By John Pluntze
(From the "Idaho" track on the Down Like Silver album, by Peter Bradley Adams and Caitlin Canty:
"Hard times knocking at our door again
Just can't fight it, forgotten how to run
Cold hands like a stranger's on your skin
Can't sleep beside you, so I rise before the sun
Where can we go from here?
Where can we go?
We keep trying to get back to Idaho...")
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You may not have heard of folk singer-songwriter-acoustic guitarist Caitlin Canty ( http://www.CaitlinCanty.com http://soundcloud.com/tracks/search?q=CaitlinCanty ) before, but if you're even remotely tuned into the local music scene here in the Wood River Valley, then you've certainly heard of Molly Venter ( http://www.MySpace.com/MollyVenter ).
And to thoroughly enjoy the music of one, is to be suddenly and irrevocably excited about the other...
Indeed, for many people here in the Valley who were fortunate enough to see/hear Canty in-person when she performed during a standing room-only gig at Ketchum's now-shuddered Sego restaurant back in Sept., 2010, it has taken this immensely-talented and -tenacious, Vermont-born, New York-based musician far too long to "get back to Idaho".
But back she is -- this time performing solo (she was singing alongside one of her all-time fave bands, Darlingside, as well as with David Poe, and Rachel Loshak when she was here last time), although her fiance, Cliff, is accompanying her now -- and it's a trip that has already been extremely rewarding, creatively, for Canty, whom I talked at-length with recently here in Ketchum.
"I've written FOUR songs already, since I got here!" Canty exclaimed, who returned here less than two weeks ago, adding that: "But ya know, every time I visit here, my creative juices really start flowing almost immediately -- and I think that has as much to do with the PEOPLE here as it does the SCENERY ... just something very comforting and nurturing and reassuring about them."
That radiant sentiment has been expressed many times over the years by fellow folk singer-songwriter (and former, two-year Ketchum resident) Molly Venter -- another unceasingly-inspired folk singer whom Canty not only attended the very same liberal arts college with (at Williams College, in Williamstown, MA), but who also shared the very same music teacher: Bernice Lewis ( http://www.BerniceLewis.com ).
"She (Caitlin) stood out from the first moment she walked into class," Lewis told me recently (via e-mail). "I limit my class to only 15 students each semester, so there's quite a bit of competition to get in. I often ask my previous students -- and Molly (Venter) was one of them -- to let me know if there's someone that I should be paying attention to, and I'm sure that once folks heard Caitlin sing, they alerted me.... Her songs, while they continue to improve, have always been really wonderful, and, in addition to her talent, Caitlin's been remarkably steady in the business of making music, something that many folks have trouble with ... both Molly and Caitlin have been so consistent, and so hard working."
However, initially after graduating from Williams in 2004 with a degree in Biology ("I've always liked science"), "hard work" for Canty took the form, not of music, but of office work -- first for the sustainability-oriented, New York-based company, Ecomagination ( http://www.ecomagination.com ), where she worked as "sustainability consultant" for some 2 1/2 years, and then for Artists Den Entertainment ( http://www.Artistsden.com ), where, among many other duties, she worked on the Emmy-nominated "Live From the Artists Den" TV show ... a weekly, hour-long talent showcase whose past featured musicians have included Tori Amos, Regina Spektor, Kid Rock, Ben Harper, Adele, Ani DiFranco, Aimee Mann, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Black Crowes, Alanis Morissette and Elvis Costello.
"I didn't know ANY singer-songwriters when I first came to New York, but I met a ton of successful ones in New York once I got established there," Canty explained, adding "which I'm sure, ultimately, had a lot to do with me later on pursuing music full-time
"It was very much a soup-to-nuts operation," Canty said, explaining about her very hands-on training during the three-plus years she worked for Artists Den in New York. "I learned pretty much everything there is to know about putting on a live show -- from renting a space somewhere for a concert, to all the publicity stuff, to the bookings, audio & video recording, photo shoots, you name it. We even had a concert in a CATHEDRAL once!!"
However, as rewarding on some level as regularly helping other musicians shine was for her (via the Artists Den productions), Canty longed for the chance to shine on her own. And when she did finally decide to make that "giant leap" into becoming a full-time musician, her parents (who, by the way, still live in the very same house in Proctor, Vermont that Caitlin was born in more than 30 years ago), could not have been more supportive or more excited for her.
"I remember when I told my mom about making this somewhat scary transition from being a well-paid business-type professional into a somewhat Bohemian, not-so-well-paid full-time musician, and the very first thing she said to me was: 'Caitlin, I've been waiting for five years for you to tell me this'".
And Canty readily acknowledges that her initial forays into the world of being a full-time musician were not always the easiest -- sometimes performing at rowdy bars or crowded coffee houses where people's attention was sometimes anywhere but on her.
"In New York, it's always a struggle to get people's attention -- and keep it once you do -- which I think is one of the many reasons why I love places like Idaho so much, because people REALLY DO seem to want to pay attention when you're performing".
