Kristen Short

NORWAY - With a collection of songs as warm as her smile, Norway's Kristen Short has recently released her third CD in nine years. "It's been a long time coming," Short says of her most recent effort, "The Loan." "Loan," a concoction of original adult contemporary and easy listening vocalist songs, follows her 2000 release, "Dove in a Hurricane," and her debut album in 1998, "Blossom in the Dust." The Pennsylvania native moved to Norway in 1998, where she lives with her husband and two young children, aged three and five. By day, so to speak, Short works in the medical transcription business when she's not spending time with her family, or writing music - and poetic lyrics. "I've always written poetry," she says. "So converting that poetry into songs was an easy transition." Seven of the songs on "Loan" were penned by Short, who also plays acoustic guitar, which is accompanied on the album by keyboardist and supporting vocalist Heather Pierson, and Rusty Wiltjer on handcrafted percussion instruments. Short's musical career had a humble beginning at a family gathering in 1991, when she and her sister, Marlene, sang a song for their relatives which they composed and included one of her poems, "Through it All," for lyrics. "It was a large family gathering. Their response was just heartening," Short recalls. "I really enjoyed it." "My sister was my creative spark," Short says. "Discovering the ability to sing my poetry became a moving, deeply personal outlet of expression for me." Now, more than a decade and three CDs later, Short is planning a pair of acoustic performances - both in South Paris and Kennebunk - to launch "The Loan." "Performing in a trio is great. It lets you get back to your roots," Short says of the upcoming concerts. "It's always a blast to work with a whole band, but it's nice to go back and work with a small group again." Short says that she's pleased with the results of her third CD, and says that she has learned a lot having gone through the recording process twice before. While each of her first two CDs sold around 2,000 copies each, Short says she sees more potential for "Loan" to be heard on the radio. "This CD has the promise of a lot more airtime," she says. "I'm my own manager, and that's probably the hardest part for me, the marketing piece." Short's music has been broadcast on radio stations as far away as Chicago, she was recently featured on the cover of "Good Times Magazine," and during a radion interview her hosts compared her voice to the likes of Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Karen Carpenter and Stevie Nicks. Her humble reply to their vocalist compliments was simple. "I think I just sound like Kristen Short," she told the hosts after thanking them. As for live performances, Short explains that she'll book four or five large engagements each year, and a number of smaller shows as well. "I've never really focused on numbers," she says, explaining that even the smallest of performances can be highly rewarding. "I'd rather be in front of a group of a small group who are truly interested in the music, than a large group that isn't." As for her journey through musical artistry, she says that it can be seen - or rather heard - through the CDs. "The first CD was very introspective. It was basically what I was going through at the time," Short explains. "Now, I tend to focus on the positive." This is something Short does very well in her latest effort. The collection of songs on "The Loan," are an inspiring and uplifting parade of both lyrics and sounds that tugs at every corner of the heart reserved for happiness. Whether it is the reflections of childhood innocence, in "When Horses Were Better Than Boys," or simply finding something to be happy about in "Shine," her latest album never falters in its deliverance of cherishing the wonders of life through perfectly poetic melodies. While some have classified her work as adult contemporary, easy listening, and relaxing, one of the songs on "Loan" toes the line of a country western twang, while much of the album teeters on the edge of Christian folk rock. Wherever you decide to classify it - if you keep your CDs that organized - doesn't matter as much as it finds a deserving spot on your shelf at home. As for "The Loan," which is also the title of the tenth song on the CD, it has nothing to do with borrowing money from a bank. The song is a creative glance at watching a child grow through the years - and the wonders that brings. So where does the "Loan" part come in? Perhaps, the best way to find out is to sit back, put your feet up, and listen to the album. "The Loan" is available locally at Books 'n Things on Main Street in Norway, and in the weeks ahead, will be available at Bull Moose Music stores. It can be ordered online at www.cdbaby.com or by visiting Short's website at www.kshort.com. But it may not be an album that you want to borrow or take out on a loan - so to speak. Because this is one CD you'll want to play again and again. - Advertiser Democrat, Norway, Maine

