Coty Hogue

"Coty is the Bellingham folk community's best-kept secret. Without exaggerating, she is the Emmylou Harris of a new generation..."
- Jenn Hartman, KUGS Program Director 2006-2008 and Ladyfest Bellingham Organizer

Coty Hogue may come from Montana and live in the Pacific Northwest, but her voice sounds like it's been echoing around some Smokey Mountain for ages. Whether its completely unaccompanied or with straight-ahead guitar or claw-hammer banjo, she sings country songs, the genuine article - some old, some recent, some of her own - all with a voice unconstrained by age, time or geography. Dabbling in various genres for some time, it wasn't until she heard her mentor Ginny Hawker sing an unaccompanied ballad that she fell in love with the traditional music of Appalachia. Through Hawker's encouragement and guidance, Hogue has pursued this passion, a passion that is delivered in the songs she sings. In addition to her solo performances, Hogue can also be seen playing with Grampa's Geetars, an all acoustic Americana band based in Bellingham, and the Tall Valley Girls, an old-time duo with Jenna Veatch