Katie Barbato
“I had many personal emotional falls and one actual physical fall that inspired the songs on this album. The songs are about getting back up again and choosing to follow the light after the fall instead of the darkness.” –Katie Barbato
"It’s a work of beauty all around, evocative of just the sort of reflective songwriting and artistry that we could never get enough from out of those like Barbato." -For Folk's Sake
“The peace-loving Philly native has an innate knack for soaring major/ minor key transitions, imbued with timely, sweet-spot lyrics and supported with rich, cinematic accompaniment. Comparisons to Neko Case and Gillian Welch are perhaps a little too obvious here, as Katie seems to carve out her own niche as a folk rock formalist who creates from a deep well of experience.” -The Vinyl District
Barbato brings great talent and a generous heart to bear on her new record, The Art of Falling (The Giving Groove, release date September 21, 2018). Musically, The Art of Falling is by no means dark, however. The production by Barbato and multi-instrumentalist Brett Kull (Grey Eye Glances, Echolyn) feels warm, hopeful and openhearted, brightened by Barbato’s delicate guitar work and sweet, expressive voice, as a singer and as a writer.
Also lending their talents on The Art of Falling are Grammy-winning drummer Jim Hines (Brian Wilson, David Bromberg) and the players Barbato calls her “longtime musical companions,” keyboardist Mike Lawson, vocalist Rebecca Rankin, and guitarist Matt Teacher.
“So, on this album, it was my music family plus Brett bringing his vision as a producer and musician,” Barbato says. Following the Giving Groove model Barbato chose Rock to the Future, a nonprofit organization that provides free music education to Philadelphia’s underserved youth, as the beneficiary of 50% of the album’s profit. Rock to the Future.
In addition to releasing her own music, Barbato composes music for TV and film, such as the theme she wrote for the movie Sugar, starring Shenae Grimes and Marshall Allman.
Katie’s unique angelic voice and soulful songwriting garnered the attention of Grammy award winning producer Obie O’Brien. Along with engineer Matt Teacher, they teamed up to record her full-length album at Blackbird Studios and The Sound Emporium in Nashville. Her solo album “Times Have Changed” features 9 original songs and a cover of the Irma Thomas single “Times Have Changed”.
Barbato is also a two-time finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. She has performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and she is a regularly featured artist on WXPN, the University of Pennsylvania’s public radio station.
