In addition to being BestNewBands.com’s most recent Artist in Residence, Kathryn Ostenberg is an acoustic singer/songwriter who writes heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics with a gentle-yet-engaging voice. After moving from Colorado two years ago and getting immersed in the L.A. music scene, she’s found her comfort zone amongst the various singers and musicians in the community and is only going to get more talented and more recognition. I spoke to Ostenberg recently and here’s what she had to say:

Q: So what is currently going on with you musically? Are you on tour or writing a new album, what’s going on?

A: I’m writing a lot because my first EP has been out since October of last year and I have a lot of stuff that I haven’t recorded and I’ve written a lot more this past year so I’ve been focusing on that. I haven’t decided when I’m going to record something because I feel like my sound is changing a little bit and I feel like I’m evolving so I don’t want to rush into recording.

Q: In what ways do you see yourself changing?

A: I was really new at guitar when I first started writing songs and now I’m more comfortable so I feel like my songs have more range and depth. I’m more of a singer than a guitar player and I’m still writing about the same kinds of things, like heartbreak and unrequited love.

 

Q: Since you’re from Colorado and just moved out here to L.A., how would you say the music scene is different in comparison? Would you say it’s really different?

A: I just started writing songs before I moved and I played my first show in Denver in July 2008 and then moved in August so I don’t have a lot to compare to. Obviously, the music scene is much larger out here and I started going to Hotel Café a lot and met musicians and kind of watched how things are and I’ve found that it’s a small bubble of a bunch of musicians. It’s neat because in Los Angeles you think it’s a large city with everyone trying to make it, but with the singer-songwriter genre it’s a relatively small circle, which has been cool.

 

Q: Would you say that being in the music scene in L.A. gives you a better opportunity to have your music heard, or do you think you’d have the same success if you stayed in Colorado?

A: I think definitely the opportunities out here are more conducive for music because there are so many people in music licensing and directors and music supervisors that are in Los Angeles. They’ll come to Hotel Café to see someone play at 9 o’clock and if I’m playing at 8 o’clock I’ll have a chance of them hearing my songs. In Colorado I didn’t find too much of that.

 

Q: You tend to write acoustic based music, so was that a conscious decision you made when you started to write songs or did you choose to write your songs acoustically because you thought they translated better that way or because it’s more of an organic sound?

A: When I first started writing songs my friend played the guitar and I made up the lyrics and melodies. But then he got a girlfriend and sort of lost focus so I was like, “Well I better teach myself to play guitar if I’m going to continue writing songs,” so that’s how it happened. I’ve always liked the acoustic sound and the stripped down sound of guitar and vocals.

 

Q: Do you ever see yourself incorporating other kinds of instrumentation to enhance the acoustic sound, or do you think you’re going to strictly stay acoustic?

A: Recently I’ve had a trio playing with me, a bass player and drummer which adds a lot, so I like the way the different instruments can completely change a song so I’m open to that. I’ve started trying to learn piano on my keyboard.

 

Q: Who are some of your favorite musicians?

A: I like Madi Diaz and Jessie Thomas because I really like the way she writes.

 

You can catch Kathryn playing in and around LA on a regular basis. Check her MySpace for shows and updates.