“While researching a recent Studio News column, we discovered a Norway, Maine-based singer and songwriter, Kristen Short. She obviously is quite serious about her music; her upcoming full-length CD, The Loan, which the artist reports should be ready by early in 2007, was finalized by Grammy-award winner Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering – usually associated with major label releases. That’s a heady step for an independent musician, but Short obviously isn’t your run of the mill singer. Fitting snugly in the singer-songwriter genre, Short crafts heartfelt music that’s as lovely and thoughtful as the artist herself. She’s earned a fan following her recent appearances, both as a solo and with the equally talented Heather Pierson and other noted musicians, but either way this is an emerging artist with a lot to say. According to the artist’s bio, Short is an avid writer and published poet with a strong love of music, but it was 1991 when her journey into songwriting began. Her sister, Marlene Weindorf-Ek, wrote an acoustic guitar arrangement to Kristen’s poem, “Through It All,” which the sisters sang in two-part harmony. They made a home recording and performed the song live for a large family gathering. The response to her first co-written song was an inspiration to Kristen, and she sensed her poetry found its home in song lyrics. “My sister was my creative spark,” Short reflects. “Discovering the ability to sing my poetry became a moving, fulfilling and deeply personal outlet of expression for me.” In the years that followed, Kristen Short delved wholeheartedly into songwriting, live performances, and studio production of her original music. She released her debut, Blossom In The Dust, in January 1998. “The songs of Blossom were a personal odyssey for me,” Short recalled. “I wrote them to try to make sense of the difficulties in life I was going through. The prevailing message in the songs of Blossom is that hope, love, courage and faith will overcome difficulties. They have for me.” Next came Short’s second CD, Dove In A Hurricane, released in 2000 on her own label, Sea Siren Records, where she records to this day. The original songs on the effort shift from country-crossover to adult contemporary to pop/rock. Listening audiences have likened the style of Kristen’s vocals and songwriting to artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Karen Carpenter, and Stevie Nicks. In a radio interview in 1998, Kristen thanked her radio hosts for their famous singer/songwriter comparisons, but added with her characteristically unpretentious smile, “I think I just sound like Kristen Short.” Short’s albums are distributed through CD Baby.com, through Kristen’s web site, and also featured at stores in Maine, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania (see the “Kristen’s Recordings” link on her web site for details). Kristen Short’s third original music CD, The Loan, is scheduled for release by early next year, with CD release shows in the offing as well. The CD was recorded in Maine, Pennsylvania and Nashville, and was mixed and produced by Short and Alan Bean at www.bakedbeansrecording.com. Grammy winner Adam Ayan of Gateway Mastering & DVD in Portland, Maine mastered the new album. The Loan is an adult contemporary/country music collection that features seven original songs by Kristen, and also includes three songs written by Maine songwriter Jeff Moxcey, as well as three songs written by Pittsburgh singer/songwriter Jay Hitt. Along with the new album, Short continues to perform as part of an acoustic trio with Heather Pierson and Rusty Wiltjer. All in all, the future looks bright for one of Maine’s most promising songwriters. The coming year looks to be a busy one. “We’ll be doing a little bit of everything,” the personable Short told Good Times. “We’ll have some radio play in January, and touring is in the plans for summer and beyond. We’ll be focusing on some outward work as the year progresses.” For more information on Kristen Short and to keep an eye out for CD release performances, log on to her website at kshort.com.” - Good Times Magazine

