Katrina Stone

Colorado based singer/songwriter Katrina Stone spent five years crafting the cuts found within Spellbound and her meticulous craftsmanship certainly paid off. The regional touring titan who even landed a performance on the Vans Warped Tour shows off her unique vocals that run the gamut of soulful to delightfully quirky across a series of clever love songs. All the while, the thirteen tracks encompass a charming retro pop motif with just as many dusty grooves as booming acoustic ballads. Four stars.

Andy Argyrakis - CCM Magazine

Katrina Stone rallies fans – Wins the hearts, wardrobe and a whole lot more from maurices
By Tess Cychosz, on April 3rd, 2012 | Features

Katrina Stone performing at her all expenses paid gig at SXSW
What happens when a fierce red head with a smooth voice and a classy swagger mobilizes her fans to show their support in front of a national clothing brand? Well, in the case of Katrina Stone and maurices, the result was an all expenses paid gig at SXSW, a trip to gig at fancy corporate offices, an upcoming music video in L.A. completely covered and more. (Not too shabby, eh?) I had the distinct pleasure of hearing more from Katrina Stone and her experiences from winning maurices Hometown Sound.

Before we get into your latest happenings, tell me a little bit of your background.

I started singing when I was about 12. I decided I had a knack for it and studied classical, opera, and musical theater throughout high school. Somewhere along the way, I picked up piano as a means to accompany myself as an artist. When I was 21, I recorded my first full length album with Brad Nyght of The Bakery Studios and I have been writing and recording ever since. I live in Denver, Colorado currently and have spent most of my life here.

I heard you were a huge success at the maurices SXSW party this year! I’d love it if you could talk about that gig and what got you there.

The maurices’ SXSW party was outrageous! When we won the voting competition, I was actually in Nashville doing a showcase and I couldn’t believe that we were going to SXSW a week later. Maurices flew us in, put us up in a fabulous hotel, and practically gave me a new wardrobe for the show. We had a blast doing meet and greets as well as press interviews and photo ops. The show at the Austin Speakeasy went off without a hitch and I met some incredible artists that really inspired me to keep pursuing music. I had been dreaming of playing at SXSW for many years and didn’t know how to book a showcase there. When this opportunity came up, I knew that it was my chance to make it happen. My friends, family, and fans are really what got us to SXSW. We asked a lot of them day after day to keep voting and sharing the link with their friends. Something I was able to glean from the entire process was a ton of new ways to engage my fans via social networking without over-saturating them with requests to vote. We held a few contests of our own to keep people interested and we tried to alternate using our twitter accounts, mailing lists, youtube channels, and facebook postings. When we won, I think it felt like a victory for every person that voted and shared day after day!


Katrina at SXSW 2012
Clearly, you were so fabulous at SXSW since right after you were flown out to Duluth to play an event to celebrate maurices associates in their home office. What was the experience like and any highlights or surprises playing for an audience in that setting?

Playing at the maurices party in Duluth was incredible. All of the associate’s families were invited and so there were tons of kids running around and dancing to our music. The biggest surprise was that they wanted to fly our two year-old daughter in for the show as well! We had the privilege of meeting many of the people that made the competition and SXSW show happen. I was also able to tour their amazing corporate office and see what goes into managing that many clothing lines and stores. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience with a better group of people.

Have there been any takeaways or words of advice you could pass on to other artists about getting involved with a consumer brand like maurices?

The most fundamental piece of advice I could give any other artists or bands considering getting involved with such a massive brand is to really believe in your brand and what you have developed as an artist. I almost didn’t enter this competition because I thought I couldn’t win it. You need to believe that you have something to offer a major consumer brand before they will see it for themselves.

What’s coming up next for you that we should be on the look-out for? Any new music, videos or upcoming tours on the horizon?

There is definitely new music happening in the next few months. When I released this last record, many of the songs were older tracks that I thought I would release for free just for fun. We have had a slew of successes recently and the maurices competition opened a lot of doors for us so we are going to release some new songs pretty soon. I can’t say anything definitively yet, but keep an eye out for us this summer. We have teamed up with Tinderbox Music to hopefully land some television placements. I am also filming a video that I won through the maurices competition with The Play Network in LA next week for the song “Perfectly Accidentally”.

Check out more of Katrina Stone on her EPK and be sure to stay tuned when her music video for “Perfectly Accidentally” is ready for - Sonicbids

maurices Announces Winner of Nationwide Band Search
Releases South by Southwest 2012 Schedule, Featuring Winner Katrina Stone

DULUTH, MN, Mar 06, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- maurices ASNA -0.32% , the leading hometown specialty store and fashion authority, today announced Katrina Stone is the winner of maurices "Hometown Sound" nationwide band search.

