For fans of classic country music, it doesn’t get better than Kimmi Bitter. Influenced by the sounds of 1960s artists, Bitter has crafted music that touches on the past, but still has a modern feel, with great harmonies, melodies and song hooks. It’s a winning combination that saw her take home the trophy for “Best Country or Americana Artist” at the 2023 San Diego Music Awards, topping that achievement at the 2024 edition, with a “Song of the Year” win for her song, “Aquamarine.” Bitter and her band, The Westside Twang, featuring Willis Farnsworth (guitar), Ben Neal (bass) and Justin De la Vega (drums) will be on a nationwide tour in support of her latest album, Old School, wrapping up in Los Angeles on July 21.
Originally from San Jose, Bitter moved to San Diego when she was thirteen, “and just going into high school,” she said. “I’m a Californian native. Oceanside is where I consider my home, and the majority of my life has been there. But I was born in San Jose and lived there until 8th grade.”
Her inspiration to be a musician came early. “I wanted to be a singer-songwriter since I first found out adults had to get jobs,” Bitter said good-naturedly. Another San Diego singer- songwriter served as her early motivation. “(Being a musician) was always what I aspired to become,” she commented. “I wanted to be like Jewel in elementary school. I asked for a guitar for my 3rd grade Christmas gift but could not figure out how to teach myself at such a young age. These were pre-internet days. I didn’t re-pick it up again until I was 18 and forced myself to play every day until I figured it out. I started off with immense stage fright and didn’t do my first performance until I was 22 years old, but I’ve been performing ever since then.”
How did the album title Old School come about? “I wasn’t sure what the album was going to be called until my producer Mike Gurley and I co-wrote the song, “Old School” together,” Bitter said. “It’s a song simply about my obsession with old-school music and since the album is a collection of my favorite sounds and styles from 1960s country, it just made sense to make that song the anthem of the album.”
What is she happiest about with the album? “I’m happy that it doesn’t sound like what’s currently mainstream, yet has a familiar feeling,” Bitter said. Her favorite song on the album is “Aquamarine.”, “We almost didn”t record it, but threw it in last minute on a whim,” Bitter commented. “It captures exactly the vibe I was hoping to accomplish on that particular song: a sailor’s paradise set in the early sixties.”
What inspired her love of 1960s-era country music? “Patsy Cline with the Jordanaires songs,” Bitter said. “They’re just so incredibly good. Everyone loves Patsy Cline, whether you’re a country fan or not. You don’t hear those kinds of thought-out harmonies and song structures anymore. That was “pop” music then. I don’t know how we went so astray. To me, music peaked then. I’m hyper-obsessed with the art of the 1960s. I’m constantly studying it, from the recording sounds, to the fashion styles, to the color grading of film and photography from that era.”
How did it feel to win that initial SDMA in 2023? “It was such an honor and a total hometown milestone for me,” Bitter said. “I remember the first SDMA show I went to, about 10ish years ago. I was so green and had such intense stage fright, that the thought of being a nominee seemed so far out of reach. But it was a goal of mine. When I found out I was a nominee for two of the categories in 2023, I honestly didn’t think I would win because I was a bit out of touch with the San Diego scene and had spent the majority of the previous year’s vagabonding it on the road.” In fact, Bitter’s win provided one of the event’s highlights, as captured in the awards show’s TV broadcast. “I was strolling in late and heard my name over the speakers when I was in the parking lot. I ran to the stage completely out of breath and had no idea what to say. However, the award sits proudly on my piano in my bedroom.”
Hopefully, Old School will score another SDMA nomination for Bitter in 2025. In the meantime, the album and its songs are drawing notice, showing up on numerous radio charts and in publications such as Billboard Magazine.
What’s Bitter’s favorite thing about being a musician? “So many things,” she said. “I love performing and creating. (As a musician) you’re always creating, and it’s not just always music that you’re creating. It’s the poster designs, the flow of the set, the branding, the stage outfits, the video content, the songwriting, the merch…. It’s just a whole bunch of creating. It’s constant stimulus, adventure, and change and that’s what my soul craves.” She points out that there’s an infinite amount of growth being a musician. “It’s hard work but you get back what you put in,” Bitter said. “There’s no limit. In a corporate world, you can work your way up a ladder and eventually become vice president or something, but that’s the cap. With music and being your own boss, you can always push the boundaries and reset your goals to be what’s uncharted, even if it’s just personal “accomplishments.” While her sophomore album is just out, Bitter is already looking ahead. “You can infinitely get better and there’s really no end, ” she said. “It’s such a challenge to “make it” with music and I’m addicted to the challenge.”
