Biographies
Kristen Grainger
Singer-songwriter Kristen Grainger is also known as the voice of Oregon alternative-bluegrass band True North. Originally from Boston, Mass., she has lived in the Pacific Northwest since the age of four and has been a Salem, Oregon resident for nearly 17 years. An accomplished pianist, poet and short-fiction writer, Kristen has been writing song lyrics on the backs of parking tickets and Keno slips for as long as she has been legally able to drive and gamble.
She and Dan Wetzel have been writing and performing music and filing jointly as a married couple for nearly seven years. The duo started True North in 2003 and the band continues to perform and record avidly. Recently critics have shared the following about Kristen’s talents:
- Focusing around the terrific lead vocals of Kristen Grainger, the band shows what can happen when great songs meet great singers. Kate McKenzie Red House Records artist and frequent guest on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” October 2006
- The band sounds quite good, and [Kristen Grainger’s] singing is lovely. Laurie Lewis Grammy-award winning artist, Round House Records September 2006
- Kristen’s vocalizing exhibits the intensity of a singer with breathtaking ability comparable to Laurie Lewis. Joe Ross staff writer for Bluegrass Now October 2006
- But it’s the thoughtful and moving version of Patty Griffin’s “Long Ride Home” that truly shows how emotionally effective the group can be. Much of that is due to lead singer Kristen Grainger, who also wrote the lion’s share of True North’s material. With a voice reminiscent of a muted Bonnie Raitt, she skillfully explores the narrative terrain they cover. H.K. Bluegrass Unlimited June 2005