On Her Own Path

For singer, guitarist, and songwriter Kat Mills '93, her music escorted her on the inevitable trip down memory lane at this year's reunion. She performed original songs from her first solo album, Long Time, in Davison House, recalling many days spent sitting around the hallways strumming the guitar with friends freshman year. Since then, Mills has been a part of the popular down-home bluegrass band, Grass, known for its rollicking harmonies, along with husband Nick Polys '96, Jesse Selman '96, and Will Solomon '96.

When the time was right for the members of Grass to go their separate ways, Mills embarked on a solo career with her guitar in hand. Though living in Southwestern Virginia, she's continued to play widely throughout the northeast, with “a bit of twang here, a taste of smoky soul there.” She's currently “expanding” to venues in the south, and has built up an extensive repertoire of original music, which she debuts on Long Time. “Releasing the CD is my first step towards being a serious songwriter and trying to go for that,” she said. Along with a violinist, percussionist, and a multitalented producer, the CD includes back-up tracks from Will Solomon on mandolin.

Mills said that at reunion, she saw very clearly that she wasn't the only one trying to step forward with her art. She explained, “I realized that people who were dancing in college were dancing, people who were writing then are writers now. So many people had forged their paths in college.”

As she sings on Free Ideas, “Here I am, rising up like stands of trees, tryin' to tell 'em something…

Rights of passage, are pullin' me out in two directions. Black and white and back again…

Free ideas flow freely…”

To hear more from Kat Mills, and to buy her CD, visit www.sweetcut.com/kat.