This past January, maurices partnered with PlayNetwork and Sonicbids for the second year in a row to search for the hottest up-and-coming band in the country. After several months of competition among more than 800 bands, fans selected Denver native Katrina Stone. Her prize package includes opening for Hometown Sound partner artists Graffiti6 and Ximena Sarinana in an official SXSW daytime showcase on Thursday, March 15, at the Speakeasy.

The pop singer, who has been called "one of the most unique and inventive acts of tomorrow," has released one album. "The maurices Hometown Sound competition has been an incredible adventure for me and my fans," said an excited Katrina Stone. "When I entered, I never imagined I would be the one musician who would walk away with such an extraordinary prize. My friends, family and fans made this possible for me and I cannot thank everyone enough."

In addition to her SXSW performance, Katrina will receive a trip to Los Angeles to shoot a music video with PlayNetwork and will enjoy additional gifts from maurices.

This year at SXSW, maurices is launching its first-ever fully functional pop-up store, hosting the maurices Artist Gifting Lounge at Terrace59, and serving as the presenting sponsor for the Girls Rock Camp Austin evening showcase. This official SXSW evening showcase on Friday, March 16, at Easy Tiger will benefit Girls Rock Camp Austin, a weeklong summer program for girls ages 10 to 18.

"We are thrilled to have completed another successful music contest and be back at SXSW for the second year in a row. It is very important for us as a brand to continue to look for ways to build strong connections with our customers through relevant media, including music," said Lisa Bartlett, maurices associate vice president of marketing. "Katrina Stone has an amazing voice and we're excited to offer her the chance to further her career at one of the leading music festivals in the country."

Overview of maurices Events:

Rock N Shop Official SXSW Daytime Showcase maurices will host an official SXSW daytime showcase at Speakeasy ( http://www.speakeasyaustin.com ) on Thursday, March 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. "Hometown Sound" winner Katrina Stone will perform, as well as Every Avenue, Eve 6, Ximena Sarinana and Graffiti6. The event is free and is open to badge holders, wristband holders and the general public.

Rock N Shop Pop Up Store maurices will be operating its first fully functional pop-up store on Wednesday, March 14, and Thursday, March 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 604 Driskell (Rainey Lot). Items available will include $29 denim and screen tees. People can also capture a memory of their time at SXSW by visiting maurices' free photo booth.

Rock N Shop maurices Gifting Lounge maurices will be hosting an exclusive artist gifting lounge at Terrace59 located on the rooftop of the Speakeasy, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15. All SXSW artists are invited to stop by, grab a swag bag, and enjoy free drinks and appetizers.

Girls Rock Camp Austin Official SXSW Evening Showcase maurices will act as presenting sponsor of the Girls Rock Camp Austin showcase featuring Ximena Sarinana, along with Leftover Cuties, Sydney Wayser, DENA, Alabama Shakes and Girl in a Coma at Easy Tiger ( www.easytigeraustin.com ) from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, March 16.

About maurices maurices, a division of Ascena Retail Group Inc. ASNA -0.32% , is the leading hometown specialty store and authority for the savvy, fashion-conscious girl with a twenty-something attitude. Today, maurices operates over 800 stores in 44 states. maurices stands for fashion, quality, value and customer service. Offering sizes 1-26 in select stores and online, our styles are inspired by the girl in everyone, in every size. For store information and to shop online, visit maurices.com.

About PlayNetwork PlayNetwork produces unrivaled media experiences for brands worldwide. PlayNetwork programs include music, messaging, video, web radio artist promotions and events, A/V systems, advertising networks, and commercial XM Satellite Radio. PlayNetwork aims to deliver experiences with the truest level of customization and integration across every touch point -- in-store, online and on-device. Founded in 1996, PlayNetwork is currently playing for over 75,000 media subscribers in 70 countries, reaching over 23 million people every day. For more information, visit playnetwork.com or xm4biz.com.

About Sonicbids Sonicbids is the leading matchmaking site for bands and music promoters. Since its launch in 2001, Sonicbids has grown int - Market Watch

Katrina Stone's debut disc opens with "Free", an explosion of electronics, dance sounds, and booming vocals sure to spark listeners' interests. It's one of many potential mainstream-friendly singles by the Colorado-based singer/songwriter is likely to score points with lovers of Plumb, The Benjamin Gate, and Evanescence's Amy Lee. Though the production takes an edgy approach, the CD showcases her stunning range with sparse but chilling piano accompaniment. Bottom Line: 4 stars
- Christian Single Magazine