Katie Kuffel

Kuffel grew up on Bainbridge Island, a small community a ferry ride away from Seattle. She was fortunate enough to have a very free childhood, and would spend her days in the woods outside, or combing the beach looking at tide pools. No shortage of imagination to be found, she would make little communities of forts with her friends where they’d have secret meetings, and pretend they were part of a fantastical story. She says, “I really think this honed a joy of creativity in me. There was no one but us to compare our experiences to, so I never felt like what we were making was weird, or not good enough.” This gave her a pure joy for the act of creating in and of itself, all supported by the beautiful nature she was surrounded by.

Kuffel had a fair bit of classical training, but her real musical education occurred in the opportunity to sit in and play within a plethora of diverse musicians. She’d play cello and sing with her dad’s group of friends (all drinking beer and playing bluegrass on the porch). She’d sit in and jam with a Gypsy Jazz group at the farmers market. While living in Japan she learned the basics of Koto music. Then there was the Peruvian doomgrass band she played with when she first moved back to Seattle. She accompanied speakers, and slam poets in live, improvised events. She says, “I never really discriminated against any kind of music, and I think that openness has given me more than any formal education ever could.” 

This eclectic musical upbringing bleeds into her new album, Alligator, where she tackles subjects from childhood nostalgia and generational trauma, to grand musings on time and nature. No matter the scale of her theme, Katie finds the universal thread to captivate her listener, reminding us we’re all human, and to embrace the messiness inherent in being alive during this turbulent, modern era. You’ll hear a broad spectrum of instrumentation on this album, with Katie playing piano, synth, cello, and her backup vocals. She was joined in the studio by producer Nick Bullock on acoustic and electric guitar, drummer Aaron Shaffer-Haiss, bassist Joe Dickey on electric and upright, organist Robbie Crowell, and horn player Leif Shires.