Kate Usher & The Sturdy Souls
Written by: Cait Elizabeth - June 2019
Edited by: Travis Ryan
Introductions
Kate Usher & The Sturdy Souls will make you feel as if you are oceanside, cozied up in warm vibes with a breeze in your hair. Manifesting in two forms, duo and full band, The Souls blend reggae with pop rock and soul influences. When performing in the lite version, Kate Usher (lead vocalist), and Kevin Angiulo (lead guitar/vocals) use a loop pedal to layer their sound; in their full glory, they are joined by Jasper Conroy (drums), Josh LeClerc (rhythm/lead guitar), Leander Drake (bass), Tom Casse (rhythm guitar), and Tristan Visitacion (saxophone). The project was established circa 2015 when Kate stumbled upon Kevin playing harmonica on the beach. After quickly bonding over music, Kate jumped in on a set with him and they clicked. Over the next two years they hit the stage as a duo, picking up a weekly summer residency at the iconic Surf Lodge in Montauk that they still maintain today. As the stages have gotten bigger, Kate and Kevin expanded the band to fill out their sound for high energy venues.
Tours & Shows
When they’re not holding it down at the Surf Lodge, The Sturdy Souls can be found in all the busy South Shore spots like Stephen Talkhouse and Shagwong. One of their favorite shows so far was opening for Paul Simon at a charity concert for the Montauk Lighthouse in 2018. They played in a natural outdoor amphitheater to a huge crowd just as the sun and moon traded places. They are often the first choice for supporting bigger acts—August will mark the third year in a row they open for Matisyahu. This summer you can also find The Study Souls playing at the Great South Bay Music Festival on July 19!
In the past three years they have rigged up a van as a mobile crashpad and packed it with all their equipment, surfboards, slack-lines, and necessities and set sail for the Golden State. Catching Z’s through a combination of couch surfing, Airbnbs, and posting up in the van, the pair played shows all along the west coast. Ever busy, last year they gigged their way down to Florida from New York.
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www.thesturdysouls.com
thesturdysouls@gmail.com
Influences & Inspiration
Kate has always been a fan of pop, dance, and reggaeton music, the last being a tie to her Puerto Rican heritage. In general she’s drawn to anything catchy and energetic. Kevin leans towards rock and funk music and finds himself replaying Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, and Jimi Hendrix tunes on the regular. They have a shared love for classics like Bob Marley and The Beatles, but FKJ, Tash Sultana, and Billie Eilish have been their most recent fixations.
“Work hard for the things that you love because you never know how it will turn out.”