Artist description Picture this: a modern day Mae West with road rage at a busyintersection where PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Ani DiFranco and Primushave just gotten into a pileup.

Music Style rock

Musical Influences The Pixies, PJ Harvey, Tool, Primus, lots of DIY artists you probably haven't heard of

Similar Artists P J Harvey, Radiohead, Ani DiFranco, Alanis Morrisette, Siouxsie, Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde, Pixies

Artist History Wire Graffiti started putting sounds to tape in 1995 when songwriters Katherine Sawyer and Stev Ohanis collided on the streets of Oakland CA. After recording their first CD, Poetic Dictionary, a mostly folk-based album written primarily by Katherine, they began fusing their styles after hitting the clubs in May of 1997. Inspired by the mélange of punk, metal and techno that was being played around them, and Stev’s quirky rock style rubbing off on Katherine, they quickly developed a sound that drives easily from ethereal to hardcore, while still keeping one hand on their folk rock roots. Wire Graffiti’s second recording, Hitting Traffic, released in 2000 established the band in the underground club scene, with an ever growing fan base, college radio exposure and television spots. Powered by bassist Tim Sanchez and drummer Rob Tucker the band released their third full length CD, Peculiar Love, on Valentine’s Day 2003. With producer Scrote (Casino Royale, Baby Snufkin), Peculiar Love is the bands most defining recording to date and features guest artists Dave Palmer (Seal, Fiona Apple, Brian Eno) on keyboards, horn players Mike and Travis Lafferty, and Angelique X (Venus Bleeding) singing backup.

Group Members Katherine Sawyer, Stev Ohanis, Tim Sanchez, Rob Tucker

Instruments Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums

Albums Peculiar Love, Hitting Traffic, Poetic Dictionary

Press Reviews Wire Graffiti's Katherine Sawyer has a distinctive way of singing - her powerhouse voice is low-register, nasally, a little like a gothic cabaret artist. Think Siouxsie Sioux, Chrissie Hynde, Ani DiFranco, L7, Sleater Kinney. The music goes here, there, everywhere, but Sawyer's witchy voice dominates the proceedings. It demands, "Pay attention, Listen to me." ........Tim Sanchez's bass and Sawyer's and Stev Ohanis' masterful guitars weave an intricate spell on Peculiar Love. The songs take gothic rock sounds and put them in jazz and prog-rock structures full of dynamic changes, baroque embellishments and endless moody grooves. ........Add it all together, and Peculiar Love is quite a compelling bag of tricks.” -Lisa Hix , West Coast Performer, June 2003 “It's rock, certainly--driving, dissonant, and danceable--but it's laced with the best elements of folk, psychedelia, even a little trip hop (without the machines), without coming close to any easy classification. The interplay between Katherine Sawyer's haunting siren call and melismatic keening and Stev Ohanis' rambling eeeeelectric geetar is little short of mesmerizing” -Sam Hurwitt, East Bay Express, July 1999

Location Oakland, CA - USA

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