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the band

Blue Dirt Girl is an indie band based in East Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
Blue Dirt Girl sound is modern soul.
Their latest release ‘No Street Signs No Straight Lines’ is a 15 song album. (06.21.23)

“the band crafted a subtly unique blend of musical styles, roping in funk, country, saloon blues, folk, even touches of psychedelia. The result is oddly familiar, yet refusing to ever settle into a single retro style; a sound which is old and new at once.” L. A. based Round Magazine review (06.21.21) 
Full review and more.

Kathryn’s fascination with her wah pedal, desire to dance and her eclectic music collection informed both her vocal style, songwriting & composition. Albert delved into his accumulated musical and songwriting prowess for his bass interpretations saying “Every bass line is a melody.”

An essential ingredient for their new modern soul sound was the creative connection between Blue Dirt  Girl’s Kathryn Sutherland and recording engineer Dan Ponich. Read more about Kathryn and Dan’s artistic kinship.

Kathryn and Albert perform as a duo. Blue Dirt Girl also performs as a trio or quartet with either Tony Lee on drums, Dan Ponich on synthesizer, keys, electric guitar or Baylie Adams saxophone. The band performs amplified or acoustic.

Listen to Blue Dirt Girl’s entire music catalogue here including: ‘Crazy Beautiful album’ (2016),  5 singles (2017-2020), ‘Nothing is as it was’ EP (2021) and latest No Street Signs No Straight Lines album. (2023)

Blue Dirt Girl’s Youtube Videos | Blue Dirt Girl’s event page.

“because i said i would”

duo or trio

AMPLIFIED – Kathryn on lead vocals/fender strat and Albert on electric/stand up bass and harmonies.

Live Duo shows for new album April – August 2023

ACOUSTIC – Kathryn on lead vocals and acoustic guitar and Albert on stand up bass/mandolin and vocals.

Bled and Paid | Big Open Sky

 

duo photo by Ray Maichin Vancouver based photographer.

AMPLIFIED – Kathryn lead vocals/electric guitar, Albert on stand up/electric bass/harmonies with guests:

Tony Lee~drums &/or Baylie Adams~ sax &/or Dan Ponich~synth/guitar 

ACOUSTIC – Kathryn lead vocals/acoustic guitar & Albert on stand up bass.
HEY

 

 

duo photo by Ray Maichin Vancouver based photographer.

duo or trio

AMPLIFIED – Kathryn lead vocals/electric guitar, Albert electric bass/harmonies and Tony Lee drums.

Live duo & trio show videos. April -August 2023.

ACOUSTIC – DUO ONLY with Kathryn vocals/acoustic guitar and Albert on stand up bass/harmonies.

Bled and Paid | Big Open Sky

meet blue dirt girl

Kathryn Sutherland and Albert Klassen write and perform as Blue Dirt Girl. They perform as a duo or with one, two or three of these guest artists: Tony Lee~drums or Dan Ponich~synthesizer & guitar or Baylie Adams on saxophone.

Albert Klassen

bass; harmonies; mandolin.

Albert Klassen is a Vancouver bass player, mandolin player and mandolin builder. He’s been playing electric bass with Kathryn in Push3 since 2003, but for blue dirt girl he dusted off the stand-up bass, which hadn’t seen action since he played with Natural Elements, Nyetz, and Balzac in the 1980s. He plays mandolin with Nohearums and Illiteratty, and he will be the first to tell you that carrying a mandolin is easier than carrying a stand-up bass. You won’t find him on Facebook, unless it’s a picture of him on someone else’s page.

Kathryn Sutherland

founder, vocalist, songwriter; guitarist; producer.

"Kathryn Sutherland’s lyrics are open to interpretation, not linear, they are not easy rhymes. They conjure a mood, inventing new colours, with a masterful brush stroke." part of Dennis Mills-Vancouver based musician and blogger- review of "Nothing is as it was" EP release.
"No Street Signs No Straight Lines (06.21.23) puts its strongest asset up front from the start: Sutherland’s gorgeous voice. It’s strong and nuanced and, like the band’s sound, doesn’t want to fit into a single style. One moment she reminds of classic Dolly Parton, in another she recalls the energetic cries of Grace Slick." part of L.A. based Round Magazine review of Blue Dirt Girl's latest album release.
Real. Honest. Sad. Funny.
Kathryn's lyrics are a reflection of moving through life's light and dark.
Through her music, Kathryn unearths, unbuttons and examines all of her conversations. Whether they're in-depth talks or brief exchanges, conversations are how we reach out to others and connect the disconnected.
A promise to herself and one other, "because i said i would" was the impetus for the creation of Blue Dirt Girl in 2015.
It's also the through line and philosophy for everything Kathryn does, from booking band shows and festivals with a roster of guest drummers, saxophonist, keys/percussion and additional guitar players, booking Via Rail 'Vancouver to Toronto and back' Tour 2019, to co-producing her studio recordings, producing and headlining multi-disciplinary shows to organizing and playing in fundraisers for local non profits.
bio photo by Medio Ambiente.

Tony Lee

drums

Tony Lee has played in Vancouver bands since the cassette days. He brings energy, humour, impeccable taste and technique to many projects in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. In addition to the Blue Dirt Girl Trio, there is the anti racist super group, Asian Persuasion All Stars, the long running Hard Rock Miners' sing along and the confrontational lounge act Night Flower Orchestra. Other credits include: Eddy D. & the SexBombs, Saddle Sores, The New Black, Sparky Spurr and Kele Fleming. There is also the novelty duo Secret Asian Man, with Eric Lowe, and Tony's fabulous one man band #garagerock videos on his @tonyleeofficial Instagram page.

"because i said i would"