Kaitlin McGaw - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Kaitlin McGaw grew up in Boston and graduated with honors from Harvard University before moving to San Francisco. Like fellow Harvard grads Bonnie Raitt, Rivers Cuomo, and Yo-Yo Ma Kaitlin left the academic realm to pursue music (though recently someone called her a "genius" behind her back). From the young age of four, Kaitlin was always jumping on stage to perform, joining childrenâ€™s music performers RosenShontz onstage (uninvited) to sing and dance with them at the first live show she attended. She was on stage throughout her childhood, only slowing down while at Harvard where she studied African-American Studies, followed by literary research in post-apartheid South Africa. The spark of the love of music and performance was reignited upon her relocation to San Francisco, where she starred in cutting-edge theatrical productions before venturing off on her own to pursue songwriting and vocal performance.
Kaitlin is known by audiences for the power behind her voice. Much like San Francisco icon Janis Joplin, Kaitlin can draw in listeners from the first few notes, with the sultry soul and heart she puts into the delivery of the story of the song. Currently she is performing in every style from hard rock to hip hop, children's music to lounge music, for audiences of all ages. Most recently she performed upstairs at the Fillmore for the Smashing Pumpkins residency. She combines a vast and edgy vocal range with hip-hop rhythms and blues. She has trained with Raz Kennedy (Metallica, Counting Crows), Dwayne Calizo (Experimental Performance Institute), and Bonnie Hayes (Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray). San Francisco should keep their ears out for this one; a true â€œSan Francisco Treasure.â€
Something for everyone: Kaitlin shares her haunting original songs with band The Simple Things . She fronts the rockinâ€™ cover band Suite Love Express , and enchants with the punk/lounge tribute duo, Reubenesque . Kaitlin wrote/produced Alphabet Rockers , childrenâ€™s music that people will be turning up loud and proud this fall.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/18/2005
Band Website: kaitlinmcgaw.com
Band Members: At times... Dawn Richardson, Ray Ruiz, Mike Gallant, Reuben Rye and my KORG Triton
Influences: Annie Lennox, Aretha Franklin, Meshell Ndegeocello, Carole King, Mary J. Blige, Rickie Lee Jones, Cris Williamson, The Pixies, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Tribe Called Quest, CSNY, Erykah Badu, Amy Ray, Missy Elliot, Heart, Nas, De La Soul, Stevie Nicks, Luscious Jackson, Sade, Lauryn Hill, Sting, and... my childhood teachers Alfa Radford, Sarah Houk, Jan Bennett, Joe Cabral.

Sounds Like:

Type of Label: None

My Blog

Hyde Street Recording with The Simple Things

A'ight... so this was a few weeks back, but it's time to post pix. Studio A love the logo right there to inspire ya Labor Day weekend, Ray, Mike, and I went into Hyde Street Studio A with ...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:39:00 PST

Mustaches & Pumpkins

Last night had the experience of performing in the historic Fillmore. If you have tickets to the Smashing Pumpkins while they are here in San Francisco, it's definitely going to be worth it. For fans ...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:51:00 PST

Video shoot of "It's Still Light Out" & Writing "Watch You Go"

Sunday morning I got an early start and went and picked up Ray for our first video shoot for The Simple Things. We chose to do "It's Still Light Out," which is still one of our favorite songs. Filmmak...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 01:08:00 PST

Trampoline Stages & Documentary Filmin

It was one of those marathon weekends... where literally the entire weekend from 6 p.m. Friday through midnight Sunday is spent preparing for, travelling to, and rockin' a show. I spent Satu...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:48:00 PST

Sunday Morning Coming Down...

The Simple Things performed at the songwriters in the round known as "Music That Cooks" on Friday night. Before going into it, all I knew about the series was that it was held on a monthly basis at a ...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Sun, 22 Jul 2007 09:59:00 PST

The Simple Things Photos from Hotel Utah

My lovely friend Jason Wyman took all these great shots of me and The Simple Things at The Hotel Utah in February... and so now I'm sharing them with you, three months later. http://www.flickr.com/gp...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:39:00 PST

Singing with The Simple Things at the Utah

Last night was such a gift. I sang with The Simple Things at Hotel Utah on this killer bill of bands, each from their own world. We had Sacramento's Mother's Little Helper rocking it hard (which you g...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Sat, 24 Feb 2007 10:31:00 PST

Learning to Listen

Funny thing about being a singer and a producer, I am always using my voice. You can listen when you sing but it's a sonic boom of instruments and interior monitors. Like on Friday night I'm on t...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:17:00 PST

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

"While Kaitlin McGaw may have looked like a rockstar at her August 2006 Showcase, she far surpassed any expectations of her standing-room only audience. Her voice was like a wave of emotions, tes...
Posted by Kaitlin McGaw on Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:20:00 PST