Kim Monroe

Kim MonroeNew Reality"I grew up in a very small town, where I knew everyone and everyone knew me", says singer-songwriter Kim Monroe. "Leaving home and going to college was a real eye-opener. Before then, I'd never seen a homeless person, I'd never seen a pregnant teenager I'd never seen a lot of things. I was so naive about the struggles people face, how desperately they need help. Thats where the song "New Reality" came from".--I do not know what all this means/ Or who'd commission such a scheme/ The world revolves around the only thing/ That ultimately leads to nothing.-- Monroe's evolving perspective asserts itself throughout her rootsy new album, also called New Reality, in reflections on loss, intolerance and social injustice. Meanwhile, songs like The Cheating Game, Where Were You and affecting renditions of Marvin Gayes "Aint That Peculiar" and Bill Withers "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" suggest that mans inhumanity to man begins at home, with the everyday betrayals we inflict upon those we profess to love."The songs on this album are more dynamic because I'm more focused on my musical direction", she says, revealing that although her material often starts out in a folk vein - the organic expression of a girl and her guitar - it usually progresses into the soul/R&B/blues territory that best captures her feelings and most effectively showcases her stirring vocals. She cites the work of acoustic-soul performers like India.Arie and Amos Lee as current favorites, and New Reality maintains a consistently earthy appeal."Lucky People", a highlight of New Reality that demonstrates Kim's love of gospel music, alludes to a young man she met in the gospel choir. She sings:-- Got kicked out of his home for being gay/ No society that I have known who punish the straight/ Lets show some compassion/ Dont turn away.--"I compete with myself to be as good as I can be. I want every show to be better than the last. I want to be a truly great performer". To that end, Monroe and her band, guitarist Matt Sears, Keyboardist Will Tobin, bassist Matt Hampson and drummer Liz Strodel are gigging steadily, and she looks forward to extensive touring."In a small town like the one where I grew up, people have certain conceptions about other people, she states. You're not exposed to a lot of other ideas. You dont see how other people live, which makes it easy to close your eyes to problems like poverty and racism. In the past couple of years, I've met so many people from so many different backgrounds. I'm just beginning to understand what our responsibilities are to each other and how we can overcome our differences. I'm sure I'll be figuring that out for the rest of my life, and I plan to keep sharing what I've learned through my music".You can purchase "New Reality" at http://cdbaby.com/cd/kimmonroe3