Kristie Stremel & The 159ers

Kristie Stremel & The 159ers

About Kristie Stremel & The 159ers

Kristie Stremel began to learn her way around a guitar during her childhood in Hays, Kansas. By the tender age of 19, she had moved to Kansas City armed with enough songs to build a local fan base. She impressed crowds in the Nineties as a member of Frogpond, a popular alt-rock band that released a promising debut but stalled after a second release. Next Stremel formed Exit 159, named after the Interstate 70 off-ramp that led to her hometown. Their 7-song EP Lost on Earth produced one regional radio hit. The follow-up album produced two more. The band built on a growing local fan base and toured the West Coast extensively, but strains between band members led to a breakup. Stremel kept writing songs and growing, performed as a solo artist, and released a 6-song acoustic EP The Detour. Two more albums followed, All I Really Want (2001) and Here Comes The Light (2003). In 2006, Stremel released 10 Years. The album compiled fourteen of her best songs, demonstrated her skill as a songwriter, and prompted reflection on her music making. In 2009, Kristie received a call from an old friend. “Rob asked me if I wanted to do an Exit 159 reunion,” says Stremel. “So we did. We ended up having so much fun together that we spent the next year writing a handful of songs and added Scott Cameron to the mix.” Cameron, lead guitarist in Stremel’s solo band, joined Stremel and her former band mates from Exit 159, drummer Rob VanBiber and bassist Jamey Wheeler, to reform as Kristie Stremel and the 159ers. The band wasted no time in producing the hard-hitting full-length Color of Stars. The band tapped legendary Springfield, Missouri producer Lou Whitney (member of The Morells and The Skeletons), and released Color Of Stars Aug. 31, 2010. Much like the lead song "Unstoppable" from the new record, Stremel has persevered in making music throughout her life. Stremel drive to create and commitment to making music is evident not only in her songs, but also in her perspective. “I believe we are all born to create. Just recently, I have come to the realization that if I am not creating music, then I am not being myself. I love watching people and listening; I think that is where most of my songs come from…just listening to other people share. I enjoy the recording process and enjoy the people I ‘work’ with. Although there are many concessions I might have to make in order to play music, I peacefully make them, stay positive, and remain eager to continue creating music. I hear a lot of people tell me, ‘I wish I could do what I love…’ I say, you can and you should, if you truly want to be yourself.” Clearly, Stremel has taken her own advice and reaped the benefits of past experiences and present choices. “At every show, I get to feel Rob’s smile and kick drum on my back. James offers a secure, but relaxed bass feel to my left, and Scott amazes me with his lead guitar duties on my right,” says Stremel. “I have a beautiful connection with the 159ers. I hope people pick up the new CD and feel that connection.”

Taken from Last.fm

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