Kathy Zimmer profile picture

Kathy Zimmer

Are you the gatekeeper? Spare Key, available now!

About Me

BIO for KATHY ZIMMERRaised in a rural Nebraska town with an entire population of 160 people, Kathy Zimmer grew up singing folk music with a musical family. She learned guitar at an early age and accompanied herself as she sang for church services and various small town gigs, including rodeos, parades and county fairs. Determined to travel the length of Nebraska State Highway 2 in order to experience the rest of the world, Kathy Zimmer’s winding road of musical explorations eventually led her to classical music. With that layer of influence she now creates music she calls “cosmopolitan folk”—music that is sophisticated yet naïve, polished yet quirky. “Cosmopolitan folk” ends up sounding reminiscent of the days when female singer/songwriters were at the height of their creative powers (think 1970s folk-pop warblers Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Laura Nyro.)Kathy Zimmer is astonished to wake up every morning and find herself now a resident of New York City. She performs often with her two backup singers, the Sugar Bowls, and her band, the Sunshine Banned. She has independently released three albums, all to critical acclaim--Under Your Spell, dreamin’ and Spare Key (produced by Julian Velard). She is a featured artist on www.jeffbuckley.com.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 1/1/2005
Band Website: kathyzimmermusic.com
Band Members: Kathy Zimmer, vocals, guitar; Sarah Ogden, backup vocals; Chris Tarry, bass; Jessica Tivens, backup vocals; Brian Wolfe, drums. guests: Lisa Bianco, flute; Timothy Dark, rrrap
Influences: The Beach Boys, The Bangels, Simon & Garfunkel, Bright Eyes, the Mamas & the Papas, Merle Haggard, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Kate Bush, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Loretta Lynn, Lucinda Williams, Julian Velard, Queen, Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service, Aretha Franklin, Floyd Cramer, John Prine, e.e. cummings, Ogden Nash, Dylan Thomas, Janis Joplin, Davie Bowie, Phoebe Snow, Elly Ameling, Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, Margaret Price, Richard Strauss, Hugo Wolf, Carlisle Floyd, John Jacob Niles, Eminem, Regina Spektor, Beastie Boys, Tim Buckley, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, John Duke, Stephen Foster, Harry Nilsson, Laura Nyro, Nico, Glen Campbell, Crowded House, Prince, Eddy Arnold, The Cars, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Petula Clark, Linda Ronstadt, Sufjan Stevens, Carole King, Radiohead and... all right all right, THE BEATLES!! there, I admit it. And Sam Cooke, Judee Sill, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.Book me for a house concert in your home!
Sounds Like: Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Kate Bush, Rilo Kiley, Feist, Keren Ann, Linda Perhacs, KT Tunstall, Maria Taylor, Martha Wainwright, Joanna Newsom, Laura Nyro, Carole King, Cat Power, A Fine Frenzy, My Brightest Diamond ... whatev, I sound like me.
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None

My Blog

he aint heavy

I sometimes shy away from talking too much about my family or making music with my family, because it's one of those pure places for me, it's a topic that I'd prefer to not hold up to public...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:55:00 PST

Dolly

all right.  Well, since I made such a big deal awhile back about going to see the Police, I think I'd be pretty remiss if I didn't mention that I went to see Dolly Parton at Radio City this ...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Mon, 05 May 2008 01:30:00 PST

today is April 10th of the year 2008

In a rehearsal held a bit earlier today (for our show on 4/15), my sweet band pointed out that today is April 10... three years from the date given in the opening line of my song "In the Par...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:06:00 PST

the urge for going

It's 12:11 a.m. as I start writing this blog, and I really should be doing lesson plans for my music students tomorrow.  As it is, though, my kitchen window is open and a spring (yet still brisk)...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:36:00 PST

in appreciation of my band

When both of my backup singers showed up in spite of having almost voice-debilitating head colds at last Saturday's band gig at the Bowery Poetry Club, it occurred to me that ...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 07:19:00 PST

obscuresound.com review

Kathy Zimmer Uses a Spare Key Posted on Monday 26 November 2007 The transition from serene rurality to urban skyscrapers can be quite traumatic, especially in regard to first-time visitors of New Y...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:23:00 PST

questions

I was contacted by this magazine in Zurich called Fingermag, and asked to contribute to their next issue.  Apparently the magazine is all lists, with artists answering questions in list form...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:06:00 PST

under arrest, happily

Hi my friends!  It's been awhile.  :)  First I should say, thanks so much to those who came out to the CD release and also to those who have bought CDs or downloaded tracks, I appr...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:57:00 PST

loca-promotion

So, the release show for Spare Key is this coming Thursday, Sept. 27.  I have been, and still am, deeply in the trenches of promoting it, the CD and the show--which, for me, is the hardest thing ...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:34:00 PST

BUY THIS MUSIC NOW! yippee skippee

here it is.  :)  feel free to wear it out.  and forward it too!  digital download link:  Apple iTunes,  http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum? playL...
Posted by Kathy Zimmer on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:46:00 PST