Montreal’s amazing Kaia Kater returns to The Carleton to celebrate the release of her Grenades album with a performance on Sunday, November 25th. Show time is 8 PM and tickets are only $15 advanced or $20 at the door. Our own Leanne Hoffman will be opening the show. Get your tickets for this singular artist NOW!
A Montreal-born Grenadian-Canadian, Kaia Kater grew up between two worlds: her family’s deep ties to folk music and the years she spent soaking up Appalachian music in West Virginia. Her old-time banjo-picking skills, deft arrangements, and songwriting abilities have landed her in the spotlight in North America and the UK, garnering critical acclaim from outlets such as NPR, CBC Radio, Rolling Stone, BBC Music, and No Depression.
You can read Stephen Cooke’s piece about Kaia in the Chronicle Herald HERE. Tara Thorne’s article about Kaia in The Coast is HERE.
Kaia started her career early, crafting her first EP Old Soul (2013) when she was just out of high school. Since then, she’s gone on to release three more albums, Sorrow Bound (2015), Nine Pin (2016) and the latest, Grenades, in 2018. Her second album wove between hard-hitting songs touching on social issues like the Black Lives Matter movement (“Rising Down”) and more personal narratives speaking to life and love in the digital age (“Saint Elizabeth”). Nine Pin won a Canadian Folk Music Award, a Stingray Rising Star Award and sent Kaia on an 18-month touring journey from Ireland to Iowa, including stops at The Kennedy Center, Hillside Festival and London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush. For her third album, Grenades, she took a decidedly different direction, choosing to lean into a wider array of sounds and styles, in order to convey a wider array of emotions and topics, most notably her paternal ancestry.
“…plaintive, mesmerizing…writes and performs with the skill of a folk-circuit veteran…” Rolling Stone
“Where bluegrass meets Nina Simone” The Guardian
“You want some authenticity in your folk music or bluegrass – I give you Kaia Kater.” No Depression
“A star in the making…” Folk Alley
“…One of the most remarkable Canadian folk records in some time…Kater’s music is somehow ancient and brand new at the same time.”
Tom Power CBC Radio 2
Singer-songwriter Leanne Hoffman has a voice that is as haunting as it is angelic. She has the rare ability to dress a beautiful melody with content that is both biting and elegant. With lyrics beyond her years, and a smart, sarcastic tone, her audiences are left captivated and wanting more.
Her duo project Magnolia, achieved success throughout Atlantic Canada, charting on campus radio throughout the Maritimes and receiving considerable CBC play nation-wide.
An active force in Atlantic Canadian music, Leanne is in high demand as a backup vocalist, contributing to award winning albums and high-quality live performances since 2011. Her enfatuating stage-presence, and effortless harmonies have taken her throughout Canada, The US, and Europe.
Her passion for finding universal meaning in the everyday lyrics of life have lead her to record her debut solo album with Award Winning Producer, Erin Costelo. With a sound reminiscent of Lou Reed, and the pop-electric feel of Metric, What Remains is an album that demands attention, just like it’s creator.