Indeed, for anyone who remembers how crowded that concert at Sego was back in 2010, it was nothing short of remarkable to see all those people suddenly in such rapt attention once Canty and the other performers that night began playing there.
"That was such an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING night for all of us there at Sego, and that experience definitely had a lot to do with me wanting to perform here again".
Canty, who bears more than a passing resemblance to actress Kristen Stewart and who has several albums to her credit already (her fourth one, "Golden Hour" is set to be released on October 2) -- her unceasingly mellifluous voice immediately conjures up images of similarly-soulful singers such as Patty Griffin, Fiona Apple, Ani diFranco, Gillian Welch, and even England's Kate Rusby -- has performed alongside and/or opened for a number of similarly-talented and -tenacious musicians in their own right over the years, including Dar Williams, John Hammond, Duncan Sheik, David Poe, Rachel Loshak, Hans Holzen, The Avett Brothers, Kyle Kegerreis, Jefferson Hamer and Rachel Ries.
Besides Darlingside, Canty often finds herself eagerly listening to Jeffrey Foucault, Rose Cousins, Ana Egge, Tom Petty ("easily one of theeeee MOST inspiring and exciting songwriters around!!"), and Patty Griffin -- and, of course, Molly Venter, too.
"I've learned soooo much over the years not only WORKING with other musicians, but also LISTENING to them as well," Canty explained, adding that, while her first love will always be live shows, she does genuinely enjoy and appreciate the process by which an album is made.
"I never really thought of songs as being FINAL until I started recording my albums. I'm used to singing live and getting instant feedback from audiences. But there IS something undeniably exciting and rewarding about corralling your songs, going into a rabbit hole of technical stuff, and then all of a sudden you have this ALBUM ... it's a pretty cool and amazing experience for an artist."
When asked about her often very busy touring schedule -- which, for the most part, generally takes place in any given year in the East and Northeast part of the country -- Canty quickly admitted that she isn't exactly about to let any moss gather under her feet anytime soon.
"There's always this inner debate going on inside me about staying put and 'growing a garden'/putting down roots, vs. needing -- and wanting -- to tour, but for NOW, anyway, I still prefer to drift".
One of Canty's songs ("Forget") talks about stability, and when she was asked if she's finding it now, Canty reflected upon all the adventures she's enjoyed already as a very accomplished musician, as well as all the ones she's clearly relishing in the future.
"When you're the only driver, you tend to look at what you WANT to do, and also what you HAVE to do, which for me right now means being on the road A LOT," she said, before quickly adding: "But I absolutely love it. And Cliff (her fiance) has been incredibly supportive of me and my music the entire way ... just an amazing, amazing man."
Speaking of the often "very hands-on" approach she takes with the music she performs both on-stage and also in her albums (all of which are either ones she wrote herself, or else tracks she co-wrote with her "Down Like Silver" collaborator, Peter Bradley Adams), Canty was eager to boast that she recently designed the t-shirts for her upcoming "Golden Hour" album tour (which kicks off in September, back on the East Coast), and also that she did the lovingly-detailed block-printing work on the (2010) "Neon Streets" album, the one that Cara Sutherland did the beautiful illustrations for.
"Marketing is really key, because if YOU don't, NO ONE ELSE will", Canty said flatly.
Canty, who's something of self-confessed "jock" (basketball, soccer, baseball, field hockey) -- another trait she shares with Molly Venter -- said that she is always "instantly elated" about the prospect of performing music live once again somewhere, and also that being able to perform her 2011 song, "Idaho" (the one she co-wrote with Peter Bradley Adams), for the very first time in the STATE of Idaho recently (at the Ketchum Arts Festival) was "nothing short of a dream come true for me".
"I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to be back here, and I REALLY hope that sense of wonder and gratitude comes across in my music while I'm here", Canty said, before adding: "I'm definitely scraping by, financially, right now -- but CREATIVELY, I think I'm maybe the richest I've ever been so far...."
Caitlin Canty will be performing today (Thursday, July 19) at the Hailey Farmers Market (at 4:30 p.m., and possibly other "fill-in"/"break" spots, until the market closes at 6 p.m.); at the Ketchum Farmers Market ( http://www.wrfarmersmarket.org ) on Tues. July 24 (2-6 p.m.); at Ketchum's The Sawtooth Club ( http://www.SawtoothClub.com /726-5233/ 231 N. Main St.) tomorrow (Saturday) night, July 21, from approximately 9:30 p.m.-Midnight; Redfish Lodge on Sunday, July 29th (at 4 p.m., opening for Ravenna Colt); Thurs. Aug. 2, at approximately 5:30 or so, alongside the Jam Nation band that local artist and musician Will Caldwell ( http://www.WillCaldwell.com ) recently formed, during the 6-8 p.m. "Ketchum Town Square Concert" across from Giacobbi Square; and then again back up at Redfish Lodge on Sunday, Aug. 5th (at 5 p.m., opening for Carrie Rodriguez).
