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The Boston music scene has spawned so many great artists, it's hard to keep up, from flat-out rockers like Aerosmith and Morphine to thoughtful folkies such as Patty Griffin and Ellis Paul. That's where Catie Curtis comes in. With her instantly recognizable voice and insightful and often humorous lyrics, Curtis has steadily gained a sure footing among her peers. Curtis first garnered attention as she toured the house concert and coffeehouse circuit (circa the early '90s) to support her independently released disc, From Years to Hours, which followed the cassette-only release of Dandelion in 1989. Her young sound had echoes of Rickie Lee Jones and her songwriting revealed an innocent yet heartfelt poetry that would only get deeper and richer with more life experience. Hear Music took note and put out Truth from Lies in 1995. That offering got Curtis noticed over at EMI/Guardian, who, consequently, re-released the disc in 1996 and its successor, Catie Curtis in 1997. These albums showcased the evolution of the artist and songwriter, as she moved slowly away from her raw folk roots to a slightly more pop sound. The song "Soulfully," from Catie Curtis, was warmly embraced, and found its way to both radio and television with exposure on Dawson's Creek and Chicago Hope.
Curtis continued to build a fan base through extensive touring, even hopping on legs of the Lilith Fair tour. When her label closed its doors, she found another home at Rykodisc and sent A Crash Course in Roses into the world in 1999. This offering centered around the haunting theme of the impact of sudden events on life. After touring with Dar Williams for a spell, Curtis was inspired for the next project. So, for her 2001 effort, My Shirt Looks Good on You, she took a more collaborative approach to the songwriting and teamed up with a number of Boston's finest songwriters, including Billy Conway and Mary Gauthier. She also teamed up with hotshot producer/engineer Trina Shoemaker to redefine her sound while making the record. The result was another surefooted step forward for Curtis and a harbinger of more great things to come. Dreaming in Romance Languages, Curtis' first for Vanguard, appeared in 2004. Long Night Moon, much of which reflected on her life as the new mother of two adopted little girls, arrived in 2006, followed by the aptly titled Sweet Life in 2008.
from Wikipedia:
Catie Curtis (born 22 May 1965) is an American singer-songwriter. Her music has been categorized in several genres, including pop, rock, alternative country, indie and folk. She has recorded 11 CDs. The most recent, Stretch Limousine On Fire, will be released in August 2011 on Compass Records.
Biography
Early life
Catie Curtis was raised in the small city of Saco, Maine. At age 15, she played drums professionally for a local theater company. In her late teens she was chosen to perform with Journey on their hit song "I Want to Know What Love Is." She graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island with a degree in history and moved to Boston, Massachusetts for the thriving folk rock circuit.
Career
Curtis was discovered performing at the Bottom Line in NYC and promptly signed to EMI/Guardian Records. Her debut, Truth From Lies, was released in 1996. She has gone on to release 11 CDs and tour internationally, headlining clubs and theaters and appearing on stage with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dar Williams, Patty Griffin and Melissa Ferrick among others.
Her songs have been featured in Alias, Dawson's Creek, Felicity and Chicago Hope, as well as in several independent films. She won the Best Album Award from the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards for her self-titled 1997 album. In 2005, she and Mark Erelli won the Grand Prize in the International Songwriting Competition for their song People Look Around, a song written in response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Curtis, who's been dubbed a "folk-rock goddess" by The New Yorker, continues to push at her own musical boundaries and explore "the difficult edges of passing events" in life, harsh realities that are tempered with moments of fleeting beauty. Her sound, like the subject matter, tends toward authentic, raw, warm. "There's a lot of texture to my music that makes you feel like you're really close to it," she explains.
In 2009, Curtis performed at the HRC Equality Ball in celebration of President Barack Obama’s inauguration, along with Cyndi Lauper, Melissa Etheridge, Rufus Wainwright and Thelma Houston. In 2010, she performed at the White House.
Philanthropy
At the age of 15, Catie was given the gift of a used guitar on the premise that she promise to learn to play it. Through this act of generosity and the lesson Catie learned about “paying it forward,” she since has launched the “Aspire to Inspire” guitar initiative to provide continuous, ongoing funding for the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Foundation so that guitars can be given to budding young musicians who cannot afford to buy their own.
Through this initiative, Catie has raised tens of thousands of dollars directly through her fan base, bestowing guitars to many aspiring musicians, as an unexpected gift, to convey the confidence that comes from someone believing in them. By equipping these underprivileged youth with the right tools, it is Catie’s goal that they will learn to make music and find the way to a better life.
Personal life
Catie Curtis is married to Liz Marshall. They live in Newton, Massachusetts, with their two daughters Lucy and Celia, and a 10 year old pug named Sam. Inspired by a commitment to marriage equality Curtis became ordained to officiate weddings in 2010.
Reviews
“Singer-songwriter Catie Curtis is one of those rare talents: someone who can spin compelling, interesting and engaging music out of domestic happiness.... Highly recommended.” — All Music Guide
“Seventeen caught up with singer/songwriter Catie Curtis, whose songs have been featured on TV shows including Desperate Housewives and Alias, as she gets ready to release her ninth album, Sweet Life. She's also in the midst of the launch of her new charity initiative, "Aspire to Inspire"!” — Seventeen Magazine
“There's a sophisticated simplicity about Curtis's singing and songwriting that brings to mind Suzanne Vega.” — Rhythms Magazine (Australia)
“Curtis's songs are beautifully and deceptively well crafted, her production tastefully understated, and her singing so heartbreakingly pure, pained, and devoid of artifice as to suggest she knows not only your secrets, but your soul.” — Alanna Nash, Amazon.com
“Any fool can write a love-gone wrong song; it takes a real genius to write a love-gone-right one. No urban songwriter does that better than Curtis." - BOSTON GLOBE” — Scott Alarik, Boston Globe
“With a clear, deceptively gentle voice, she can turn on a dime and thrill the listener with unforeseen power and emotion.” — RollingStone.com
“Folk-rock goddess” — The New Yorker
