When Jamie Henkensiefken transplanted herself to Seattle in 2002, she brought with her the spirit and sound of her hometown, Missoula, Montana, and its infamous Hellgate Canyon, known for it's fierce cold winds, but also for its majestic and ominous beauty. It seemed a natural encapsulation of her songwriting: articulate, urgency-driven guitars paired with the subtle elegance of mild-mannered craftsmanship, so she borrowed its name.
In 2006, Jamie self-recorded the self-titled H Is for Hellgate debut record in her basement, on which she played every instrument under the influence of post-work exasperation and red wine. In the process, she met bassist Ben Baier (We Wrote the Book on Connectors), and guitarist David Thomas, (Zero State Reflex)who both contributed on a few tracks. With Drummer Marie Calderon, the transformation of her solo act into a 4-piece band was complete, and the band quickly started playing locally. Jamie almost punched a girl at their first show at a party at her old house, but "that's kind of a long story."
H Is for Hellgate's sound is a unique blend of indie rock (think The Dismemberment Plan, Sleater-Kinney, Elliott Smith), classic Prog (Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson) and Jamie's interest in Romantic era composers (Chopin, Brahms, Berlioz). This is to say that it rocks with brains in its head and isn't afraid to take chances. The album is diverse, tight, and extremely musical. (Bio by Stereotype Records)
