Lovely Oklahoma Songbirds

September 2015

Tonya Little

Oklahoma City- Here in the metro area we are fortunate to have a wide variety and array of amazingly talented women in the local music scene. The ladies featured here are just a handful of what the Metro area has to offer. These ladies are talented enough to stand on their own, but also make for great combinations when they get together. In fact a few of these ladies play together in what is known at The Tequila Songbirds, comprised of a revolving set of characters that has included at one time or another; Samantha Crain, Ali Harter, Kierston White, Elizabeth Forsythe and Camille Harp.

     Camille Harp grew up in a musical family and started playing and writing songs at a young age. She has had plenty of time to hone and perfect her songwriting abilities and these talents and efforts shine through each and every time she is on stage. Her soulful voice and talented guitar picking keep you coming back for more. She’s a little bit of folk, a little bit of rock and a little bit of country all wrapped up in one gorgeous package. She has three albums available, an EP ‘Like The Rain’ 2005, ‘Camille Harp’ 2008, and ‘Little Bit of Light’ 2012.  You can purchase her albums, as well as find out more information about Camille on her website at http://www.camilleharp.com/home.php. You can also find her just about every Thursday playing alongside Kierston White at the Deli in Norman.

     Kierston White is a Norman based musician who has some sassy and sultry stylings. Kierston knows her stuff on guitar and belts out tunes with an interesting mixture of attitude and grace. Watching her on stage where she looks so comfortable and at ease, I have no doubts that she’s doing what she was born to do. Kierston put out her first album, ‘Don’t Write Love Songs’ last year (Produced by Samantha Crain) with the help of a kickstarter. The album is just a sampling of the great things that will come out of this woman in her career, and I look forward to seeing what’s next for her. Kierston is a regular player at the Deli in Norman but can be caught playing in various places around the metro, as well as in surrounding states.

     Ali Harter is a well known Oklahoma City musician who has put her mark on this city, as well as around the world. She is a firecracker with a smoky voice that blows you away. Her music tends to lean more towards the country side of things, but she has a bit of Americana and soul mixed in there too. Ali generally plays with a variety of other local musicians and her shows tend to feel more like a family reunion rather than anything else, it’s laid back and fun with a little bit of mischief mixed in. Ali comes off as a bit of a rebel, she exudes a tough exterior but you can also tell underneath all of it that she has a heart of gold. Ali has two albums out, ‘Worry the Bone’ 2007 and ‘No Bees No Honey’ 2010. Two of Ali’s songs from ‘Worry the Bone’ were featured on the ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy. You can catch Ali playing all around the Oklahoma area.  

     Samantha Crain hails from Shawnee Oklahoma, and is signed with Ramseur Records here in North America and Full Time Hobby Records in the UK. She just recently got back from a tour in Europe. Samantha actually started writing stories in her youth, and then transitioned to putting her stories into songs. She has a lengthy discography; ‘The Confiscation EP: A Musical Novella’ 2007, ‘Songs in the Night’ 2009, ‘You (understood)’ 2010, ‘A Simple Jungle’ 2012, ‘Kid Face’ 2013, and ‘Under Branch & Thorn & Tree’ 2015. Samantha has carved out a great musical career already and there are no doubts that she will continue to reach new heights along the way in the future. You can find out more about her on www.samanthacrain.com.

     Kaitlin Butts is a relatively new musician on the scene, especially compared to the many years the previous women mentioned have put in, but you definitely want to pay attention to Miss Butts. She’s sassy and confident, and comes off as wise beyond her years. Kaitlin’s country crooning reminds you of the good old honky tonk days when country was pure, and she belts it out like the best of them. Her debut album, ‘Same Hell Different Devil”, which came out this year, delivers a great combination of not only love songs but songs mixed with jealousy, revenge, whiskey and heartbreak all rolled into one great album. Kaitlin can be found playing shows all around Oklahoma as well as surrounding states. Visit her website at www.kaitlinbutts.com.

      Annie Oakley are also a relatively new group of gals to the scene. The group is comprised of sisters Sophia and Grace Babb and Nia Personette. The young ladies, still in high school, play all around the Oklahoma area. Their music is a mix of folk, indie, bluegrass and country. They have a full list of upcoming shows, including a sold out Blue Door show this month on the 25th for the release of their new album ‘Thought of You a God’. They were able to make the album with the help of a successful kickstarter campaign. The ladies also have their debut EP ‘Annie Oakley” which came out at the end of 2013. You can find out more about them at www.annieoakleymusic.com.

     Oklahoma City definitely has some gems when it comes to homegrown songbirds. Make sure you check these ladies out and make plans to go to see a show. Support your local live music. Without fans and supporters they can’t continue to do their thing.