Katrin has been writing songs with her husband, Steve Ciaffa, for nearly 30 years.
They met in 1992 while harmonizing to Grateful Dead songs in a redwood grove north of San Francisco.

In 1993, Katrin and Steve moved to Hamburg, Germany, where they played memorable gigs (at venues ranging from dive bars and squatter houses to paramedics offices) with garage kraut pop indie rockers, Scatter. Upon their return to California in 1995, Katrin and Steve formed various bands that generally involved their friend Brian Weinberg on drums (and lately on guitar as well).

Iterations included Lilly F 40, Rosaphonic, and their infamous Guided By Voices Cover Trio, Exit Flagger. These days, Katrin, Steve and Brian play weekly at Electric Ladybug Studio in Santa Rosa, generally under the name of Redwood Empire. On rare occasions, they are joined by Paul Moore, guitar pedal enthusiast extraordinaire, and transform themselves into Other Desert Cities. Most recently, Katrin has embarked on a solo acoustic songwriting project, loosely titled “K-Train: German Girl”. More to come.

The tracks on this site are a collection of songs, mostly from Redwood Empire, written over the last five years. 

Katrin Ciaffa: vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar

Steve Ciaffa: vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, harmonica

Brian Weinberg: drums, guitar

Paul Moore: guitar

Special Appearance by Eric Weidenhamer – drums on “It Comes and Goes”

All Song by Katrin and Steve Ciaffa

Photography by Katrin Ciaffa

“Underside”

“Lake Michigan”