Kim Capps
Kim Capps is a mixture of divergent influences and experiences. Raised in the southeastern United States, she grew up listening to a variety of music, from country to Elvis to Sinatra, to the Motown and Atlantic Records R & B that so influenced American music. Growing up in the church in the south, she remembers singing hymns with the organist in four-part harmony, but it was the spirituals that Kim heard echoing outside African American churches which spoke more to her heart.
Kim began writing music at 12 and performing in college, but felt discouraged at every turn and changed career direction from music to social work at the University of Georgia. Later she entered seminary in Washington DC, leaving music to only occasional performances in churches where she served as pastor. Over time, Kim found herself continually drawn to making music and finally realized that she would always have regrets if she did not follow her heart. She began to search for the places and ways in which she could soothe those longings that would not go away. She studied vocals with jazz and rock teachers and found musicians with whom she could perform and write. Kim joined with Richard Seidel and T.J. O’Malley to form the Unusual Suspects, a folk country trio, performing in coffee houses, festivals and benefits. They released their CD, “Outside the Lines” in 2005
In 2004, Kim also found her way to a place that ultimately would change her vocal style and help her to find the musical love of her life. For years, she had felt the need to sing the blues. That desire led her to wander into the “Barbershop” in northeast DC, home of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation and Blues Week at Davis-Elkins College in WV. She studied vocals with Gaye Adegbalola and began to find her voice. Kim’s singing and writing took on an honest, visceral nature. Over the past 3 years, she has been performing blues and “Gospel with Grit” in a variety of venues including churches, bars and coffee houses in the DC area. Kim performs frequently with the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation and frequently teams up with Mike Baytop for performances.
Kim has performed at the Takoma Park Folk Festival, the Washington Folk Festival, the FSGW Mini-fest, Eastern Market, Art-Scape, the Brookland Festival, La Casa di Gianni in San Teodoro, Sardinia and a variety of coffee houses, church and house concerts in the Metro DC area.