Waxahatchee’s Mixtape Memoir:
The Researcher
On this episode, I’m excited to bring you this very special Mixtape Memoir with Katie Crutchfield, now known to most music fans as Waxahatchee - the moniker she has used for her solo project for over a decade and across five studio albums, most recently the critically hailed 2020 album Saint Cloud. Rather than giving us a snapshot of her whole life and career to the present day, Katie chose to bring us back to where it all began and focus in on stories and music from her childhood and formative teenage years that were most impactful on her artistry and developing her songwriting voice. That voice has become one of the most beloved and highly regarded in indie rock today. Born in 1989 and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, she and her twin sister Allison grew up studying dance, soaking up a combination of their mom’s pop and country cd’s, the radio, and musicals, and their dad’s passion for country music. Katie started playing guitar in middle school, Allison picked up the drums, and together the Crutchfield twins learned how to make music side by side, in the basement of their family home. They started their first band in 8th grade and found their way to the music of the 90’s - grunge, alternative, and especially riot grrrl bands, and then punk. Katie became an avid self-described researcher, reading up on bands in music magazines, seeking out bands that influenced artists she admired, and diving into early digital streaming sites to organically build her own musical education, always looking to uncover the next step in making music of her own. She started writing songs in high school, and by the time they were 19, she and Allison formed their first pop punk touring band, P.S. Eliot, who put out two albums between 2009 and 2011 before parting ways to pursue their own projects. Allison Crutchfield formed the band Swearin’ and Katie started her career as Waxahatchee. This is the story of the building blocks Katie uncovered along the way.
LISTEN HERE:
Episode Credits:
Host/creator/creative director - Carmel Holt @carmelholt
Edited/mixed/mastered - Phoebe Wang / @feebswang
Theme music - Lucius @ilovelucius
Cover art - Merle Cooper @m.c.cooper
Art direction - @carmelholt
Waxahatchee press photo - Johnny Eastlund / @johnnyeastlund
Guest: Waxahatchee / @waxa_katie
Label: Anti- Records
