In recent years, there has been an increase in the visibility of indie music. Indie artists are being nominated for and winning major awards like the Grammys, as well as being exposed in television, movies and radio. Today we explore one of those artists, Katie Knipp, and her latest EP masterpiece, The Well.
Knipp wrote these songs during the turbulent times of 2020, and captured the feelings and frustrations of that period. She accomplished this feat by working with such talented musicians as Zack Proteau on electric bass and rhythm guitar, Neil Campisano on drums and percussion, Chris Martinez on electric guitar and Otis Mourning on saxophone and clarinet. She also convinced Mick Martin (harmonica), Justin Au (trumpet), Brandon Au (trombone) and Keith Cotton (Hammond organ) to provide guest instrumentation. Knipp supplied the vocals, piano, Rhodes, Hammond and dobro guitar to the mix.
We previously featured her first single, “Chamomile and Cocaine,” last July.
The Well debuted last week on the Billboard Blues Albums Chart at #4, one of the highest debuts ever by an indie artist. It’s easy to see why.
Artist Name: Katie Knipp
Album Name: The Well
Label: Self-released
Genre: Blues
Track Listing: 1. Sad Eyed Lover; 2. The Gospel of Good Intentions; 3. Better Me; 4. Chamomile and Cocaine; 5. Bullet Train.
Publicist: ABIK Radio Promotions
Review: What can we say. Her voice is delightful, and perfectly suited to the blues. Her songwriting chops are some of the finest currently on display anywhere and the chemistry she has with her band members is to die for. They may call it the blues, but there’s nothing depressing about the quality of sound and music that Knipp exudes. The EP kicks off with the toe-tapping sound of “Sad Eyed Lover,” and truly takes off from there. This one is the perfect pairing with the Chicago blues sound made famous by The Blues Brothers. She takes it back a step with the moody and jazzy sound of “The Gospel of Good Intentions,” before roaring back with the delta blues sound of “Better Me.” Our favorite cut is “Chamomile and Cocaine,” but truthfully, you can’t go wrong with any of these musical gems. “Bullet Train” just puts an exclamation point on this work of art.
Recommendation: This is a no-brainer. You simply MUST add this one to your music collection. We wouldn’t be surprised to see this one up for Grammy consideration.