By Jane McDonald
Photo by Bre Blake Photography
Headroom Session #41 is the first session of a new year and a new decade! So it feels fitting that Denver’s 2019 winner for Best Singer-Songwriter is gracing the stage in January 2020. One-woman act Lady Gang (aka Jen Korte) had a big year, not only earning the praise of Westword’s Best of Denver voters, but also opening for hip-hop legends The Pharcyde and performing at Denver’s Underground Music Showcase.
Lady Gang is certainly much more than a “loop artist,” a title she technically demonstrates for her audience in case there is confusion surrounding how she builds her layered, entirely live-recorded tracks. Describing her sound is challenging as she incorporates so many styles into her music, hip-hop style lyricism mixed with and acoustic guitar indie-folky-rockish… I give up. She is enigmatic and that may be because she is a seasoned Denver musician who participates in projects of all kinds, giving her a vast perspective of the music landscape.
Donning a fabulous jungle cat-covered track-suit, Korte treats the audience to three very different tracks for her recorded session. She opens with the politically charged How Do You Sound done in a gritty MC style from her 2018 EP Simple Truths, created when the United States was just becoming the divisive place it is now. She then moves seamlessly into new works, which are a departure from topical subject matter. The lighter City Lights is an admitted homage to the current 80s resurgence and dance-y Full Throttle is a fun declaration of Korte’s commitment to the music industry.
This one-woman gang has industry experience, ideas and creativity that give her a truly unique sound. One that will likely keep Denver on the map as a consistent source of inventive new artists. Lady Gang’s upcoming self-produced album is not one you want to miss, release date TBD.