Katie Dahl was 19 years old when she slipped on a patch of sidewalk ice and broke her wrist. Suddenly unable to play the oboe in her college orchestra, Katie decided to use her newfound free time to learn guitar, teaching herself chord progressions as she strummed the strings with her stiff right hand. Seven years later, that icy day has proven to be a blessing in disguise, as Katie earns a reputation as an accomplished singer, songwriter, and guitarist whom acclaimed author and poet Parker Palmer has called “a singer-songwriter you need to get to know.”
After graduating from college with a degree in English literature, this honey-voiced musician turned her attention to the acoustic folk music she had always loved, singing everywhere from the cliff country of Mali, West Africa, to the canals of southern France to outdoor theaters nestled in the American northwoods. Katie currently makes her home in Door County, Wisconsin, and is fast making a name for herself with her rich alto voice, unpretentious vocals, intricate fingerpicking, and incisive lyricism.
In late summer 2009, Katie released her debut album, County Line, which has been described as “a folk-infused exploration of love and the American landscape.” On County Line, Katie features eight original songs full of sharp insight and lilting poetry, as well as lending her unmistakable voice to Wisconsin songwriter Fred Alley’s “Gibraltar Town” and John Prine’s classic anthem “Paradise.” Katie is now on the road promoting County Line, meeting new friends and watching out for ice wherever she roams.
oh Katie Dahl. I want your CD the minute you release it. And then I will canoe to an island in a remote Minnesotan lake and crank it up for the loons to hear. :)
Ms. Dajjj, Your voice is like a beautiful alto volcano...powerful, captivating, ok,ixnay on the destruction-ay..it's a kind and loving volcano!...perhaps a maple syrup volcano? Seriously, you KNOW I am just a big fan and I'm here in Berkeley, singing along with you and looking forward to doing that and hearing you in person, around a camp fire this fall.
You! Your music! Together online! Hooray for you, and for the rest of us who get to listen to it. Please let me know if you ever have Wisconsin performances lined up. You know it's fairly easy to talk me into driving up there..... Miss you!
Katie Dahl, you are awesome. I am so happy to be able to hear your voice even when I don't get to see you for painfully long periods of time. Can I add your songs to my profile, or is that too weird?
The recordings sound fantastic. I'm so proud of you. (Exclamation Mark)
Thank you for making a MySpace page to share your songs with those of us who cannot make it to Club Passim Open Mics due to geographical (or other) constraints. I especially enjoy Journey Home. Keep recording and posting.
