Buoyed by new love, new album, artist performs at Burlap and Bean, April 25
By Denny Dyroff, Correspondent, The Times
Things are looking up for Downingtown native singer-songwriter Kate Klim, who boasts a new marriage as well as a new album in the works. She comes home to perform at Newtown Square’s Burlap and Bean, April 25.
Burlap and Bean Coffee in Newtown Square has built a reputation as a venue that presents top-flight local musicians, respected national acts and, importantly, local acts that have gone on to establish themselves at the national level.
Kate Klim, who will perform at Burlap and Bean Coffee on April 25, falls into the category of local acts that have gone on to establish themselves at the national level. The Chester County native lived in the Boston area for a number of years and now is a resident of Nashville, Tennessee. But, no matter where she hangs her hat, Downingtown will always be her hometown.
Klim, a 2000 graduate of Downingtown High, returns to the area to perform a few times each year and her “home away from home” has become Burlap and Bean Coffee in Newtown Square. On April 25, Klim will headline a show at the intimate venue and share the bill with Peyton Tochterman.
“I’ve played a lot of venues in the Philadelphia area including Burlap and Bean, World Café Live, Steel City, Tin Angel and the Point,” said Klim, during a recent phone interview from her home in Nashville.
“In recent years, Burlap and Bean has become my ‘go to’ place. It’s a great room to play and the people who run it are the kindest people. It feels like a musical home because they care about the music and the musicians.”
A lot of things are happening in Klim’s life in 2014 and, fortunately, they are all good things.
“I just got married at the beginning of April,” said Klim. “And, my new album will be ready for release later this year. My parts are all done. I went to Los Angeles to record it at Kingsize Soundlabs with producer Brian Packer. Right now, he’s finishing the production work on it. Then, I will need to add some more background vocals.”
Klim was able to “feel the love” prior to making the new disc in a number of ways. She felt the love from her fans during a Kickstarter campaign and the love from a blossoming relationship that led to her marriage.
“I did the Kickstarter campaign last fall and it was great,” said Klim, who earned a degree in songwriting from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. “We met our goal. The industry keeps changing and fans are replacing record companies.”
Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform in which fans are offered rewards in exchange for their pledges. A pledge goal is set and the artist must reach that goal or forfeit the pledges. Klim’s goal was $10,000 and she received $11,127 from 128 backers.
“The backers will be the first to receive the album when it’s completed,” said Klim, who has two previously-released albums — ‘Heaven Help Me,’ ‘Kamikaze Love’ and ‘Up and Down and Up Again.’ “Then, I’ll release it on iTunes.
“The new album ties in with the fact that I just got married. ‘Kamikaze Love’ was more about heartbreak. Actually, this is my first album that is not about heartbreak. It’s way more optimistic. I found that songwriting that is happy is harder that songwriting about heartbreak.”
Klim, who plays keyboards and sings, will be performing a set at Burlap and Bean which is half new material and half songs from her prior albums. Ironically, Klim’s initial interest in the arts was not as a singer-songwriter.
“For the longest time, I really wanted to be an actor,” said Klim. “I was even a teen rep on the board of Barleysheaf Players. Every summer, I was in a show at Barleysheaf and I also was in a lot of musicals at school.
“When I was 15, I shifted to music. I went on a leadership trip in high school — LINK (Leaders Involved in Networking Kids) at Camp Conrad Weiser. It was about finding out about other people. After that, I focused on music and started writing seriously.
“I played music a lot when I was in high school. My first performance of a song I wrote was at a choir concert at school. I also won a talent show at Downingtown High and I got to perform at graduation. I played an original song about leaving and going out on your own.”
Klim has been out on her own for awhile but is definitely not just on her own. She has loyal fans all across the country and a loving husband. Local fans can hear her new “happy” sound on April 25 when she plays at Burlap and Bean Coffee (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,www.burlapandbean.com). The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10.
The schedule at Burlap and Bean for the remainder of the month also includes — April 18, Caitlyn Canty, Rusty Belle; April 19, J. D. Malone, Ron Gallo; April 23, Emily Kinney; April 24, Eli Conley; and April 26, Atlas Gray, Owen Danoff.
The following is the venue’s schedule for May — May 2, Charlie Phillips, Elwood James Band; May 3, Hezekiah Jones, Psalmships; May 7, Jadea Kelly, Sympathy and The Lion; May 9, Barnaby Bright, Ken Yates; May 10, John Galla and Hilton, Bower and Jones; May 14, One Kid One Key Fundraiser; May 16, Amy Speace, Jarrod Dickenson; May 17, Mark Mandeville, Raianne Richards, Kyle Swartzwelder; May 21, Delco Story Slam; May 23, Jess Klein, Daughter and Son; May 24, The Vinegar Creek Constituency; May 29, Matthew Ryan, Bethel Steele; and May 31, Craig Bickhardt, Michael Logen, Lizanne Knott.
