No Matter the Obstacle, Kat Will Find The Strength And Courage To “Rise”

The songstress finds the resolve to be a little kinder to herself in the face of adversity.

Singer-songwriter and storyteller KAT shows off her versatility via a captivating detour from her usual pop-rock sound with the release of the powerful "Rise." "Rise" shows a more vulnerable side to KAT's artistry, showcasing her artistic depth and serving as the follow-up to her critically acclaimed single "Liar Liar." With each release, KAT builds on her impressive catalog and showcases a talent that listeners everywhere should note.

Something that has quickly set KAT apart from her peers is her ability to take classic influences and incorporate them into her musical vision in a modern way. Inspired by the legendary voices of old-school blues and soul, such as Aretha Franklin and Etta James, KAT discovered her passion for singing through their raw honesty and emotional storytelling, an approach that she has incorporated into her music. As previous listeners know and new listeners will soon discover, KAT's ability to seemingly bare her soul through her music and skillfully tell stories makes for a genuinely one-of-a-kind listening experience and leaves you feeling emotionally invested in her music.

With "Rise," KAT temporarily sheds her usual pop-rock tendencies and showcases a softer side to her art. Her raspy yet incredibly soulful vocals are undoubtedly the soul of the track, although a beautifully arranged piano and string arrangement serves as a perfect accentuating foil to her voice. Lyrics like "Just take a breath, it's okay not to be okay" and "I told myself you'll stand up tall, don't be ashamed sometimes we all gonna fall" are meaningful and speak to the heart, making for an unforgettable listening experience.

As KAT continues her musical journey, she impresses with robust and soulful signature vocals, storytelling, and lyrics that capture the heart. Whenever you're ready, tap in and stream KAT's "Rise," available now on all major streaming platforms.

Welcome to BuzzMusic, KAT. We loved “Rise,” what a strong yet graceful musical offering! We wanted to ask; you could take us through the creative process for this song. You mentioned your mom helped inspire it, right?

The creative process for "Rise" started as I practiced a chord progression exercise on the guitar, and the repetition of it started to spark a vocal melody. I'd already written “Liar Liar,” my previous single, which was my “heartbroken but I know my worth” attitude fuelled track, so I'd been thinking about writing a more intimate and unashamedly embracing vulnerability while championing hope. My mum was a big inspiration for the uplifting spirit of 'Rise.' While I was going through a difficult time personally, I was heartbroken, betrayed, and disillusioned and asked all those questions like: would I ever feel like myself again... Could I heal from this? My mum told me something so important: everything is temporary. Although I couldn't see or believe it at the time, she believed in me for us both and knew I would overcome it and be better for it. My mum's a wise woman; she was right! Musically, I wanted to keep the instrumentation simple, especially at the start of ‘Rise,’ so the focus would be on my voice and the lyrics as the story unfolds. "Rise" starts minimally with acoustic guitar, piano, and a singular vocal and, through the course of the song, builds with strings and layered backing vocals into an anthemic final chorus of "And We will rise again". The evolving chorus and changing point of view from "you" to "I", "we," and back to " you will rise again" is about the evolution of healing; how sometimes kindness from another, feeling seen and heard can be enough to galvanize our self-belief and kickstart our healing. In turn, we can then share our experience and, in doing so, be there and provide that same comfort gifted to us for others amid challenging circumstances.

What do you think is the most rewarding part about being a musician?

The beauty of creation and the journey leads to a fully-fledged song! How it starts as a small seed of inspiration, perhaps a lyric, narrative concept, or melody... Through imagining, allowing ideas to bubble and percolate, creating through voice and instrumentation, building, tweaking, and finally sharing that story on stage in front of an audience! That always blows my mind, both as a songwriter and music lover! The bonus for me as a songwriter is the songs that have come from a place of pain or trauma, which, through creation, can transmute those experiences into something good and now armed with the power to move, inspire and empower. I love listening to those songs and strive to create music that accomplishes this.

Something that instantly stuck out with your music is your lyricism, which felt very honest. What kind of approach do you usually take with lyrics in your music, and are they always this transparent?

Usually, my songs are rooted in a personal experience, the good and the bad! Often inspired by something that has connected with me emotionally or I feel strongly about. This has become increasingly important to me with every song I write. For my upcoming concept EP "Warrior Heart," I consciously allowed vulnerability and rawness to lead my songwriting. There were moments in the creative process that a part of me initially resisted, my pride perhaps, and I questioned, do I want to reveal this? I was heartbroken, abandoned, and discarded; sometimes, I felt like giving up. When I asked myself this, I realized yes, despite the initial trepidation, it was so important to be as truthful as possible, however initially uncomfortable, because someone out there may be listening and feeling how I was feeling in those moments, in their struggle. It allows them to feel seen and heard. These experiences aren't always easy to discuss, but the power of music, a shared experience, can make us feel less alone.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t listened to it before, and what do you hope to accomplish through your music?

