Kelley Hungerford – Assistant editor. Thursday night Cat Cabs provide much of Linfield’s talent its earliest opportunity to perform for a live audience. The circumstances were no different for local songstress Laura Gibson, who debuted in the Fred Meyer Lounge during her time at Linfield.
Gibson, class of ’01, returned to her musical beginnings the evening of Oct. 15 to play her second career Cat Cab. This time, she has two records under her belt and no science homework to turn in the next day.
“It felt really good to be back and connect with students,” she said.
Gibson said her first-ever performance wasn’t so impressive.
“It was pretty bad,” she said. “My roommate Miriam and I decided to play a Cat Cab together. Somehow the fellow in charge let us have one. I was just learning guitar and was really nervous.”
But, as she said, you have to start somewhere.
“At the time, I had no idea that I would end up making music my career,” Gibson said. “I like to think that by coming back and playing at Linfield, I am choosing to embrace my awkward beginnings.”
Linfield students certainly embraced Gibson’s music, awkward beginnings or not. All of the FML’s couches were full, as was much of the floor space.
“I think Laura Gibson’s an amazing artist, and I’m really glad to see her again,” sophomore Sarah Korn said.
Senior Jesse Hughey, co-Linfield Activities Board musical entertainment chair with senior Chris Hernandez, contacted Gibson to play at Linfield. Hughey heard her sing a few years ago when she opened for Josh Ritter at the Aladdin Theater in Portland. When he became involved with LAB, he decided Gibson would put on an excellent performance.
“I think it’s very much broad-appeal music. I think there’s something there for just about everybody.” Hughey said.
Gibson’s MySpace page describes her style as indie and blues, but Hughey also described her music as “new folk.”
“Her stuff is just — without being diminutive — pretty,” he said. “Not like it’s fluff or anything; it’s not insipid pretty music, just gorgeous harmonies, really haunting melody lines.”
In an effort to pinpoint her sound, think of her this way: If the vocal qualities of Marketá Irglová and Regina Spektor collectively had a music baby with Iron and Wine’s instrumentals, you’d get Laura Gibson.
She began to play guitar and sing while at Linfield but said she had no idea that she would inevitably make a career from music. In fact, she majored in general science with an emphasis in chemistry and minored in psychology. She also played basketball and ran track for her first few years but quit after sustaining frequent injuries.
Gibson said she assumed she would attend graduate school after college. Instead, she took a year off after Linfield to focus on recording her first album, “If You Come to Greet Me.”
“A year turned into three, which turned into three more, and so on,” Gibson said. “I think there were little moments along the way where I felt that this was what I was supposed to be doing.”
Since launching a music career, Gibson has sung with other well-known bands, including The Decemberists and Weinland. She even made a stop at Linfield last year to sing with the Portland Cello Project. Recently, she has been collaborating with friend Ethan Rose, and the two will release a joint record next February.
Gibson also visited Linfield in between tours to promote her new album “Beasts of Season,” which was released Feb. 24. She performed in Europe and the United Kingdom for four weeks and embarks on another tour starting Oct. 27, when she will first perform in Japan and across Europe once again.
“I am excited for the food and for morning walks through foreign towns,” Gibson said. “I feel so blessed, getting to experience these different places. Playing music, you end up seeing a different side of each culture.”
The “Beasts of Season” record she’s promoting is her sophomore album, which she wrote in a house overlooking the trees and gravestones of an old Portland cemetery.
“It is slow-moving and dark — not a toe-tapper,” Gibson said. “I think in making music, there is this pressure to make something flashy. But I really felt I needed to follow through with the path I was on and make a more meditative collection of songs. I am infinitely thankful that I stuck with my gut.”
If you missed the Cat Cab, visit http://www.myspace.com/lauragibson to listen to Gibson’s music or purchase a CD. For a comprehensive review of “Beasts of Season,” visit http://hushrecordsmedia.com/lg-bos.htm.