Karen Allen
Karen Allen’s upbringing in Point Pleasant, West Virginia has a surprising effect on her life and music. While grounded in country folk and roots rock, Karen gravitates to indie pop, alt rock and experimental sounds. All of these influences fuel a musical landscape for telling her unique story of love, loss, forgiveness, and transcendence.
Karen is best known as the founding member of the alt-grunge band Crazy Jane. The band recorded and toured in support of three albums, performed at the legendary CBGBs (NYC), NPR’s “Mountain Stage”, NXNE Music Festival (Toronto) to name a few and alongside acts such as They Might Be Giants, Violent Femmes, Donna the Buffalo, Julian Lennon, and Robyn Hitchcock.
Deeply affected by the 9/11 tragedy, Karen immersed herself in humanitarian work, becoming a skilled community organizer focused on helping disaster survivors and military members and families affected by war. During that time, Karen also began playing drums and recorded with indie rock duo Tofujitsu and experimental rock trio Fabulous Head.
Her upcoming release, “Here We Are Now,” is the culmination of a life beset with extraordinary experiences. The record was engineered and produced by Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, R.E.M., Big Star). From honest provocative lyrics to moody atmospheric swirls and textures to unforgettable melodies, Karen embraces her power and prowess as a musician to deliver her best work yet.