photo by henry navarro // edited by austin shaffer

Pocket Full of Rye is Cristian Ortiz (Cello), Chris Harrington (Guitar), Elan Hawtrey (Cajon) and Jamie McKenzie (Voice) who play acoustic, gypsy-folk, 50′s love song-influenced melodies about happy people in sad situations. They cover the Misfits sometimes too.

Sounds like: Brandi Carlile singing Danzig, Beach House on anti-depressants and/or a less-stoned version of Jolie Holland singing the blues.

Email us at band@pocketfullofrye.net // Find us on Facebook // Twit? @pocket_full

Our “Resume”

Press:

SF Weekly, Best Suburban Funk Band, May 2011:
“The band’s suave style — just a guitar, a cello, and the voice you want singing you to sleep at night — fits any performance space and goes down like smooth whiskey… they’re able to get a punk room into a funky groove while playing an acoustic coffeehouse set, or kill at a BART station poetry reading with a single amp.”

Tucson Weekly, Live, December 2010:
“Pocket Full of Rye showed off a sound more dynamic and full than you might expect from arrangements comprising simply cello, guitar and voice. The songs lurched from a raucous gallop to quiet, intimate moments.”

“Part of McKenzie’s appeal is a big, strong voice tempered in musical theater. She also capably captures the heart-on-her-sleeve combination of jazz unpredictability and bluesy soulfulness that we used to hear from performers like the semi-legendary folk-blues singer Judy Henske.”

Festivals, Events:

Portuguese Artists Colony, San Francisco, CA, Regulars
Writers workshop, reading series and acoustic music

Deep Green Festival, April 23, 2011, Richmond, CA
Cannabis festival

Bernal Yoga Series, April 16, 2011, San Francisco, CA
Poetry reading and acoustic music

RevFest, April 8-9, 2011, San Francisco, CA
Two day festival celebrating the local SF music scene

NoisePop Christmas Party, December 16, 2010, San Francisco, CA

Jury Street Block Party, October 3, 2010, San Francisco, CA

Noise Pop Street Food Festival, August 21, 2010, San Francisco, CA

The Songbird Festival, August 7-22, 2010, San Francisco, CA
(The Blue Macaw, Twin Space, Amnesia)

Battle of the Bands, MNKY Productions, June 10, 2010, San Francisco, CA
Second place

The Ardor Launch Party, May 14, 2010, San Francisco, CA

The Loft, 48 Hour Movie Project, March, 2010, Tucson, AZ
Won Best Original Score, “Change”

Venues:

Berkeley, CA
The Shattuck Downlow

San Francisco, CA
BART. Regulars
Glen Park Station, Regulars
Secession Art & Design, Regulars
Fivepoints Arthouse, Regulars
Pirate Cat Radio, Regulars
Radio Velencia
Adobe Books
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Grant & Green
Space Gallery
Brainwash Cafe
The Ambassador
Dolores Park Cafe, Regulars
SoCha Cafe

Sunnyvale, CA
Fibbar McGees

Tucson, AZ
Plush Lounge