“Indie musicians everywhere should take a lesson from singer/ songwriter Kristen Short. Whether you're busting a move in Hollywood or living the simple life in small town America, creating a successful music career for yourself is now more accessible than ever. Kristen Short knows the scoop. Camped out in a small Maine town, her indie disc, Dove in a Hurricane, was originally released in 2000 but after nearly a thousand sales she cleaned up the mixes and is planning a special edition re-release for 2006. This accomplished singer/songwriter crosses genres while stitching gorgeous melodies with her golden voice throughout the twelve tracks on this fine CD. Backed by an electric band, songs like “The Right Place” feature tight rhythms, some bangin’ honky tonk piano and even a bit of harmonica. But don’t get too comfortable with the sound. Some tracks take wide stylistic turns. The tribal, drum heavy cut, “Free” opens up new sonic doorways. Then the sweet duet, “What Will We Do?” (sung with Jay Hitt) softens the vibe before the band cranks up the volume once again on such stellar cuts as “Too Little Time.” This one explores the difficulty of managing your life and pursuing your dreams without losing your mind. Kristen
sings, “Well, they’re telling me to slow it down and act your age/But music is the only thing that’s keeping me sane.” Kristen and the band drop the volume once again for the longing of “Sanctuary” and the inspiring melodies of “Power to Believe” before “Second Chance” pushes the beats with breathy back-up vocals, a blazing electric solo and a driving rhythm. The disc ends with a fantastic cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, “Rhiannon.” Kristen Short’s Dove in a Hurricane dreams forward with beautiful melodies, top shelf musicians and heartfelt lyrics. With a perfect blend of introspection and optimism the title of this disc pretty much says it all.” - IndieMusicReview.com

“Indie musicians everywhere should take a lesson from singer/ songwriter Kristen Short. Whether you're busting a move in Hollywood or living the simple life in small town America, creating a successful music career for yourself is now more accessible than ever. Kristen Short knows the scoop. Camped out in a small Maine town, her indie disc, Dove in a Hurricane, was originally released in 2000 but after nearly a thousand sales she cleaned up the mixes and is planning a special edition re-release for 2006. This accomplished singer/songwriter crosses genres while stitching gorgeous melodies with her golden voice throughout the twelve tracks on this fine CD. Backed by an electric band, songs like “The Right Place” feature tight rhythms, some bangin’ honky tonk piano and even a bit of harmonica. But don’t get too comfortable with the sound. Some tracks take wide stylistic turns. The tribal, drum heavy cut, “Free” opens up new sonic doorways. Then the sweet duet, “What Will We Do?” (sung with Jay Hitt) softens the vibe before the band cranks up the volume once again on such stellar cuts as “Too Little Time.” This one explores the difficulty of managing your life and pursuing your dreams without losing your mind. Kristen
sings, “Well, they’re telling me to slow it down and act your age/But music is the only thing that’s keeping me sane.” Kristen and the band drop the volume once again for the longing of “Sanctuary” and the inspiring melodies of “Power to Believe” before “Second Chance” pushes the beats with breathy back-up vocals, a blazing electric solo and a driving rhythm. The disc ends with a fantastic cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, “Rhiannon.” Kristen Short’s Dove in a Hurricane dreams forward with beautiful melodies, top shelf musicians and heartfelt lyrics. With a perfect blend of introspection and optimism the title of this disc pretty much says it all.” - IndieMusicReview.com

