‘Gondolier' finds songwriter Kristin Andreassen juxtaposing deep traditional roots with modern Brooklyn indie influences. Featuring guests (Aoife O'Donovan, Jefferson Hamer and Punch Brother Chris Eldridge to name a few) from the exploding New York folk scene, but written largely on a remote island in New Hampshire, the lyrically and instrumentally rich arrangements on Andreassen’s first studio album explore secret passageways connecting the outer edges of disparate notions – urban and rural, childhood and old age, expectation and reality.
Before embarking on her solo journey, Andreassen toured the world with the stringband Uncle Earl, with her folk-noir trio Sometymes Why, and as a clogger with Maryland's Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble. Along the way, she's performed and recorded alongside such maverick talents as John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Dirk Powell (Joan Baez, Cold Mountain), Sufjan Stevens, Aoife O'Donovan, Black Prairie and New York anti-folk icon Jeffrey Lewis. Her debut CD 'Kiss Me Hello' was a collection of kitchen recordings that made fast friends with those who stumbled upon it, including Garrison Keillor of NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion. That album kicks off with the John Lennon Song Contest Grand Prize-winning "Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes," which has been covered by dozens of diverse artists ranging from Tyne Daly to more than one high school marching band.
Praise for Gondolier...
“Elegantly understated acoustic pop... as catchy as anything out there.”
The Raleigh News & Observer
"A fantastic collection of ethereal folk tunes, jangly Americana and indie-heavy pop."
The Bluegrass Situation
“(Gondolier) finds the artist at her most beautiful and intricate, showcasing her immense understanding of how a folk song should sound and be arranged.”
Diffuser
"Her knack for drawing deep (and sometimes dark) meaning out of seemingly sweet lyrics is uncanny."
Aoife O'Donovan
"At once familiar and completely original. Her melodies seem to flow from a primeval stream."
Dawn Landes
