grand design by Kat Wallace

Eastern Front Songwriter Grant Winner Kat Wallace Solo Debut Album "Grand Design"

"Grand Design" marks an exciting new chapter for Wallace, showcasing her Americana influences from legendary songwriters like Gillian Welch and John Prine, as well as centuries-old Celtic and English balladry. Recorded in August 2023 in Brooklyn with guitarist Steven Manwaring and engineered by bassist Andrew Ryan, who also co-produced the record alongside Wallace, the album is a triumph of the folk music style. "Grand Design" was wrapped up at Zachariah Hickman’s Greedy Beast Studios in April 2024 with Kate Knudsvig (violin), Jacqui Armbruster (viola), and Karl Henry (cello). It’s mixed by Don Mitchell of Darlingside and mastered by Andrew Ryan. “Belfast Song” and “Time to Time” are finished with a rousing group chorus of friendly voices, recorded at a house show in Roxbury, MA.

The eleven tracks on "Grand Design" showcase Wallace’s exceptional ability to compose contemplative yet clever lyrics, with a delicate balance of existential dread and lighthearted humor. Her distinctive crystalline voice, unique tenor guitar playing and rowdy fiddle lines match the strength of her songwriting. “Matter of Time” and “Everytime” include string quartet arrangements, an art she honed as a co-founder of the Askia Quartet during her graduate studies at the New England Conservatory.

Kat Wallace is a Boston-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. She’s a highly skilled musician known for her fiddle playing with Rachel Sumner and Traveling Light. Kat’s timeless lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing are grounded in traditional Celtic and American folk music.