Wednesday March 10th, 2021
This Toronto folk singer/songwriter’s debut EP received 3.5 million streams on Spotify while her feature single “”Pink & Gold” earned over 800, 000 streams. Her music reflects life’s romance, heartbreak and hope and she enjoys that her songs “have the power to lift people and heal them”. She’s just released a very personal single that “tells the tale of a relationship that turned into a casualty of the lockdown”. In this Q&A interview, Rudy Blair Entertainment Media rudyblairmedia.com speaks with “Kate Gillespie” https://www.kategillespiemusic.com about how Covid-19 has effected her career professionally and personally, her success and personal tragedy , plans for 2021 that include new music and virtual performances and the heartbreaking story behind her new single, “On The Floor” https://tinyurl.com/nawvrr7e .
Q&A Rudy Blair Kate Gillespie Interview
Hi Kate! Thank you for doing this interview with me. First, I have to ask how you are doing during the Covid-19 pandemic while living in Toronto. How has it affected you personally and professionally? And what have you done for yourself not to get overwhelmed during these tough times?
Thanks for having me, Rudy! Overall, I’m quite happy in Toronto. I moved back from Nashville in August because of COVID, and despite the fact that we’ve been in a lockdown for months here, it’s considerably less stressful than being in Nashville right now- mostly due to the lower case numbers and fewer anti-maskers. Being able to compare it to living in Nashville at the start of the pandemic is enough to keep me from getting overwhelmed on its own.
You’re considered a folk singer, what is it about that genre of music that attracted you to become that type of performer?
I used to be into country music more than anything, but after I moved to Nashville in 2015, my exposure to genres really expanded due to the musical diversity of the community there. I was introduced to artists like Brandi Carlile and Vance Joy, and have stuck to that genre ever since.
How has your father and traveling to Nashville become a big influence in your career?
My Dad and I had travelled to Nashville a couple of times as two country music lovers, and from those experiences I decided to move there for university in 2015 and get a degree in music and songwriting. I likely wouldn’t be pursuing music or the folk genre if it weren’t for those trips.
What was it like to release your EP “Pink and Gold,” including the single “I’ll Wait” and what did that release do for your career?
Those releases served as my introduction into sharing my original music. “I’ll Wait” was the first single off of my EP “Pink and Gold”, so it was really the kick-starter to my music career as an independent artist. It was my first hands-on experience with recording, producing and creating my own project, and I was very happy with the product and response.
What kind of stories do you like to talk about in your music?
I typically end up writing relationship songs and/or breakup songs, though that’s never necessarily my goal. But I find that I write best when I’m putting honest emotion into lyrics, and unfortunately, I guess, I end up touching on sad and uncomfortable situations I’ve experienced in relationships!
You have a new single “On The Floor.” What is the inspiration behind this? I understand the pandemic had something to do with this song?
“On The Floor” was written last March, just when it started to sink in that conducting our lives from nowhere, but the inside of our homes was going to last well beyond two weeks. The combination of seemingly endless time to kill and quarantining with my at-the-time partner brought on a cycle of arguing, making up and longing for the early days of the relationship. And when every single day looks the same, it’s difficult to examine whether your problems are circumstantial or have been there all along.
Will there be an album or EP following this release and also will there be any virtual performances in 2021?
I am planning on releasing an EP this summer, hopefully in early June, and there should be a couple of virtual performances to be announced soon!
I understand you lost your brother on August 20th (very sorry to hear this) in a tragic accident. How did this experience change your life, and did it change the way you write music?
I was 15 when my brother died, and mentally it changed everything for me. I think I matured quickly and overall, I’ve kept a lot of the emotion I feel from it on the inside. I don’t typically write about my brother simply because it feels too hard, so I find it cathartic to write about scenarios that are closer to first world problems, like breakups. Even though that event happened ten years ago, and I find that I’ve healed a little more each year, there’s still a heaviness that makes writing music about it a whole different ball game. But I would like to, hopefully soon, release something on the subject and see what that experience does for me musically.
You seem to have two definite loves, vintage stuff and cats. Am I correct about that?
You’re not wrong! I have a beautiful Turkish Angora cat named Jeremy, who I got in a Walmart parking lot, and I own a good lot of vintage furniture. Unfortunately, though, the cat and my furniture are stuck in Nashville until I can return, post pandemic.
Tell me something about yourself that no one knows (could be a fun skill, quirky habit or hobby or something you have overcome).
I have terrible insomnia, and I’ve made the mistake of training my brain to only be able to sleep properly with a very specific set of gear: podcast on, earplugs in, blackout sleeping mask and on top of that, a weighted sleeping mask. Might as well just swaddle me and throw a dumbbell over my eyes at this point. Is that quirky? I don’t know. Is it sad that that’s a fact about me that nobody knows? Because I would have to have a partner for another human being to have seen that combination before? Maybe.
Kate Gillespie Socials
Facebook: /kategillespiemusic
Instagram: @kategillesp
Website: www.kategillespiemusic.com