By Chloe Gallo
Playing sold-out shows, having fans scream your name and hearing yourself on the radio is not just for prominent pop idols anymore. University of Delaware 2004 graduate Kaitlin Sweeney, along with her self titled band, have begun to experience their own dose of stardom.
“I love to sing and dance — I am such a pop person,” says Sweeney. “I have been doing this since I was a child.”
Sweeney, 24, started off her road toward being a pop idol in her Long Island backyard, where he father would produce shows for her group, “Girls with Attitudes.” She and her friends in the group would sing and dance in front of an audience.
“ ‘Girls with Attitudes’ didn’t end up working out,” jokes Sweeney. “I have definitely moved on to bigger and better things.”
With musical inspirations such as Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys, Sweeney is now writing her own songs, and performing at venues with her new band that contain more than a backyard full of kids.
“It is not easy to find musicians who will want to practice hard and play pop,” Sweeney says. “I am very lucky because we don’t mess around.”
“The Kaitlin Sweeney Band,” which consists of a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, drummer, and two newly added backup singers, is moving forward at a rapid pace. They practice three to four times per week and have at least one performance per week.
From both a creative and performance standpoint, Sweeney attributes much of her drive and confidence to going to college.
“Our parents have always supported Kaitlin with her music, but they did encourage her to go to college first.” says her sister, Erin Sweeney, a 2006 UD graduate.
Sweeney chose to major in English at UD to enhance her ability to write songs and lyrics. She also was the director of the campus a capella group, The Deltones, and was a sister of the Sigma Kappa Sorority.
“Being in The Deltones and my sorority gave me a lot more confidence in performing,” says Sweeney.
With The Deltones, Sweeney preformed locally on campus and gained a student fan base. She also choreographed competitive dances performances that her sorority took part in, and won the title of Greek Goddess for showcasing her own music and dance routine.
“She is always able to keep the audience involved.” says fellow dancer Taryn Sardoni. “She has such high energy — she always performs as if there are 50,000 people in the audience that need to be entertained.”
After graduating from UD, Sweeney moved to New York City in 2005 where she worked with producer Chris Young, Neil Young’s nephew, of Superego Productions, on a solo album demo.
“I gained a lot of knowledge about the business aspect of the music business in New York,” says Sweeney. “But I felt that I had a real fan base that I could connect with in the Delaware and Philadelphia area.”
This summer, the band won Spark Magazine’s second annual “Spark Summer Music Series” where 16 local bands competed at the Logan House in Wilmington. For this competition, fans were the sole ones who voted for the winners.
“Not everyone is going to like my music, but to get so many votes from fans that only saw once was unreal,” says Sweeney. “I am so proud that my style of music got such a great response at this show.”
Winning this competition has entitled the band to $1,000 worth of prize money, 20 hours of recording time at Wonderland Records, and the grand prize of getting a slot in the Dewey Beach Music Conference on September 29 where the audience was comprised of music managers and producers.
“Winning this was definitely a big break for us,” says drummer Matt Galletti, 24. “It showed us that they sky is the limit — there is so much we can do now.”
At the Dewey Beach Music Conference, The Kaitlin Sweeney Band was approached by mangers and producers and received a standing ovation after their set.
With the 20 hours of studio time at Wonderland Records, Sweeney and the band hope to produce a full album at the end of the year.
“Kaitlin has the ability, as far as writing and performing, to be a huge star,” says Galletti. “There is no where for us to go but forward.”
