Kate McDonnell, singer-songwriter, plays her guitar upside down and backward (UDB) and sings with her whole being. She has performed solo at the Newport Folk Festival, on the Mountain Stage radio show, on WXPN’s World Café, and at the Kennedy Center. Her award-winning songwriting has been singled out for praise by the Village Voice, Sing Out!, the Boston Globe and Dirty Linen. Kate has two CDs on Waterbug Records, and one each on Appleseed Recordings and Brambus Records, and her fifth and sixth albums were self-produced on her label Dog-Eared Discs.
Kate took a 15-year break, starting in 2006, to earn her master’s degree at Smith College in child therapy and worked as a school therapist for children in special education programs. But since the muse never stops haunting the artist, Kate decided to go back into the studio to record her fifth CD, Ballad of a Bad Girl which was recorded as a trio with luminaries Jerry Marotta and Tony Levin, an album which rose to #5 upon its release and #16 for the year of 2021 on the Folk DJ charts. Kate teamed up again with her songwriting partner Anne Lindley to present a fresh batch of soulful, fierce, and engaging new songs on her sixth album Trapeze, released in September of 2024, which also jumped to #5 upon its release.
In performances, Kate has teams up with Jimi W., an accomplished singer-songwriter and guitarist and producer (Trapeze) when he's available. Together, their harmonies and Jimi's tasteful guitar fills make for a dynamic and fun performance. Kate likes to feature a few of Jimi's fabulous songs at her full-length shows, as well.
