Kristan Mikala

Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival, Kristin Mikala, Songwriter, SMSWF, Gatlinburg, TN

Kristan Mikala
Early County, GA
Tom & Earl’s Back Alley Grill
Fri Aug 26 5-5:30 PM
Gatlinburg Inn-Sound Biscuit Productions Stage
Sat. Aug 27 9:45-10:45 AM

Kristan Mikala is a pint-sized powerhouse who has been writing and entertaining audiences since childhood. Kristan developed a seasoned yet eagerly passionate professionalism at an early age, and her first performance was at a local talent show at the age of 7. Since then, she has performed regularly throughout the Southeast for the last 19 years at all sorts of venues and events. From internationally-known festivals, such as the Peanut Festival in Dothan, AL, and the Briar Patch Music Festival in Damascus, GA, to countless venues ranging from intimate gastropubs to the largest nightclub in the country, Club La Vela, Kristan pours her soul into every performance.

Her musical influences are eclectic and widely varied, ranging from unique song-smiths like Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Jason Isbell, and Lyle Lovett to popular artists like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Halestorm, Miranda Lambert, and The Pretty Reckless. Kristan’s live performances bridge the gap between rootsy-yet-refined Americana country and in-your-face American pop-rock with sass and soul. She has been compared by many to Janis Joplin, Florence + the Machine, Jewel, the Civil Wars’ Joy Williams, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

Kristan began writing in earnest as a young teenager and discovered a love for the acoustic guitar not long after. Throughout her career in the industry, Kristan has won numerous awards on both local and international levels for her writing, vocals, and performing abilities. Kristan has fronted and performed with bands of multiple genres and has since embarked on her solo career, sharing the stage with a variety of skilled artists ranging from T. Graham Brown, Jeff Bates, David Frizzell, Bo Brannon, Shane Owens, The Offer, and more.

Unique and memorable, Kristan’s songwriting displays a wit and depth beyond her years. She has a knack for using catchy, yet poetic, turns of phrase in order to convey her passion for life and connection with other people. Her songs pair brilliantly with her surprisingly powerful and nuanced vocals. She is known for her emotive and evocative singing style, with a noteworthy range of rich lows and soaring highs wrapped in raspy sass and a sweet, lilting vibrato.

Kristan has amassed a wide following with countless connections due to her strong online presence in social media, as well as her warm, quirky, and quick-witted personality. She has participated in multiple radio and television interviews and performances, and she personally maintains her accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr, and more.

Extremely driven, Kristan worked her way through college even as she chased her musical dreams, acquiring degrees in Business Administration, English, Foreign Languages, History, and Psychology, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She is also a member of multiple national and international honor societies. Today, she works full time while performing multiple times a week. She spends her free time connecting with her friends and family, playing guitar, writing songs, reading, practicing yoga, and supporting charities she believes in. A dreamer and a doer, Kristan is an impressive artist with a voice that is as relative as it is unforgettable.