Kate MacLeod Turns Life's Detours Into Song

A songwriter, composer, and neo-traditional Americana musician, Kate MacLeod seems to be a pro at turning lemons into musical lemonade. Not that taking care of her elderly mother is a “lemon,” but it did uproot Kate somewhat, as she left her home in Utah to return to her eastern roots in West Virginia. 

Kate grew up in the Washington, DC, area, where both of her parents worked in the sciences, but there was always music in the house. “My father’s side of the family was very musical,” she recalls. “Also, my mother sang a lot of old folk songs, and I was always enamored by them. We had a record player in our home with records by Burl Ives and other folk artists of the day.” Kate’s path to becoming a musician began with classical violin lessons at a very young age.

“As a teen, I was interested in all a violin could do. I loved fiddling and the freedom of expression it brought as opposed to purely technique.”  A bit conflicted, Kate studied violin making while deciding what to do. She also attended the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, where she made a lap dulcimer. 

That hands-on DIY spirit has carried through to her newest album, Home-Brewed, with her band, Mind the Gap, to be released on August 14. Kate wrote many of the songs on the album while living in the area. The album also includes covers by artists who have inspired the band members. They recorded the tracks at a home studio over the winter. “This album is inspired by the region and the conversations I’ve had with the people here,” she says. 

She met all the band members in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which is the lemonade part of the story. “When I moved to West Virginia, I needed to find work in the area.” She explains that as a songwriter, she loves to invite great musicians to have a format to express themselves. “So, I began booking concerts and asked these wonderful musicians to join me. Meeting the guys while helping my mom has been a surprise perk of living here.” 

Band members include Paul Hammerson on vocals and guitar, John Bryant, who is “a brilliant bass player,” and Matthew Metz on vocals and mandolin. “They are all such fine people, and they all sing beautiful harmony. John and I connected because he was a caregiver for his grandmother, so he understands where I am at this time.” 

Paul lives in a station-master’s house where he uses his skills as a master gardener to beautify his yard. “I wrote ‘Good Ol’ Virginia’ because I love the concept of digging in the soil,” says Kate. “I also love the generational concept of identity that comes from living on a piece of land.” 

The fiddle tune, “Old Charleston Pike,” was inspired by the old east-west highway here that runs near Kate’s mom’s land. “Before they replaced parts of it to move traffic faster, the road had a lot of curves. We did a video using the original demo version.”

“The Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia,” while not an original song by Kate, is one of the band’s favorites, and Paul’s choice for singing lead for a song on the album. “It’s a Utah Phillips song. I’m friends with his son, and I thought the song would work perfectly on this album.”  There are also some Kenny Baker fiddle tunes included. 

Don’t say we didn’t warn you. The Home Brewed album comes with a clear warning on the cover: “This music may be good for your health. Side effects may include dancing and singing along.” Release events for the album are planned for Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; Winchester, Virginia; and, Bluemont, Virginia. Be sure to check their website and Facebook page for more performance dates.