Press

HONORS

2009 ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOLK FESTIVAL
3rd Place in the Emerging Artist Showcase

2009 JUST PLAIN FOLKS AWARD NOMINATIONS
Best New Folk Song- Mississippi Moon
Best New Folk Album- Things Change

2008 RASMUSON ARTIST GRANT RECIPIENT
Project Grant Awarded

2008 INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Honorable Mention, Americana Category

2008 SUSQUEHANNA MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL
2nd Place in the Songwriter's Contest

2007 KERRVILLE NEW FOLK FINALIST

TOP 10 CD OF 2008- I'M JUST LIKE YOU
Chosen by Ellen Stanley (Womenfolk) of KFAI 90.3 FM Minneapolis

2008 OFFICIAL SHOWCASE ARTIST
International Folk Alliance Conference

2007 WOODY GUTHRIE SONGWRITING CONTEST
2nd Place for Mississippi Moon

2007 WOODY GUTHRIE SONGWRITING CONTEST
Honorable Mention for If I Am American

8 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS CHARTING ON THE FOLK-DJ CHART
Things Change at #6, July 2007
Light the Lamp at #2, December 2007

FREEFORM AMERICANA CHART
#17, September, 2007

2007 ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOLKS FESTIVAL SHOWCASE
Honorable Mention

2004 JUST PLAIN FOLKS AWARD NOMINATIONS
Best Americana Song - Whitebird
Best New Folk Song - Annie and Sam
Best Roots Song - Dave's Song

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SONGWRITER'S ASSOCIATION AWARD
Best Song - "Annie and Sam" from Whitebird

PRESS

Four albums into her young career, Kurn is one of the exciting voices of folk music. Her idiosyncratic Iris Dement-like voice combined with a simple "around the table conversation" style of songwriting brings an edge that is frequently lacking with much modern folk. Kurn's stories revolve around the kinds of events we all experience everyday. Her writing frequently results in an, "oh, yeah, that is exactly how I feel at that moment," experience by the listener. When the first song starts it is clear Emily Kurn is on to something special. -- Jeff Weiss. MILES OF MUSIC Review, July 2007

Although currently residing in Alaska, Emily Kurn remains in the loop of contemporary singer-songwriters. Kurn co-produced with Mark Thayer this 12-song CD, of which 11 of the songs are original. It's solidly pop with a consistent drumbeat on most of the tracks. Her edgy voice trembles with an unusual vibrato. However, don't let that dissuade you. Kurn knows how to get the most from her voice, and is an original, engaging writer. You can easily hear her lyrics above the band. The CD is something of a journey of maturing and finding oneself as implied by the title. "Angeline" is a gentle, slightly mystical song about a woman maturing and marriage. "If I'm An American" is a unique, passionate protest song with some interesting twists. She targets festering issues from a refreshing perspective. "We Build A Mountain" is a moving ecological protest song, again from a somewhat different perspective. "The Schmuck" is a novel song about renting an apartment with one of Kurn's trademark twists. "Mississippi Moon" might find a place on a Diana Jones album. Although Kurn is a very good writer, the most powerful song on the CD is "You Were Drunk" by Rose Polenzani. It's sends shivers down my spine every time l hear it. In just three minutes it wrings all the sorrow, wrongs, missing self-esteem, loneliness and lies of a one-night stand. It's the mirror image of Harry Chapin's "They Call Her Easy." In clever sequencing, the next song, "Wait For the Roses," starts with the line "Where do you go to fill up your cup?" It proceeds to tell of filling of the void so painfully laid open in the previous song. "Things Change," the title song, appropriately concludes the CD, contemplating the progression of life going from being the young daughter and ending with "My mom's in my face and she's living again." With this recording, Kurn establishes her place among contemporary singer-songwriters.--Rich Warren, Sing Out! Magazine, January 2008

...Terrific.....(She) not only has a wonderful sound, but things to say.
Bill Hahn, WFDU 89.1 FM

I am totally in love with Emily's disc - there are alot of tracks to be played. Her music kind of dominated my listening....
Tom Coxworth, CKUA

... It's rare to find a CD that's listenable, let alone actually good, from a seminar attendee. Your CD is actually magical and charming, well written and thoughtfully performed. You have a personal style that is easy to listen to, funny, smart. I really enjoy playing "Things Change" for my friends and clients to show what is possible. You have great talent and I look forward to hearing future projects....you have your finger on the pulse of your muse....
Rick Beresford, Nashville Songwriter

Emily Kurn knocked my socks Off!! I pulled it out of the package and played most of the songs on My Tuesday early morning show!
Doug Echols, WPKN & WPKM

"Let's face facts, people- Emily Kurn won't be around much longer. Her talent is too big. Her drive too strong. Her music too magical. In fact, after a few nearby shows this month, the Anchorage singer/songwriter is heading out on the road for at least a few more months to turn heads, make contacts, and probably blow up huge. So, it's totally worth driving to Talkeetna to see her play at the quaint and quirky Whole Wheat Radio Cabin..."
ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS , Dec. 14, 2007

"..it is doubtful you can quite understand how enchanting Emily's music is until you see her onstage..."
ANCHORAGE PRESS, Feb.23- March 01, 2006

""There are tunes with a hint of Kate Wolf and Robin and Linda Williams. While Kurn's idiosyncratic voice won't be mistaken for Wolf or Grace Griffith, it ultimately ingratiates itself with the listener and conveys the songs effectively. The closing song When You Wake from All Your Dreaming ends the album beautifully."
SING OUT! MAGAZINE, Fall 2003

"Emily Kurn has the weary drawl of Rickie Lee Jones, the sweet sass and spice of Christine Lavin, and Suzanne Vega's gift for poetry, assets that she demonstrates to best advantage on the eight tracks of "The Doorman". The poetry of the songs is striking and original; the lyrics exhibit emotions and desires that are common to all but expressed in new and unexpected images. "
RAMBLES MAGAZINE, May 2003

With a complete lack of pretense her songs are stories of the caliber that made her 2002 debut The Doorman such a hit. With the same poetic flair for lyrics, she shows clear thinking even in the banal, as in Now I Know, where she tells us "I believe love will never leave, once you fall it's all you'll ever know."
NORTHEAST PERFORMER, July 2002

"...With an easy swing best attained out West, and the private, optimistic wit of a New England native, Emily Kurn has crafted simple songs that speak to the tentative coming-of-age person in all of us. She seemingly has it all together- her rich voice, the light lolling guitar, and just enough humor to make our realities acceptable and even fun. The title track, "The Doorman," is reflective and reminiscent of that early Dar William's wit. Keep your eye on her. Just graduating from Brandeis University, Kurn has paved her own way for a successful career if she chooses to chase it."
SOUNDCHECK MAGAZINE, 2002

".......While Kurn's voice resembles that of many alternative heavyweights...her vocal prism of sweet sounds shows precocious talent...Because she connects so powerfully to each phrase, their meaning ripen with each repetition...Emily Kurn's Doorman is not merely a guard, but a gatekeeper between who we once were and who we will become."
WEST COAST PERFORMER MAGAZINE, October 2002