•  It's not easy to put Kaydi Johnson's music into a neat package. This artist deftly cracks the stereotype of the cordial female singer/songwriter holding a guitar. Known for her witty word plays and tightrope topics, it's tough not to get drawn in and intoxicated by her crisp musical style and insightful lyrics. Her eagerly awaited third CD, "Peasant of the Wreck," (produced by David Seitz- Moby, Bruce Springsteen) transcends the safety of your garden-variety composition. Exploring themes of family, corruption, politics and love, Kaydi holds nothing back.
• WINNER!!!  2010 New Jersey Folk Festival Songwriting Competition, Rutgers Universtiy 
• Kaydi was selected for the Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist Showcase in New York, 2003.
• She has opened for David Crosby, Robert Earl Keene and Lucy Kaplansky.
• Top ten regional New York finalists for the 2006 Mountain Stage New Song Festival at River to River Festival in NYC (with Ingrid Michaelson).
• Finalist in the South Florida Festival Songwriting Competition.
• She has appeared on Vin Scelsa's "Idiot's Delight" on WFUV, in NYC. Pete Fornatele of WFUV, Fordam University, NY, gave her honorable mention when selecting his "top ten" albums of 2002.
• Finalist in the Founders Title Folk and Bluegrass Festival (July 11-13 2008) Snowbird, Utah
• Finalist in the Avalon Folk Festival, Paw Paw West Virginia, 2008
• Featured Artist--International Narrative Song Competition, 2008
• WINNER!!! Avalonfest Song Writing Competition, West Virginia, 2008
• Honorable Mention 2009 North Carolina Song Writer's Co-op
• Featured Artist--Orion Independent Musical Festival 2009, Park City, Utah
  
  

 A stellar production. David Seitz--grammy nominated producer who has worked with Moby, Bruce Springstein, John Wesley Harding, Dar Williams, REM and Natalie Merchant--has pioneered the ability to fuse contemporary and classic recording techniques for singer/songwriters.  His productions evoke a modern sound while retaining the depth and warmth of the past. "Peasant of the Wreck" uses various electronic samples and digital effects (as well as real instruments) to lay a foundation for the classic and unrefined edge of Kaydi's vocals and guitar. “It was so freeing to not have to worry about what genre, category or radio format a given song would work within. The songs went where they begged to go. Some paths led to electronica--some to a more acoustic treatment.”

 The second track, Bonsai, might be considered a metaphor for the entire recording process.  Bonsai, a "potted plant" is the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees by growing them in containers (the song). Shaping and diminishing are accomplished through a few basic but precise techniques (the arrangements). The small size of the tree and the dwarfing of its leaves are maintained through a consistent regimen of pruning of both the leaves and the roots (editing and mixing). A variety of methods must be employed, as each species of tree exhibits different budding behavior (every song is unique). Furthermore, some pruning must be done seasonally, as most trees require a dormancy period and do not grow roots or leaves at that time; (distance from a project is often required by the artist). Improper pruning can weaken or kill the tree (tenderness with the art form is imperative). 

And so it was with the Peasant of the Wreck. Dwarfed and pruned. Budding but sometimes dormant. Tender but tough. Various methods were employed for each song on the CD.  As centuries of people have enjoyed the aesthetics of the Bonsai for its exhibition of different budding behavior, so will listeners continue to appreciate the similarities between the natural and unnatural world of Kaydi’s music.

1) Eddie

2) Night Student

3) Cry 

4) Summer Place

5) Drunken Houdini

6) Peasant of the Wreck