“The songwriter in Kristen Short took a long time to surface. But once she started turning her poetry into lyrics, they poured out like truth on the witness stand. The result: Blossom in the Dust, a heartfelt, well-crafted debut about coping with and learning from curveballs that can hit like a sledgehammer. Blossom features pretty, harmony-laden songs born out of harsh circumstances, delicate but smooth-flowing tunes culled from tough times. The heart of a survivor lurks beneath them. ‘I really didn’t write them in a commercial sense, for other folks,’ said Short. ‘Poetry and music have been for me a kind of survival mechanism, for really tough days, when you start thinking, ‘Is this ever going to be worth it?’ as far as trials and tribulations of life. I just pick up the guitar and start singing…There’s just that feeling that, ‘Hey, tomorrow’s another day.’ There’s got to be something to look forward to when you’re feeling really down, that tomorrow brings a new chance.’ Pouring herself into songwriting help her work through the worst times, when she and husband Christopher faced financial difficulties in Maine. He was in medical school, which ain’t exactly cheap. ‘My husband and I opened a business in New England with the hopes of paying for med school,’ Short said. ‘We ended up with an unscrupulous realtor, a property owner, who basically swindled us out of our business. It took us about ten years to recover from that. We were both working multiple jobs, he had to take a sabbatical from medical school. We did everything we could physically and emotionally to get back what this man had stolen from us.’ That story’s the backdrop for the brisk ‘Now It’s Your Turn,’ which is ironically the CD’s catchiest, hardest-rocking cut. ‘Years later we find out the tables have turned and he (the realtor) is having problems of his own,’ explained Short. It’s not a vengeance song of any sort. I think what good you do for people is going to come back to you in time, and the same thing with the bad.’ Other songs like ‘You Were There For Me” and the title track pay tribute to those who stand by you through dark times. In that respect, ‘Blossom in the Dust’ brims with a hopeful spirit which celebrates faith (not to mention the beauty of nature, which you can always count on). Short comes from a writing family. Dad was ‘an avid poet,’ her brother is a novelist. She herself stuck with poetry herself until one Christmas in 1991 when she and sister Marlene Weindorf completed a song, ‘Through It All,’ and sang it for the family. Said Short, ‘She’s got a real strong music background, she’s an acoustic guitarist. She sat down and wrote the music for that, and it was a creative spark for me. ‘Wow, this is a whole new world!’ Short found her poems lent themselves easily to song lyrics. I write everything in meter. There’s a rhythm to it. Usually, I don’t write much free verse. That really translated to music when I started writing on my own.’ She was self-conscious about her singing as a youngster but got over that when similar voices emerged on the radio. ‘I can easily sing tenor or alto,’ said Short. ‘(Then) artists started coming out when I was growing up, like Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, who had a little deeper alto voice. It was kind of heartening.’ Short started recording ‘Blossom’ in Maine with musician Bob Walsh, who plays keyboard and bass. Dave Smith engineered. ‘When we moved back to Erie, I wanted to develop it. I liked what we initially recorded,’ she said. ‘Bob and I had some magic up there that really worked well. I wanted to continue.’ In Erie she continued at Cycling Troll, where Tom Hitt engineered. Former Shrugs’ member Tony Krasinski added live drums, replacing the synth work from the previous sessions. ‘Tony was great at being able to jump in and do those live. It makes a world of difference,’ said Short. Krasinski also played some guitar, while Weindorf added some acoustic work. (Short plays guitar but prefers to use supporting musicians.) Short has already written five new songs for her next disc. ‘Blossom in the Dust,’ in its spare, gentle nature (and contemplative tone) is closer to the sensitive singer/songwriter days of the early 1970s than today’s angst-ridden, hard-edged nineties. For her, music’s a tonic. ‘I think music has a kind of healing essence to it,’ said Short. ‘It’s very soothing and sometimes just hearing yourself sing, you’re reminded that things will get better, that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. That’s what the songs were for me, a personal odyssey, to make sense of what we were going through.’ Now, through her disc, she hopes others will benefit from her journey. ‘I know so many people who listened to this and some have many more problems than I have had to date, and they find some comfort in it,’ she said. ‘It’s definitely on the mellow side. It’s not get up on your feet and dance kind of music, but I think it’s supportive in a sense. Relaxing.’
- Dave Richards, Showcase Magazine

