Biog
Katey Brooks is a rising star of British acoustic music. Singing “splendidly sad-eyed modern spirituals” (Venue magazine) in a rich, deep voice lilting effortlessly across the scale, INDY Music Award finalist Brooks is “on the road to becoming a phenomenon” (Trevor Raggatt, Wears the Trousers magazine).
Katey recently released her debut album 'Proof Of Life' from her own label True Speaker Records. In April 2010 'Proof Of Life' reached 1 in the Amazon Folk Chart, as well as being chosen as 'Album of the Week' on BBC Bristol Introducing. The album has also received an overwhelming amount of critical acclaim nationwide:
"Already on my shortlist for album of the year." Shakenstir Magazine
"It's lie-down-in-a-darkened-room-to-drink-it-all-in good." Venue Magazine
“Katey’s rich, sonorous voice is strongly reminiscent of the great June Tabor, and her material is similarly wide ranging...yes, it’s that good...Definitely a name to watch.” Choice Magazine
“She is a little like John Martyn – the same hypnotic, lamenting tones...” Manchester Evening News
Brooks has played alongside and worked with the likes of US No.1 Grammy Award nominees Cutting Crew, Beth Rowley, and Patrick Duff (Strangelove), as well as supporting many notable acts including Newton Faulkner, Mercury Award nominee Lou Rhodes (Lamb), The Christians, American singer-songwriter Joe Purdy, and folk hero Martin Simpson, and of course, the legend that is Carlene Carter. She has also had the blessing of working with the great Graham Smith (Van Der Graaf Generator, String Driven Thing), who has played live with Katey on many occasions, and features heavily on her second EP ‘True Speaker’, as well as her debut album.
Over the past year Katey has become increasingly involved in music for charity projects, and in September 2009, had the privilege of shooting a music video, and recording vocals at Abbey Road, for the BBC Radio 2 Children in Need single 'All You Need Is Love', and ‘Favourite Things’, as part of the CIN album ‘Bandaged Together’. Katey has exclaimed this was a “...surreal and memorable day...” recording alongside Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones) and Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) among others.
Katey also features on this year’s release of ‘Beautiful Star: The Songs of Odetta’; a tribute to the late Odetta Holmes, with all profits going to The Fawcett Society (http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk) and The Women’s Resource Centre (http://www.wrc.org.uk) The album features songs from independent artists such as Marissa Nadler, Anais Mitchell, and Ane Brun, and will be released in both the UK and Europe, and the US. To find out more and to order your copy, click on the link above, or go to http://www.wearsthetrouser.com
As well as her growing UK fan-base, Katey has been garnering praise in Europe, and recently joint headlined a tour of Holland and Germany; which saw her record a couple of tracks for Center TV in Bremen, and Balcony TV Hamburg (video of this below). Brooks also recently headlined the Bordeaux River Festival, in front of an audience of several thousands.
Katey has played countless sessions on BBC Radio and other regional radio stations, and has had airplay on BBC 6 Music Tom Robinson Introducing, and on BBC Radio 1’s much coveted Jo Whiley show. Not long ago Katey played a session for online radio station Pulse Rated; which went out to a million listeners worldwide. This exposure lead to two of Katey's tracks 'True Speaker' and 'Hunger' reaching the 1 spot in their chart in the the months that followed.
At the moment Katey is enjoying touring the album in the UK, and will be going back out to Germany later this year for more shows. Not only that but she will be making 2 music videos in the autumn....WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE!!
*If you'd like to keep up to date with Katey's gig and news, you can join her mailing list. A option to do so is on the righthand side of the home page.