biography
Katie Mitchell is a singer/songwriter whose powerful, soulful voice is often compared to the likes of Janis Joplin and is paired perfectly with her relatable and confessional style of music. Although she now calls Long Beach, New York, home, her musical roots began at a very young age amongst a family of musicians in Virginia and Ohio. Mitchell grew up listening to an eclectic mix of music from Folk and Americana to classic rock, but her biggest musical influences growing up were the female singer/songwriters coming out of Lilith Fair such as Jewel, Sara McLaughlin, and Joan Osborne. She learned harmonies by singing Indigo Girls songs with her mother, and began writing her own music and performing for audiences at age 8. Mitchell’s lyrics are authentic, genuine, raw moments, seemingly straight from the pages of her diary, with simple but catchy rock and country melodies.
Since 2012, Mitchell has played with a number of talented musicians, working tirelessly to complete her sound with folks that best complement her style and personality. Her longest running bandmate is the versatile and multi-talented lead guitarist, John Botten, whose easy style and tone blends rock and country to complete the band’s genre-bending crossover sound. Mitchell and Botten, periodically performing as a duo and dubbing themselves “the fifty-percenters” (stemming from early days when they were often the only two members of the band to show up to gigs), are the primary producer-engineers of the band’s latest EP release “The Sea in Me” (2024). That project is a short collection of songs about or are reminiscent of the ocean and beach life, and was partially funded by a New York Statewide Community Regrant program through the Huntington Arts Council. The tracks were recorded primarily in-house at Mitchell’s home studio, and were mixed and mastered by Dan Orza at Long Island Sound Services, Inc. In addition to Mitchell and Botten, “The Sea in Me” features performances from other current band members: Benjamin Brenner (bass guitar), Tom Clancy (drums and percussion), John Einstman (guitar), Paul Resnik (keyboards), and Jenny Rubin (vocals).
Mitchell’s previous full-length release “Heart On Fire” (2018) was recorded at Ocean Analog Studios in Long Beach, NY, by Producer/Engineer Peter Kuperschmid whose long list of recorded artists includes Joan Jett, Laura Nyro, and Run DMC. The album was co-produced by Mitchell and Botten, whose varied backgrounds captured a unique sound of blended genres and influences in Mitchell’s primarily acoustic driven songs. The diversity of songs within the album has garnered radio play from rock stations to Irish radio. The band primarily performs around Long Island and New York City, with an especially strong local following in the band’s hometown of Long Beach, known for its bar and live music scene. They have played well-known venues and festivals such as The Bitter End, the Long Beach Summer Concert Series, and local favorite Finn Fest. The KMB is known and loved for their mix of originals, eclectic set of covers, and a sound ranging from classic rock to folk-pop. They cover artists from Lady Gaga to Led Zeppelin and The Beatles to lesser-known groups such as Lucius and Wet Leg.
The band plans to release a series of EPs in the coming years to showcase the breadth and depth of Mitchell’s catalog of originals.