Kristen Graves is a folk/pop singer & songwriter with a voice that commands attention, lyrics that catch your heart, and melodies that stay with the listener long after the evening ends. Kristen’s songs have a coziness to them like a well-worn winter blanket, but don’t underestimate her; she can pack a serious emotional punch at a moment’s notice. Picture an energetic Sarah McLachlan, or Tracy Chapman with a pop edge, and you’ve found Kristen Graves.
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Kristen has been writing and performing her own songs since 2000. As an acoustic singer & songwriter she has toured nationally since 2002. She has written and recorded four full-length albums, 1 3-song EP, and a Christmas Album, and has independently sold thousands of copies of her CDs. Kristen will release her second EP – a 5-song project in June, 2012.
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Originally from the Midwest, Kristen began Classical piano lessons at age 6, studying and developing her talent until she began to write her own music at 18. Picking up the guitar during college, Kristen wrote, recorded and produced two albums, launching a solo career by the time she graduated in 2004. At the same time, Kristen began volunteering and traveling to an orphanage in Oaxaca, Mexico where she met fellow volunteer, Bryan Nurnberger. Soon after, Bryan founded Simply Smiles, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing bright futures for impoverished children. The couple has been working together combining arts and philanthropy ever since.
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Kristen has booked, promoted and put on four national tours, works often with well-known NYC producer, Chris Cubeta, and has shared the stage with folk artists such as Brenda Weiler, Eli, and Dan Bern. Though Kristen’s personality comes through in her songwriting and recordings, you need to hear her live to truly get to know her. Embarking on her fifth national summer tour in June, this year’s tour includes a month-long stop in LaPlant, South Dakota to teach a guitar camp to her Lakota friends on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. The sales from her Christmas CD (released November, 2011) are funding the camp.