Heather Kropf
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Heather Kropf's second independent, self-produced CD plays like the work of a seasoned pro, and she's beginning to realize that people get it. "What Else is Love" crackles with contemporary folk, pop and jazz elements -- bright ideas framed in solid pop sensibilities performed by Kropf on a 1920s Steinway surrounded by electric instruments. Her songs are turning heads in the local singer-songwriter circle, and she scored a rare coup, landing rotation-level airplay on WYEP. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Local folk singer and songwriter Heather Kropf pens beautifully detailed songs, teaming them up with the area's best acoustic players. Kropf represents a new wave of young singers on the edge of representing the region to a wider audience.
- WYEP, 91.3 FM, Pittsburgh
Heather Kropf wrote all the songs on her first record, "Sky," on piano, then used keyboards to record. She flipped that process for her new effort, "What Else Is Love," and there's a noticeable difference in sound.
"It's definitely an urban record," says Kropf, who unveils the music at Cefalo's in Carnegie on Saturday. "I wrote all the songs while living in Pittsburgh. I was going for something that expressed what I felt about my experiences living here."
If Kropf's musical assessment is accurate, then Pittsburgh is pretty good place to live. "What Else is Love" is a sexy, sophisticated record that sounds like it could have been recorded in New York's East Village with crack sessions musicians.
Kropf didn't have to go that far -- the album was recorded at Heid Studios in Aspinwall -- and she found more than enough talented musicians, including guitarists John Purse, Dale Cinski and Keith Hershberger, percussionist Jim DiSpirito, drummer Joe Waslousky and bassist Randy Venturini to produce the sound she desired. "Double Take" and "Wish" are spry, lithe pop songs, sort of a cross between Aimee Mann and Jill Sobule.
But the centerpiece is the title track, Kropf's femme fatale vocals beautifully accented by a spare middle-of-the-night backing track that longs to be in a movie soundtrack.
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
With a heavenly voice somewhere between Aimee Mann and Jill Sobule, Heather Kropf's debut CD Sky (Reverie Records) is a welcome change of pace in these days of uptempo-whiny-middle-class-white-boy-tirades. The tempos are mellow but not maudlin and, as a piano player, Kropf is melodic and delicate but powerful. She's not afraid to explore a subject in depth, from different angles, much as an artist would do different studies of a still life. (She also did the watercolor cover). And she surrounds herself with some of the best players the area has to offer (Randy Venturini, Dale Cinski, Brad Yoder and Jim DiSpirito, to name a few), who take these tasteful arrangements to the next level. Great stuff.
- Pittsburgh Magazine
The long-awaited second album from the fresh-voiced Kropf, What Else is Love is a multi-faceted aural digest of styles ranging from jazz to folk, to radio friendly pop. Poignant lyrics and enduring melodies carry each song, showcasing Kropf's maturity as a songsmith...After five years, Kropf hits her mark. Definitely worth the wait.
- mugZine
Heather's voice is truly refreshing. A beautiful and standout element is that she is one of the few natural singers that I've heard in recent years. Her melodies are rich and memorable, and she sings them with such strength and yet has a sense of space and openness that is impressive. Phrasing is not a learned thing - it is a truly magical gift that Heather possesses as well. - Rebecca Martin (www.rebeccamartin.com)
"musical masterpiece" - Pittsburgh Magazine
"Listening to Heather's music is like turning off the lamp and opening the curtains on a clear day. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine." - Gardyloo Fanzine
Discography
Heather Kropf - Sky
Heather Kropf - What Else is Love
Too Tall Americanos (Heather Kropf and Keith Hershberger) - EP
Heather Kropf - Hestia
Compilations and Singles:
"Cholera" on WYEP, Live & Direct, Vol. 2
"River" on WQED, Live from Studio A - Holiday All-Star Jam
"7 Times" - MKL vs. Soy Sos, Featuring Heather Kropf
"7 Times" - Suits & Dashikis
Photos
Bio
"Heather's music speaks intimately, like a note passed in secret across a crowded room. What she does is at once open-hearted and indirect, with plenty of spaces for the listener to slip inside." - Barry Alfonso
Heather Kropf’s music is a blend of piano-driven folk and radio-friendly pop. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Heather first began performing her songs while earning a degree in Fine Art at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana. She continued her avid interest in music as a performer and radio DJ after a move to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she now resides. Inspired by the early work of Suzanne Vega, Sting, Kate Bush and Edie Brickell, Heather Kropf's 2000 debut release was selected as a runner up to the top 50 albums of the year by WYEP-FM, Pittsburgh. She collaborated with Scott Hull (John Mayer, Steely Dan) to mix and master her 2005 release, and it was named a top Pittsburgh album of the year by WYEP.
Heather Kropf recently released Hestia, an acoustic collection of old and new songs, with instrumentation reminiscent of Joni Mitchell’s For the Roses.
Heather Kropf has shared the stage with a variety of artists, including: Mason Jennings, The Weepies, Betty LaVette, Chris Smither, Carrie Newcomer, Amy Corriea, and Cheryl Wheeler.
Performances:
Heather primarily performs in Western Pennsylvania with scattered shows in the Midwest, Northeast, and occasionally the Southeast. Venues include The Purple Fiddle, Club Cafe, Three Rivers Arts Festival, Carnegie Lecture Hall, Philadelphia Music Conference, and numerous colleges, universities and private events. She is a regular performer at Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Backstage Bar on Theater Square and a guest host of the AcoustiCafe Open Stage.
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