Kitty Whitelaw: jazz singer fusing Nordic folklore with experimental folk

Kitty Whitelaw, a London-based jazz singer and actress, co-founded the folk jazz duo Sealionwoman with double bassist Tye McGivern. She debuted at the EFG London Jazz Festival in 2019 with a sold-out tribute to Anita O'Day. As an actress, she performed at Rada, Vault, Brighton Fringe, and Hever Castle Theatre, playing Jane Boleyn. In 2018, Sealionwoman released their first album 'Siren,' inspired by the Nordic mythological selkie. Their second album, 'Nothing Will Grow In The Soil' (2024), was influenced by a 4,000-year-old yew tree in Crowhurst, Surrey, evoking Lynchian atmospheres. The duo has been played on BBC stations and performed at Cafe Oto and Union Chapel. Whitelaw defines art as 'a gift that helps us find our humanity' and music as essential as air. She identifies proudly as an artist, though it took years to gain confidence. Her favorite visual artwork is 'The Hunt' by Robert Burns (1926) at the National Gallery of Scotland. Her favorite song is 'Sunday' by Kenny Graham And His Satellites. Current projects include touring the new album and planting seeds for future music, often inspired by her dreams. A childhood memory involves believing fairies lived in her parents' garden plants.