Soulful pop with a rocky edge! Songs that tell a story are often centered in the thick of a struggle—an underdog's soundtrack with a fighting uplifting spirit. I hope my music connects emotionally with my fans and encourages the view that vulnerability is a strength.

What’s next for KAT? Do you have any new music coming soon, and is there anything you wanted to say to your fans?

Yes, lots more new music coming! I'm currently 2 singles into my release plan for “Warrior Heart”! Three more to go, and the entire EP will drop with the final release and title track! While this is ongoing, I also want to dedicate time to writing and recording new material. And, of course, performing. That's ultimately what makes my heart sing! To my fans, thank you for all the support; for taking the time to listen to my music and be part of my journey. I am so grateful to every single one of you, and I am here to remind you that the only validation you need is your own. You are the hero in your story. To stay in the loop with my music, news & gigs, you can find me on all the socials: @katsmusiq.

Welcome to BuzzMusic, KAT! We loved “Rise.” What a strong yet graceful musical offering! We wanted to ask; you could take us through the creative process for this song. You mentioned your mom helped inspire it, right?

The creative process for "Rise" started as I was practicing a chord progression exercise on the guitar, and the repetition of it started to spark a vocal melody. I'd already written “Liar Liar”, my previous single, which was my “heartbroken but I know my worth” attitude fuelled track, so I'd been thinking about writing a song that was more intimate and unashamedly embraced vulnerability while also championing hope. My mum was a big inspiration for the uplifting spirit of 'Rise.' While I was going through a difficult time personally, heartbroken, betrayed, and disillusioned and asking all those questions like: would I ever feel like myself again... Could I heal from this? My mum told me something so important: everything is temporary. Although I couldn't see it or believe it at the time, she believed in me for us both and knew that I would overcome it and be better for it. My mum's a wise woman; she was right! Musically, I wanted to keep the instrumentation simple, especially at the start of ‘Rise,’ so the focus would be on my voice and the lyrics as the story unfolds. "Rise" starts minimally with acoustic guitar, piano, and a singular vocal and, through the course of the song, builds with strings and layered backing vocals into an anthemic final chorus of "And We will rise again." The evolving chorus and changing point of view from "you" to "I," "we," and back to " you will rise again" is about the evolution of healing; how sometimes kindness from another, feeling seen and heard can be enough to galvanize our own self-belief and kickstart our healing. In turn, we can then share our experience and, in doing so, be there and provide that same comfort gifted to us for others in the midst of challenging circumstances. What do you think is the most rewarding part about being a musician? The beauty of creation and the journey that leads to a fully-fledged song!

How it starts as a small seed of inspiration, perhaps a lyric, narrative concept, or melody... Through the process of imagining, allowing ideas to bubble and percolate, creating through voice and instrumentation, building, tweaking, and then finally getting to share that story on stage in front of an audience! That blows my mind every time, both as a songwriter and music lover! The added bonus for me as a songwriter is the songs that have come from a place of pain or trauma which, through the process of creation, are able to transmute those experiences into something good and now armed with the power to move, inspire and empower. I love listening to those songs and strive to create music that accomplishes this. Something that instantly stuck out with your music is your lyricism, which felt very honest. What kind of approach do you usually take with lyrics in your music, and are they always this transparent?

Usually, my songs are rooted in a personal experience, the good and the bad! Often inspired by something that has connected with me emotionally or I feel strongly about. This has become increasingly important to me with every song I write. For my upcoming concept EP "Warrior Heart," I made a conscious decision to allow vulnerability and rawness to lead my songwriting. There were moments in the creative process that a part of me initially resisted, my pride perhaps, and I questioned, do I really want to reveal this? That I was heartbroken, abandoned, and discarded, and there were moments when I felt like giving up. When I asked myself this, I realized yes, despite the initial trepidation, it was so important to be as truthful as possible, however initially uncomfortable, because someone out there may be listening and feeling how I was feeling in those moments, in their own struggle. It allows them to feel seen and heard. These kinds of experiences aren't always easy to talk about, but the power of music, a shared experience, can make us feel less alone. How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t listened to it before, and what do you hope to accomplish through your music?

Soulful pop with a rocky edge! Songs that tell a story are often centered in the thick of a struggle. An underdog's soundtrack with a fighting uplifting spirit. I hope my music connects emotionally with my fans and encourages the view that vulnerability is a strength. What’s next for KAT? Do you have any new music coming soon, and is there anything you wanted to say to your fans?

Yes, lots more new music is coming! I'm currently two singles into my release plan for “Warrior Heart”! Three more to go, and the entire EP will drop with the final release and title track! While this is ongoing, I also want to dedicate time to writing and recording new material. And, of course, performing. That's ultimately what makes my heart sing! To my fans I say thank you for all the support; for taking the time to listen to my music and be part of my journey. I am so grateful to every single one of you, and I am here to remind you that the only validation you need is your own. You are the hero in your story. To stay in the loop with my music, news & gigs, you can find me on all the socials: @katsmusiq

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