THE LADLES - epk

CAROLINE KUHN / KATIE MARTUCCI / LUCIA PONTONIERE

blurb

The Ladles are known for their signature harmonic blend, intricate arrangements and commitment to human connection. Imagine the tight, sisterly harmonies of The Staves meets Madison Cunningham’s songwriting ingenuity. At a Ladles show, you can’t help but feel part of something bigger. Swept up in their ethereal soundscapes, you can easily forget what separates you from the person next to you. Based in NYC and San Francisco, The Ladles are Katie Martucci, Caroline Kuhn, and Lucia Pontoniere.

biO

Before they were The Ladles — Katie, Caroline, and Lucia were the only three undergraduate women in New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Musical Arts program. Katie Martucci (guitar/vocals), Caroline Kuhn (banjo/vocals), and Lucia Pontoniere (fiddle/vocals) formed their trio after discovering an effortless chemistry playing music in their college dorm rooms. The group got its name from a mislabeled bathroom sign at the Conservatory that read “Ladles” instead of “Ladies.”

Each member of the band stands alone as her own impressive artist, but for The Ladles, making music has never been about the individual. The Ladles cherish community, and they use their artistic magnetism to create a sense of connection and belonging for their audiences. In line with their collective nature, each member of The Ladles writes songs and sings lead vocals; there is no clear front-woman. Each Ladles voice has a unique texture, but the real “voice” of The Ladles is their signature harmonic blend. When The Ladles harmonize, you’ll swear you’re hearing one voice, somehow replete with delicious overtones that give them a fuller sound than you’d ever expect from a trio.

Their collective sound feels like The Staves hiking the Appalachian trail with the Punch Brothers. Their music defies definition by a singular genre, and they have put in the years to discover how their sound fits into (and expands) larger traditions. With influences from indie pop and old time to chamber and choral music -- The Ladles embody a rare balance of technical prowess, emotional intuition, and creative exploration. 

In many ways, The Ladles have grown up together. They have navigated a decade of managing a bi-coastal band (NYC and SF), figuring out creative ways to collaborate during the pandemic, and being there for each other, both musically and personally, through the many challenges of their 20s. There’s something inextricable about the way The Ladles music has blossomed as they’ve grown together as people.

At a Ladles show, you can’t help but feel part of something bigger. When you’re swept up in their ethereal soundscapes, you can easily forget what separates you from the person next to you. You’ll feel a collective resonance. And that’s exactly what this band’s after, because, to The Ladles, everything’s better when shared.

individual bios   

Hailing from the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, Katie Martucci grew up singing, and playing fiddle and guitar. After a brief stint of collegiate acapella at Skidmore College, Katie rejected a possible future as a historian at the State Department, and transferred to the New England Conservatory. While at NEC, she studied voice, songwriting and arranging in the Contemporary Improvisation Department, and formed The Ladles with Caroline Kuhn and Lucia Pontoniere. Today, Katie is based in Brooklyn, NY. When she’s not playing with The Ladles, Katie performs with the creative collective, Apartment Sessions, leads the Tucci Swing Orchestra, and performs her original music with the Katie Martucci Band.

A recent graduate of The New England Conservatory of Music, Caroline Kuhn spent the last four years completing her degree with a focus on songwriting and contemporary vocal music. After spending time in Boston building upon her extensive experience singing harmony in a variety of styles (from choral to jazz), she returned to her native New York City. Caroline began her career in NYC at the age of five, recording jingles and doing an assortment of voice-over work. Outside of The Ladles, Caroline regularly performs with several New York City-based projects, such as folk group Ruthless Moon, Damon Smith, and the Tucci Swing Trio. When she is not performing with one of them, she is playing her original music- with a newly formed backing band.

Lucia Pontoniere grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the age of six, she began competing in local fiddle competitions. Three years later, she was accepted to the Young Musician’s Program at UC Berkeley. There, she began a classical journey, and was awarded a scholarship to attend San Domenico School and play in their award-winning orchestra. In 2014 Lucia attended New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Improvisation Department, where she and two classmates started the band The Ladles. She transferred to Berklee College of Music, where she got her Bachelor’s in Violin Performance and American Roots. Lucia lives in New Orleans now and is working on constantly evolving as a musician.

recordings: 

2019 The Line
2016 The Ladles Debut EP

video: 

Patience - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bMcjbIhPQA
What I Am N0t -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RLblkKfRIA
Juvenile -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msdw9O88Nrc
Father Neptune (Connie Converse) -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAHTmJf2xus
Silver Dagger -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nouvPPKhHI4

festivals: 

Blackpot Festival - Lafayette, LA - 2017
Beardfest - Hammonton, NJ - 2018
Ossippee Valley Music Festival - Hiram, ME - 2016, 2017 and 2018
Grassroots Music Festival - Trumansburg, NY - 2017
The Summer Hoot - Ashokan, NY - 2016
Club Passim Campfire Festival - Cambridge, MA - 2015 and 2016
Harvard Square 37th Annual Oktoberfest - Boston, MA - 2015 

awards: 

Winner of Grassroots Festival Band Contest - 2016
Second Place Clifftop Neo-traditional Band Contest - 2016
Boston Folk Song Society Featured Artist - 2015

press: 

“When all three voices come together in harmony, the sound lights up the space like a firefly in the night.” – American Songwriter

“Masters of three-part harmony, The Ladles – comprising Katie Martucci, Caroline Kuhn and Lucia Pontoniere – blend swing, old-time, folk and more to create a handcrafted, downhome sound that brings to mind nights spent making music on the back porch while fireflies flit about and good friends catch up. The sound is spacious and lovely. With instrumentation that impresses, harmonies that inspire and an ability to capture the richness of the folk tradition without getting stuck in the past, The Ladles is a quiet stand out of the roots genre.” – CJ / Goodtimes SC

touring: 

2019 The Line Album Release Tour (Northeast)
2018 West Coast Tour
2016 Summer Tour (New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland) 
2017 "Spring" Tour (Boston, NYC, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Cape Cod) 
2017 Summer Tour 

notable performances: 

Maverick Concerts - Woodstock, NY - July 2017
The Stoltz Listening Room at The Avalon Theater - Easton, MD - August 2017
Jordan Hall - Boston, MA - 2015/2016
The Stone (Residency) - New York, NY - September 2015

photos: