (see second album Bluebird, 2005); And now, with her third collection, her subject matter
has moved on to Shakespeare, psychosis, disasters (both natural and man-made),
matters of the heart and (yep,
you guessed it!) unrequited love!
A
bleak outlook, you might think. But, my dears, that’s where you’d be mistaken…
KTB's third long player, Indelible
Ink, displays the most positive, uplifting and musically diverse
material of her career so far. In collaboration with friend, producer and
infuriatingly-talented multi-instrumentalist Phil Ward, the album’s songs vary
from simple arrangements for 2 guitars and voice to orchestral numbers awash
with layers of strings, voices, guitars (all sorts!), brass, wine glasses,
human theremin and a range of unclassified noises.
Indelible Ink is a bold step for KTB into
avante-garde-folk-pop-jazz-electronica territory (if such a place exists!) with
a nod to her many and varied influences along the way: Gillian Welch, Brian
Wilson, Jolie Holland,Bjork, Patsy Cline, Erin Mckeown, Dory Previn, Nick
Drake, Kathryn Williams, Crosby, Stills & Nash, K D Lang, Karine Polwart,
Regina Spektor & Olivier Messiaen (to name a few).
Since
playing her first gig at Oxford’s Jericho Tavern 8 years ago, KTB has toured the UK extensively,
supporting many a luminary of the folk scene including Eliza Carthy, Martin
Simpson, Karine Polwart, Piney Gir, Vashti Bunyan, Kirsty Mcgee, Martha Tilston
& Erin Mckeown. KTB’s festival
appearances have included Fishguard, Priddy, Truck, Wallingford Bunk, Stainsby,
Solfest, Oxford Folk, Oxford Arts, Edinburgh Fringe & SXSW 2004 in Austin, Texas.
KTB also organises regular sell-out acoustic nights in her adopted home town of Birmingham which has featured international artists such as Sofia (half of Po’Girl), JT & The Clouds, Gabe & Ruth Minnikin, ex-Albion band singer Gillie Nicholls and Rachael Dadd. A former BBC Young Folk Award Finalist and onstage soloist with the RSC (singing in a Sicilian folk style for The Complete Works’ production of Romeo & Juliet last year), Katy plays with fabulous female folk foursome Little Sister, who release their self-titled EP this winter. She also sings, dances and plays (whatever she can!) with Danny & The Champions Of The World (featuring Danny Wilson of Grand Drive) who unleashed their debut album to critical acclaim in April 2008.
On top of this, Katy has a busy teaching schedule as a music workshop leader and choral animateur. She believes passionately in the healing power of music (particularly song) and has recently set up the Birmingham community acappella singing group Moseley Voices.
Take a snippet of some of her reviews....
‘A
sophisticated mix of folk, jazz, pop and rustica’ The Independent, Dec ‘05
‘Strikingly original’ UNCUT, Dec
‘05
‘KTB has honeyed rivers and mothering embraces for a voice. KTB has a mournful-joyful tunefulness rising so effortlessly that it seems more natural than breathing.’ Plan B Magazine, Sept ‘06
However, you don't have to take their words for it because you can hear complete tracks on both her website www.ktb.org.uk or her record company www.tatinga.co.uk.... or even better, just come along to the Grove Nite Club, Seaton, on Wednesday 21st May, and you can enjoy her very special quality live...!!