The Vinyl: For those who may not be familiar with you, mind introducing yourself and to break the ice share a fun fact no one may know.
Kat Leigh: I’m Kat Leigh, I’m a singer-songwriter, and a little fun fact about me is I’m obsessed with the game Sims and I’ve played it since I was like 5 years old with my cousin!
TV: So you’re just a handful of days out from releasing your debut self-titled EP on October 11th, when you are getting ready to share something so meaningful to you, something you poured you’re heart and soul into, what runs through your mind?
KL: I get a lot of anxiety just with life in general, but for some reason the touchy subjects are the easy ones for me to talk about. I think it’s probably because growing up my whole life was a touchy subject, so I got used to having to be vulnerable and now it’s something I pride myself in. I think talking about things and creating a community or at least awareness especially for kids has always been important to me so if I have to talk about something hard that happened to me in order to help some kid in the future, that’s worth being vulnerable for.
TV: This EP is 5 tracks long and it was produced by Erik Ron who has worked with a handful of notable artists, what was it like getting to work with him on this EP?
KL: I cant say enough great things about Erik Ron, truly. He’s insanely talented I would have a ball just sitting on the couch watching him mix and edit tracks for hours! He’s one of those people that you feel like you’ve known forever the second you meet. And that’s important because whoever you’re recording with is going to hear your life and hear you hit shitty notes and mess up, and you want to feel comfortable with them. Writing with him is super motivating too because he’s so good at it it triggers you to come up with good ideas on your own! He’s just incredible and I hope I can continue to work with him for a long time!
TV: If you had to explain this EP to someone using one word what would it be and why?
KL: Raw. Every song is about an insecurity or struggle I’ve faced. “Asking For It” is about the fear of men (I’m not a man hater but y’all do a lot of wack stuff) which I think anyone who’s not a straight cis man can relate to. Whether you’re a woman, non-binary, trans, queer, it’s always a guessing game going to the gas station at night by yourself. “Perfect” is about getting my heart broken for the first time, I wrote the song when I was 15 years old and because of how honest and vulnerable it is I wanted to hold onto it for this EP.
TV: What is the normal writing and recording process like for you? What normally comes first? The writing process or the music? KL: I unfortunately can’t play a single instrument, so I love when I can have music to write the lyrics to. But it all depends. Sometimes for work you have to write and other times you come up with stuff randomly. “Asking For It” was written while I was driving up to my boyfriend’s house!
TV: When you’re in the writing stage of your songs, what/who/where do you get the inspiration for your music?
KL: I just try to keep my eyes peeled to everything. I took a little riff from a Tony Hawk game one time because I couldn’t get it out of my head. You never know where you’re gonna get an idea from!
TV: If you got to work with any artist in the industry right now who would it be and how do you think they would be beneficial to you within a collaboration?
KL: That’s tough because there’s so many people for different reasons! If I had to pick one, I would probably go with Lady Gaga. She’s such a powerhouse and I have loved her voice and style of music forever. I love that she can either make a timeless radio hit or a really stripped down, acoustic ballad.
TV: As 2022 is winding down, what are your plans for the rest of the year?
KL: My plans for the rest of the year are to practice! I have my first show coming up in December at Miami Art Basel with the Scars Foundation so that will be a really cool way to kick off the year!
TV: What are some expectations do you have for 2023? What are some goals that you have set for yourself?
KL: Honestly the goal I’m setting for myself is I don’t want to struggle anymore. I think you get comfortable in a rut when you’ve been in it so long, and I’m done being comfortable with $2 to my name, being anxious and never leaving the house. I want to give myself a better life
TV: As we wrap up this interview, anything you would like to say to your fans?
KL: Thank you for listening to this music. I hope it helps you in some capacity the way it helped me to write it. Drink water, eat, and take care of yourself.