Kate MacLeod - The Woman You Will Never Know

"I’m releasing this song to recognize National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Day which falls annually on May 5," says Kate MacLeod about her new single, "The Woman You Will Never Know." This day is observed in both Canada and the United States. The song is not a happy one, instead, it speaks to the horror of lives being cut short often before they have had the time to blossom. It was born from empathy, grief, sorrow, and justified indignation. Not only is the murder rate on reservations ten times higher than the average for women, but murder is the third leading cause of death for Native women, with the victims ranging in age from infants to the elderly. I ask that listeners consider making a monetary donation to this, or a similar organization: https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered- indigenous-women-mmiw

"My interests in the issues of missing and murdered women stem from a variety of sources; my own experiences as a woman navigating an historically misogynistic culture, my inclinations towards activism, living in the American West where many reservations exist, and from having survived my own experiences with abuse against women. Although my family line is not from the First Nations of the Western Hemisphere, I have roots in tribal cultures from other lands. I hope that this song is accepted as a gesture of empathy.

"Joining me on vocals is Carla Halverson Eskelsen, a strong and beautiful voice from out of the American West. Carla’s voice is a centerpiece in the Utah acoustic music community. She is a songwriter who performs with guitar, autoharp, and various stringed instruments. Carla is also a poet. We have sung together over many years for various projects and events. Bob Smith, who joined on percussion, has performed with me and recorded on productions of mine for many years. The acoustic bassist, Robert Dow, is a bow maker for stringed instruments who has been performing with me since we met at the Violin Making School of America where we have both been students and employees."

A neo-traditionalist musician, MacLeod songwriting and performing explore the link between traditional music and contemporary songwriting. Since her first recording, produced by the late Charles Sawtelle of Hot Rize, her songs have been recorded by artists from California to the Czech Republic, including such noted musicians as Laurie Lewis and Mollie O'Brien. Kate has toured in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, and the UK. The Far-West region of Folk Alliance International presented her with the Best of the West Award in 2019. In addition to her roots music, she is a versatile composer who received the 2019 Alfred Lambourne Friends of the Great Salt Lake Award for an original violin duet. Her music is well suited for film soundtracks and has been used in a variety of documentaries. In February 2022, MacLeod released Uranium Maiden, a collection of music inspired by the Utah region, music from out of the heart of the American West. She followed that with a series of singles reimagining songs by Jean Ritchie. Kate is a mountain woman; she splits her time at home between Salt Lake City, UT, and Harpers Ferry, WV.