ABOVE: The Katie Gray performs at a harvest festival in Everson earlier this fall.
Enjoy the quirky musical stylings of these local artists.
By Josh Hughes
Like cats and minimal folk music? Ever thought about the possibilities in combining the two? If so, the upcoming Underground Coffeehouse performance with The Katie Gray and Cat Valley could be your ideal cup of tea.
This upcoming Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Coffeehouse, both artists will be performing acoustic sets for a mellow and intimate night of short singer/songwriter songs. Hailing from Bellingham, both The Katie Gray and Cat Valley write simple-on-paper guitar songs with quirky, self-aware lyricism that spans from losing a cat named Otis to raising hell at a cat caller. Cats truly do seem to be everywhere.
The Katie Gray, not to be confused with other PNW folk artist Katie Gray (no the), currently has a four person lineup, and is performing material from the recent album Songs About Stuff. Most of the songs on that record blissfully drift into Sunday afternoon territory with their quiet sensibilities and subdued instrumentation. All the same, her full band, which includes bass, guitar, and drums, will add some more dimension to the tracks when performed live. The negative space between Gray’s voice and her guitar playing leaves perfect room for a full on band to work with the arrangements.
Songs like “Welcome To The Interwebs” are quite tongue in cheek, delivered with a borderline musical theater performance. The aforementioned “An Ode To Otis” feels more musically and vocally restrained, putting the focus on her lyrics instead. Guest vocalists, which include Daniel Lombard and bassist Troy Bohman only add to the charisma, adding a lower register to Gray’s peppy voice. However, she’s certainly commanding on all her songs, coming across with a strong musical personality and wittiness that’s refreshing and unique to hear.
Also coming from Bellingham, Cat Valley take similar cues from The Katie Gray in their quirky brand of folk music. A duo consisting of Abby Hegge and Whitney Finn, their Litterbox EP delivers exactly what you’d expect: a series of vaguely cat-related songs. The tags on their Bandcamp page reads as follows: “folk babes cats feminism folk rock guitars Bellingham,” and that alone describes Cat Valley more aptly than any article ever could.
The EP starts with a self-titled song that includes a verse of sung “meows,” followed by a highlight of the record “I Will Mace You” that gives a gut punch rebuttal to misogynistic, creepy guys. Later on, “Consent” talks about just what you’d expect, and the release closes with an eloquent minute and a half ballad called “Litterbox.”
Hegge and Finn have good chemistry as a songwriting duo, and the delicate arrangements border on Modest Mouse levels of spacey guitar sections in certain spots. Another entirely acoustic record, expect a mellow vibe from their set at the Underground.
With the quarter steaming along, there’s only so many more Coffeehouse performances, so be sure to check out The Katie Gray and Cat Valley this coming Wednesday.
BELOW: The Katie Gray performs, photo by Conor O’Keefe.
