Kara Grainger’s sultry, mesmerizing vocals and fiery approach to blues and slide guitar has caught the attention of many well-respected artists. She’s opened shows for Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Taj Mahal, Marc Cohen and Eric Johnson to name a few. This Australian singer songwriter and guitarist may evoke comparisons to Bonnie Raitt, but she bears a style all her own, a relentlessly seductive, distinctly modern take on roots rock, blues and americana. Kara Grainger and her band will perform at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center on Friday, November 23 at 8pm. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Advance tickets are available online at www.wslr.org or by calling 1-800-838-3006.
At the age of 16, Kara joined her brother Mitch and formed the band “Papa Lips.” The band regularly toured the sunny east coast of Australia and achieved international radio play. In 2008, Kara signed to Australian label Craving Records and released her debut recording “Grand and Green River.” The record was co-produced in the US with David Kalish and remained in the top 30 of the Americana Charts for 38 straight weeks. The album was also named the best Folk album at the IAP awards.
After relocating to Los Angeles Grainger made two more albums. In 2011 the inspired “LA Blues” was recorded live at Studio City Sound. In 2013, Kara released “Shiver and Sigh” through the label ‘Eclecto Groove’. This album was produced by Grammy award winning producer David Z and featured some of LA’s finest musicians, including Mike Finnigan, Hutch Hutchinson, James Gadson and Kirk Fletcher.
In 2017 Kara headed to Wire Studios in Austin Texas to record “Living with your Ghost”. The album was co-produced by the incredibly talented Anders Osborne, who also lends his soulful guitar and vocals to the project. The band also consists of Ivan Neville on keys, The Texas horns, J.J. Johnson on drums and Dave Monsey on bass. The new album is a rich gumbo of different emotions and musical influences. There’s plenty of reflection on the past and a yearning for people that have come and gone. This is evident in the title track “Living With Your Ghost”, and the song “Nowhere to be Found”. “Working My Way Back Home” tells about the struggle of love and life on the road as a traveling musician, while songs like “Groove Train” and “You’re in New Orleans”, uplift you from the day to day grind, and just leave you feeling good.
Photo courtesy of Tony Byrd
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