Fall In Love With Katie & Pat

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 15, 2010 5:20PM

We’re not ashamed to admit that we adore girl-guy duos. Acts like She & Him, The White Stripes and Mates of States each have a whimsical quality and make music seemingly born from a spring romance, whether or not they’re lovebirds. And Chicago-based folk-pop duo Katie & Pat are no exception. They’re the ideal indie love story - these two musicians fell for each other in a small Ohio town, formed the band, got married and then relocated to Chicago to get some big city exposure. But instead of babies, they’re popping out their own breed of buoyant, sweet-hearty tunes.

Just this past April, the duo released the suitably titled EP, Short Cuts, that squeezes in six songs in under 14 minutes. Despite its brevity, Short Cuts isn’t lacking, and even though the band is only two people, they manage to create the sound of a full band in the studio. Take for example, “Flutterflies,” a mostly instrumental piece which layers xylophone, keyboard, ukelele and Katie gently ooh-ooh-oohing in the background. And the album’s closer, “Uke Song #1,” is perhaps its strongest. This charming love song has a French-rooted folk feel, featuring again jangly ukulele along with the melancholic cries of an accordion.

In all, the album is short, sweet and hits the spot. Decide for yourself: All six songs are available on their MySpace, so you can preview the album before you download it. And if you really like Katie & Pat, check them out next week at Schuba’s, opening for Australian pop singer/songwriter Sally Seltmann. We expect it to be a pretty romantic night full of love songs guaranteed to pull your heart strings, so you might want to bring along a sweetheart for cuddling and possible makeouts.

Katie & Pat Perform with Sally Seltmann, Monday, June 21 at Schuba’s, 3159 N Southport, 8 p.m., $10, 21+