Check Canty's Facebook page for further last-minute bookings here:
http://www.Facebook.com/events/445186312169190/
In addition to Canty's http://www.CaitlinCanty.com website, there are a number of superb song performances of hers posted on http://www.YouTube.com
And if you sign up at http://caitlincanty.fanbridge.com you'll receive a free downloadable song from her.
Previous albums of hers are available from her website, and also from http://www.reverbnation.com and http://www.CDBaby.com
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THE REVIEW:
It seems more than a little fitting to me that, with the Northern Rockies Folk Festival ( http://NorthernRockiesFolkFestival.com ) just a couple of weeks away (on Aug. 3 & 4), Caitlin Canty is back visiting the Wood River Valley once again, because, honestly, I think she ranks right up there with any of the stellar Festival performers who've graced those Hop Porter Park stages over the many years the Festival has been running for.
Certainly, for anyone such as myself -- who's been openly and regularly lamenting the absence here in the Valley of powerhouse phenom singer-songwriters such as Sheryll Mae Grace (who now lives in Portland, OR), Lisa Simpson (who now lives in Boise, and tours with Finn Riggins), Molly Venter (who now lives in Austin, and is one-third of the extremely successful Red Molly trio), and Lisa Wade-Port (formerly of FourStroke Bus, who now lives just outside of Atlanta, with her husband, Wade Port) -- having in our midst an undeniably soulful, unceasingly passionate and unflinchingly honest musician like Caitlin Canty amounts to something of an early Christmas present for me.
Longgg before I even learned for the first time (last week, as a matter of fact) that Caitlin Canty had not only attended the very same college that Molly Venter did, but also had shared the very same deeply-committed music teacher as well (Bernice Lewis), I was regularly mentioning Canty in the same breath as Venter ... someone whose genuinely-beautiful music (like Molly's) you literally want to run up to people you don't even know and introduce them to it asap.
Canty even made the sun shine recently, at the Ketchum Arts Festival !!
It had been miserably hot and humid all morning long and then into the afternoon on Saturday when Canty first took the stage around 1:15 p.m. or so -- but no sooner did she begin to sing her very first song ("Thorn"), than the clouds at that point literally parted for her ... and they remained that way during her entire half-hour set that day (and even continued to stay out for Michael White & Cindra Walbert, who followed right after Canty's set was over -- two more extremely-talented and soulful musicians whose music I'll likewise be very happily and eagerly writing about some time soon for SVO).
(Profuse thanks, by the way, to local musician and longtime Valley resident Chip Booth, who once again booked all of the terrific and eclectic music that took place during the Arts Festival recently.)
Much like Molly Venter, Caitlin Canty is a storyteller, first and foremost, and whether you're listening to "Vermont" or "Idaho" or "Thin Moon" or "Budding" or "Still Here" or "Poor Me" or "Walls Fall Down" or "Wolves" or "Two Hands" or a myriad of other songs she's either written solely, or else ones that she has seamlessly co-written (with Peter Bradley Adams), the one radiant take-away that I think pretty much ANYONE who spends ANY amount of time listening to Canty's songs will undoubtedly experience is that this determined, young woman is definitely a musician who isn't merely interested in just SINGING a song; she wants to LIVE it.
And she wants YOU to live it as well -- even if it means occasionally finding yourself hopelessly and uncontrollably crying in front of people you don't even know (which happened to me recently, while I was re-watching some of Canty's many first-rate YouTube videos, at the Ketchum Library last week!! (LOL).
It's been wayyyyy too long since either a singer or their song lyrics figuratively (and even literally, in some cases) took my breath away.
But Caitlin Canty's definitely have...
And judging from some of the noticeably-tearful reactions she conjured up recently at the Ketchum Arts Festival (her very first live performance in the Wood River Valley since her Sept. 2010 standing room-only concert at Ketchum's now-shuddered Sego restaurant), I'm far from being the "only" one who's happily experiencing THAT level of "emo"/emotion when they hear (and feel) Canty sing.
Andrew Sutherland (of the group Running Double) said this last year of Canty's music: "Seeing Caitlin play live is always an intimate experience.... Her voice and lyrics quietly demand to be listened to".
Canty's the Real Deal, people; "lightning" REALLY HAS struck twice... :)
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Questions or comments regarding this (local music scene-oriented) "Harmonic Convergence" music column can be sent to John, at: lovesbiking2001@yahoo.com. And to read any of John's previous 'HC" columns -- which include raves on local faves Paul Tillotson, Bruce Innes, Toast, Sheryll Mae Grace, Josiah and Molly Venter, Gayle Chapman, All-Nite Diner, Jeff Rew, and FOX's award-winning musical-comedy series, "Glee" -- simply type "John Pluntze" and/or "Harmonic Convergence" into the SVO search engine here.
