KATY GUILLEN & THE GIRLS

With each release, Katy Guillen & the Girls take new strides toward enhancing and expanding their creative process. In five years as a national touring act, the trio has shaped a musical identity rooted in the blues, taking cues from the timeless guitar riffs of Jimi Hendrix to the visionary songwriting of Patty Griffin and the indie rock revivalist sound of Heartless Bastards.

Katy Guillen & the Girls have amassed a substantial following across the country for their vivacious brand of roots rock. In addition to being one of Kansas City’s most distinguished acts, they have performed at such high-profile events as the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the King Biscuit Blues Festival, and opened for major acts like The Doobie Brothers and Robin Trower.

A seasoned guitarist who picked up her first guitar at age 8 and began participating in blues jams around Kansas City at 14, Katy Guillen established the trio in 2012, when she was offered a support slot for blues supergroup Royal Southern Brotherhood. Being without a backing band, she enlisted the talents of Claire Adams and Stephanie Williams, forming an immediate chemistry that would push her songs to new heights.

Williams brings a distinctively melodic voice to the drum kit, compelled by rock influences like Band of Skulls and Sleater-Kinney, and background in jazz ensembles. With Adams’ instincts as a multi-instrumentalist and composer, her impeccable bass lines and backing vocals are an ideal complement to Guillen’s commanding guitar licks and earnest lyrical delivery.

Katy Guillen & the Girls’ third album, “Remember What You Knew Before,” is a culmination of the experiences they’ve gained and the influences they’ve discovered as a group.The acoustic album revisits material from previous releases, tightening the focus on Guillen’s authentic songcraft and the group’s versatility. Inspired to create something fresh but familiar to listeners, they explored the roots of blues, country and folk while developing new ideas to create these arrangements.