July 12, 2007

Redlands singer Keith showcases burgeoning career

She'll perform at two area coffeehouses Saturday.

By BRETT LEWIS
Special to The Press-Enterprise

Like footsteps in the sand, cars on a highway, or a river moving at a consistent speed, the guitar's opening chord sets the mood. Always a good travel companion, a drum kick starts its way into the passenger's seat.

On the title track to her debut album, "Beautiful Distraction," singer-songwriter Marianne Keith takes the listener on the road with her. And the road has led her back home again.

Redlands native Keith will be performing songs from "Beautiful Distraction" at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Redlands' Stell Coffee and Tea . Then she'll make her way to Riverside's Downtown Coffee Depot for her last scheduled show on the Unison Music tour at 8 p.m.

"I look around and see things that inspire me," Keith, 21, said of her songwriting. "As I've grown as a songwriter I've started to look for inspiration beyond myself."

Ever since she was a 5-year-old girl singing in the Temple Baptist choir, Keith has loved music. Whether it was singing lead in a church play or putting on personal solo shows for her mother at the Redlands Bowl, she has loved the stage.

"It started with her voice," Unison Records producer Ryan Dorn said of Keith. "She's got that ability to turn it on and captivate her audience."

Keith decided in the eighth grade that she wanted to be a professional musician. Her parents, both of whom have no musical experience, were supportive from the beginning, allowing her to explore her ambitions.

While at Redlands High School, she developed her singing voice, but it wasn't until she was 18 that she started taking guitar and piano seriously.

"I really wanted to write songs, be seen as an artist and have something to say," Keith said of her decision to learn piano and guitar.

Riverside's Coffee Depot's Thursday Night Open Mic was Keith's first performance as a singer-songwriter. She tested out demo versions of songs she wrote, got a positive response and decided to play again.

She continued to pursue a music career while attending Crafton Hills College and then Cal State Fullerton. Her soulful voice and approachable personality helped her land shows around Orange County and the Inland area, including a show with singer-songwriter Kirsten Proffit.

Proffit contacted her producer, Bruce Witkin, and told him of Keith. Witkin decided to hear Keith play and see if she was right for his new label, Unison Records.

"She's real; she can play and sing," Witkin said of his decision to sign Keith. "Obviously she's talented, but she's also willing to put in the work. What mostly attracted us to her was that she's a great songwriter and good kid."

In the past year Keith has recorded "Beautiful Distraction," her first record with Unison. The album ranges from adult contemporary to country pop. Keith plays guitar and piano with a small backing band on the album, but she performs alone on her current tour.

Highlights from the album include "Sideways Rain," a piano ballad in which she recorded the piano and vocals on the same take. "On the Line" is the album's most innovative track, using "random things" around the studio to create a dissonant, edgy percussion opening.

"It's our job to ensure that no matter what's done she'll have a long-term career," Dorn said of Unison's plans for Keith.

Added Witkin: "We want her to be able to have integrity and do what she wants to do as an artist."

Keith has written over 60 songs for her second album, an astonishing feat for a young artist. She continues to look ahead to where the road of touring musician takes her as she plays her songs up and down the West Coast.

Coffee Depot will be the final stop on the Unison Music tour, which includes Keith, Noah Sugarman, an acoustic artist from Kentucky, and Peech, an acoustic duo from Chico. The tour started in Eugene, Ore., and has made its way down the coast.

"I just hope to see it get better and better," Keith said of her music. "I want to continue making intelligent, beautiful music."

Unison Music tour

When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

Where: Stell Coffee and Tea

1580 Barton Rd.

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 909-792-4700

When: Saturday, 8 p.m.

Where: The Coffee Depot

3204 Mission Inn Ave.

Riverside, CA 92507

Phone: 951-222-2263