Leavenworth Ski Hill Lodge Welcomes Songwriter Kristen Marlo

Tacoma-based singer-songwriter Kristen Marlo welcomed the Leavenworth community at the Leavenworth Ski Hill Lodge Sept. 10. With her musical fusion of folk and pop, Marlo sways the crowd with her bittersweet love songs.

Born and raised in New Mexico, Kristen Marlo has been song-writing since she was a child. Growing up, she was always looking for an escape.

"My plan was to always be a musician, but I grew up in a small-town in New Mexico and kind of an easy way to get out of that town was through the military," Marlo said.

Marlo moved from New Mexico to Spokane, WA., stationed at Fairchild Airforce base. With her guitar by her side and a song in her heart, Marlo spent her free time performing at open mics.

“I had already done all the footwork of making venue contacts, the studios I was recording in, artists I was working with," Marlo said. "That was already in place by the time I had got out of the Air Force, then it was pretty easy to transition into being a full-time musician.”

Marlo's style of song-writing contains themes of heart-ache, love, loss and the human need for connection.

During the pandemic, Marlo had released an EP that diverted away from her usual folk style.

“I released a single last year,” Marlo said. “The song itself is about wanting to stay with somebody even though it’s not the best idea, but that person really makes you feel like you want to stay with them.”

Marlo would describe her style as "contemporary folk-pop." Her influences include the Beatles, Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, AC/DC, and Fleetwood Mac.

“I just like the simplicity of the songwriting and I definitely think I carry that out to my own music,” Marlo said. “I want to write in a way that is personal to me but general enough that anybody can create their own story from it.”

Marlo said that she is super excited to perform in Leavenworth again and derives plenty of inspiration from the town.

“I think about [songwriting] every time I’m out there. I would love to go on a week retreat in Leavenworth and song-write, that’s like a goal of mine in the near future," Marlo said. “Everybody is so kind. The locals are great, but I also love that you’re playing to tourists.”

She will be performing at Patterson Cellars Tasting Room on Dec. 10th and 11th.