5 Must-Hear Catholic Indie Musicians
1. John the Martyr
https://open.spotify.com/artist/52GnyoEo6Phe8BMA04Luzb
John The Martyr is an 11-piece, intergenerational band, based in New York City. “We’re all from different places,” says guitarist Kyle Ridley, “but connected through music in NYC.” Harlem-native, William Hudson, sings lead vocals for the band, which blends soul, blues, and gospel. Listen on Spotify or Youtube.
2. Kelly Hunt
https://open.spotify.com/album/14vpEuPbTOHx5T3Y89xWNN
Kelly Hunt is a Memphis-born Americana / country / folk singer based in Kansas City. Her single “Across the Great Divide” was featured in Rolling Stones’ 10 Best Country and Americana Songs in May 2019. Kelly taught herself the banjo, and her love for music kept calling to her, even when she pursued other careers. Hunt says: “I wanted to get serious about a responsible career choice, but music kept bubbling up. I was writing a lot and playing a lot and started to not be satisfied just playing to my walls of my room.” Visit her website for shows near you, or listen to her enchanting songs on Spotify or YouTube.
3. Jon Schommer
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1W78qoGAIKGyh3pE3SWaZE
Jon Schommer is a solo artist and headliner of the band Jon Schommer and the Hopeful Sound. Jon makes music as a form not only of art but also as social justice, “singing stories that try to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Listen to his folk-inspired music on Spotify or Bandcamp.
4. Harrison Lemke
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4wCGHE9H6NBcY4pVkxEM4z )
Harrison Lemke writes and records lo-fi indie folk in Austin, TX. His latest album, “Thy Tender Care”, is a series of memories, maybe real, maybe invented, of his insular Idaho childhood. In these songs, he probes the mystery of divine love, the way it presses on us with a strange insistence in the most humdrum of circumstances, long before we can merit it, or respond, or understand. https://harrisonlemke.com/
5. Katy Wehr
https://open.spotify.com/album/6VW4Gv2LvDoEdCU9pRM1z0?si=_xrV4X-gQUK44X24loQDLQ
Katy Wehr’s And All the Marys, explores the lives of women in the Gospels who knew or were healed by Jesus. Each track is a different woman, beginning with The Virgin Mary and ending with Mary Magdalene as the first witness of the Resurrection of Christ. Katy Wehr weaves together scripture, Catholic tradition, visual art cues and original ideas to present each woman as a distinct individual who has her own story to tell about Jesus. Through these women we get a portrait of Christ as promised and prophetic, compassionate, wise and truly loving.
The album style is folk that leans a bit toward Celtic with Katy’s clear lyric voice and an ensemble of guitar, mandolin, drums, bass and flute. This is her third solo album and digital downloads can be found on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, CDBaby and all the usual places. Lyrics, hard-copy CDs and more information can be found at www.katywehrmusic.com.
