(Photo Credit - Melissa Norton)
We had the opportunity to interview alt artist Kate Davis! She just recently dropped her new album 'Trophy' which is absolutely fantastic! Check out our interview with Kate where we discuss everything from gear to 'Trophy'!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
"I started learning piano and violin when I was 5! It was my mom’s idea but I enjoyed it enough to put in the effort and stick with it…I studied music in college but didn’t feel like I had full reign of my creativity until halfway through school. It wasn’t until then that I realized I could take everything I loved and create a sound and aesthetic that I was proud of. It all felt like busy work / technique until then. Boring!"
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
"I have an ongoing list of phrases, ideas, and musical motifs. Sometimes I begin with old scraps, but it’s more fun to start from scratch. Play around with ideas until you have something you want to see through."
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
"Elliott Smith, David Lynch, Leonard Cohen, Emily Haines, Annie Clark, Elizabeth Fraser, Jeff Buckley, Daniel Johnston, Phil Lynott, Bootsy Collins, Stephen Malkmus, John Lennon, David Bowie, Klaus Nomi, Robert Smith, Gustav Mahler."
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?
"I finally bought an Ampeg bass rig - the amp and speaker were old and used from two different places. Both previously owned by young dudes (which is awesome). Just finished my first tour with it and now I finally feel like a bass player."
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?
"The live show with the band has been getting tighter and tighter - the guys are like my actual brothers so there's a lot of love and we all have a lot of fun playing. During this past tour, the energy from the audience was way more intense. It’s definitely helping me step up my game. There’s nothing cooler than seeing people pogo and sing along to every word. I most enjoy venues that have character and sound great."
6. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music?
"Because of my college education as a jazz musician, I had a brief stint as a professional “jazz musician”. For a number of very compelling reasons I have left that behind and plan only to sing and play my own music for the foreseeable future."
7. Can you tell us about the writing, recording, and promotion process for Trophy?
"The songs were written over the span of 7 years. About half were written while I was in the preproduction process. I raised a bunch of money through kickstarter thanks to hundreds of extremely kind people. It was a gift to be able to record with the guys in my band (one of the guitar players, Tim Bright, also produced the album). I was able to record without making any compromises - an extremely rare experience!"