About

Karen Mansfield is an American singer songwriter from Oceanport, New Jersey. She began her music career by forming and fronting the acoustic punk feminist “almost – all female” band, The Bleeding Knees, becoming an integral part of the original punk / alternative rock music scene of the Jersey Shore. One of the last of the band’s performances was opening for Johnny Thunders of The New York Dolls, at Murphy’s Law in Long Branch, NJ.  Soon after Mansfield dissolved the group to pursue a solo career. 

She made a name for herself as a singer songwriter and solo acoustic performer in and around the storied original music scene of Asbury Park, NJ, winning numerous awards and sharing bills with artists such as Robert Hazard, John Eddie, Jeff Buckley, Concrete Blonde, Ocean Blue, Jewel, Vance Gilbert, James McCartney, Simon Townsend and Garland Jeffries. 

Mansfield contributed backing vocals on the Whirling Dervishes album Strange and Wonderful. 

Mansfield’s single “Jessie” was released as part of the Imperative Collection, a compilation album of unsigned original artists from Jersey Shore original music scene. 

She played bass and performed vocals under the moniker Trixie in the punk side project The Summer Nationals releasing a version of the Buzzcock’s “Orgasm Addict” on the This is Offensive album, a cover compilation album. 

Mansfield released her 6 song EP, Karen Mansfield, to critical acclaim on November 16, 2014 on her own label, Willow Bella Music. 

Her full length album, Thistle + Boon, was released February 14, 2018, through Willow Bella Music, entering the Billboard Heat Seekers chart at number 6. Upon its release the single “There Was a Girl” was voted one of the top ten songs of the year by The Asbury Park Press. 

During the global lockdown of the COVID 19 pandemic, Mansfield gathered fellow musicians to form The Asbury Park Love Contingent, recording a cover version of Melanie Safka’s “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”. The single was released July 2020 through Deko Music, with all proceeds going to The Jersey Shore Rescue Mission, a local homeless shelter. 

Karen Mansfield continues to write and record.