Katie Cruel is the latest incarnation of Kendall, ON based musican Kate Boothman Katie Cruel, named for the tradional folk song, has released one album, Lost Vagus, which was recorded with producer Mark Howard. She is set to open for alt-country stalwarts Wilco July 2 2024 at Massey Hall in Toronto. The album rides a a fine cocked horse line between cosmic cowboy and doom folk, a moody muse on the the infinite jest but with reverb, the songs spiral up into the brights of heavens and back down into the wells of time simultaneously.
“Katie Cruel is a centuries old folk song. I’d been fooling around with variations of my own name, Katie cruel popped into my head one day so I googled it and heard that song. The deed was done. I became Katie Cruel,” says Kate in an email exchange
In modern times Karen Dalton and most recently Irish traditional roots band Lankum have recorded the folk song. To me its seems the Katie Cruel, Lankum conjure in their version, has stepped out of their portrayal and into Kate Boothman.
Kate Boothman is Bowie-like in how she approaches her art, ready to try on personalities suggested by the music, actively peeling away the layers life adds as one ages to get to the core of herself as an artist and person. I met Kate first when she played a small fest I had organised at Darlington Park. She showed up with strawberries to share, and like a medieval court musical maiden swayed her way through the dining crowd, at the picnic tables, a capella with just her guitar and certain anglo-folksy stylings mixed with Ontario Black Grass, she was powerful and present and she made an indelible impression. Since then she has been in several projects; Sunbear, Lee & Billy Strange, and has two albums under her given name.
“Let’s not forget the band that started it all for me, Will, The Priscillas aka The Real Priscillas. I started writing songs with my friend Joanne at the time and was like…. Oh shit. This is fun. Ima do this”, says Kate.
Katie Cruel has a run of shows coming up in Toronto, prior to opening for Wilco. There is a weekly residency at the Cameron House, June 3, 10, 17 and 24. Kate says her plans for each evening is “to get reallllll good so I don’t bomb at Massey Hall with Wilco on July 2.”
“Ya I don’t have butterflies”, she says, “I have Pterodactyls lol.”
When asked how the opportunity arose, she says “Hard work, a bit of luck and a dear dear friend. Plus I sent them my record :) and they emailed me.”
Katie Cruel is also on the programming of Left of the Dial, celebrating the late radio personality Dave Bookman at the Garrison in Toronto June 6 2024. It will be a night of friends and fans covering Replacements’ songs, Bookman’s fave band.
“Dave was a staple in the music bizz. For me he was the only staple because he played my music on the radio. He really fucking cared and I miss his face. I was thrilled when (promoter) Elliott Lefko asked me to participate,” she says.
Among those also playing are Julian Taylor, Skye Wallace, Stephen Stanley, Bry Webb, Terra Lightfoot, plus more. The backing band, called the All Star Placemats, includes Katie Cruel collaborator and pal Anna Ruddick. who appears, along with Gavin Brown, Jimmy Bowskill, Michael Chaves on Lost Vagus.