“The songwriter in Kristen Short took a long time to surface. But once she started turning her poetry into lyrics, they poured out like truth on the witness stand. The result: Blossom in the Dust, a heartfelt, well-crafted debut about coping with and learning from curveballs that can hit like a sledgehammer. Blossom features pretty, harmony-laden songs born out of harsh circumstances, delicate but smooth-flowing tunes culled from tough times. The heart of a survivor lurks beneath them. ‘I really didn’t write them in a commercial sense, for other folks,’ said Short. ‘Poetry and music have been for me a kind of survival mechanism, for really tough days, when you start thinking, ‘Is this ever going to be worth it?’ as far as trials and tribulations of life. I just pick up the guitar and start singing…There’s just that feeling that, ‘Hey, tomorrow’s another day.’ There’s got to be something to look forward to when you’re feeling really down, that tomorrow brings a new chance.’ Pouring herself into songwriting help her work through the worst times, when she and husband Christopher faced financial difficulties in Maine. He was in medical school, which ain’t exactly cheap. ‘My husband and I opened a business in New England with the hopes of paying for med school,’ Short said. ‘We ended up with an unscrupulous realtor, a property owner, who basically swindled us out of our business. It took us about ten years to recover from that. We were both working multiple jobs, he had to take a sabbatical from medical school. We did everything we could physically and emotionally to get back what this man had stolen from us.’ That story’s the backdrop for the brisk ‘Now It’s Your Turn,’ which is ironically the CD’s catchiest, hardest-rocking cut. ‘Years later we find out the tables have turned and he (the realtor) is having problems of his own,’ explained Short. It’s not a vengeance song of any sort. I think what good you do for people is going to come back to you in time, and the same thing with the bad.’ Other songs like ‘You Were There For Me” and the title track pay tribute to those who stand by you through dark times. In that respect, ‘Blossom in the Dust’ brims with a hopeful spirit which celebrates faith (not to mention the beauty of nature, which you can always count on). Short comes from a writing family. Dad was ‘an avid poet,’ her brother is a novelist. She herself stuck with poetry herself until one Christmas in 1991 when she and sister Marlene Weindorf completed a song, ‘Through It All,’ and sang it for the family. Said Short, ‘She’s got a real strong music background, she’s an acoustic guitarist. She sat down and wrote the music for that, and it was a creative spark for me. ‘Wow, this is a whole new world!’ Short found her poems lent themselves easily to song lyrics. I write everything in meter. There’s a rhythm to it. Usually, I don’t write much free verse. That really translated to music when I started writing on my own.’ She was self-conscious about her singing as a youngster but got over that when similar voices emerged on the radio. ‘I can easily sing tenor or alto,’ said Short. ‘(Then) artists started coming out when I was growing up, like Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, who had a little deeper alto voice. It was kind of heartening.’ Short started recording ‘Blossom’ in Maine with musician Bob Walsh, who plays keyboard and bass. Dave Smith engineered. ‘When we moved back to Erie, I wanted to develop it. I liked what we initially recorded,’ she said. ‘Bob and I had some magic up there that really worked well. I wanted to continue.’ In Erie she continued at Cycling Troll, where Tom Hitt engineered. Former Shrugs’ member Tony Krasinski added live drums, replacing the synth work from the previous sessions. ‘Tony was great at being able to jump in and do those live. It makes a world of difference,’ said Short. Krasinski also played some guitar, while Weindorf added some acoustic work. (Short plays guitar but prefers to use supporting musicians.) Short has already written five new songs for her next disc. ‘Blossom in the Dust,’ in its spare, gentle nature (and contemplative tone) is closer to the sensitive singer/songwriter days of the early 1970s than today’s angst-ridden, hard-edged nineties. For her, music’s a tonic. ‘I think music has a kind of healing essence to it,’ said Short. ‘It’s very soothing and sometimes just hearing yourself sing, you’re reminded that things will get better, that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. That’s what the songs were for me, a personal odyssey, to make sense of what we were going through.’ Now, through her disc, she hopes others will benefit from her journey. ‘I know so many people who listened to this and some have many more problems than I have had to date, and they find some comfort in it,’ she said. ‘It’s definitely on the mellow side. It’s not get up on your feet and dance kind of music, but I think it’s supportive in a sense. Relaxing.’
- Dave Richards, Showcase Magazine

“Great songs…It is refreshing to hear music of such originality and quality…” (Review of Blossom CD) - Tom Dean, WOUI Chicago, Illinois

“Great songs…It is refreshing to hear music of such originality and quality…” (Review of Blossom CD) - Tom Dean, WOUI Chicago, Illinois

“…Definitely should pick this one up…great listening!” (On-air review of Blossom CD) - Boomer, Rocket 101FM, Erie, Pennsylvania

“…Definitely should pick this one up…great listening!” (On-air review of Blossom CD) - Boomer, Rocket 101FM, Erie, Pennsylvania