A Quick Chat with Kat Greta
You released this song with Charlie Lane a couple of years ago. What inspired you to rerelease the track?
I loved working with Charlie – he’s so awesome, and I was more than happy with the song when it was first released. Since then, I’ve changed a lot as an artist and I’m at the point now where I want to sing the songs that I write. This whole journey so far has been about breaking down limiting self-beliefs and growing, so this was the next step in that process. I’ve never seen myself as a singer until now, so I’ve had to do a lot of inner work. I also want my future releases to blend together with my previous releases.
"Let It Go" has had quite the journey in terms of writing, recording, performing, and now rereleasing. Can you tell us about that?
Yeah, I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve put into this song. The actual writing took up about 2% of the total time. But once I was in the studio with Lindsay, we spent hours talking about my identity, genre, goals, and how that would transfer into the production. This was my first song, so I had a lot to work out. When I first released it, my music video included footage of me drumming on the beach. For the rerelease, we went back to the same beach and shot footage of me singing. Production-wise, the whole mix had to change. My voice is totally different from Charlie’s, so we had to make a lot of adjustments. I also wanted to put timpani in there!
What’s your creative process like?
I’ll usually smash some coffee, then write while on a caffeine high. I always write from the piano, so I’ll work out the chords and melody first. For this particular song, I wanted the melody to be percussive. I focused a lot on the sounds of the words, the syllables, and how they fit together with the rest of the song. I actually thought the lyrics were a piece of s@#$ in the beginning… Little did I know that the words would be so meaningful in the future.
How have you found the transition from percussion to lead singer?
A bit scary. My mind sometimes goes back to that narrative, “No, you’re not a singer.” I’ve started taking singing lessons, and my teacher has been awesome – he’s already taught me so much. Oh, and the percussion – that will never stop. In fact, it’s getting even more ridiculous on stage. I’ve got a glockenspiel up there now… And a triangle, and a marching snare drum… When will it stop?!
When writing music, who would you say you are most inspired by?
Burt Bacharach. You won’t hear that in “Let It Go,” but you might start hearing his influence on my future releases. I absolutely love that 60’s sound. His arranging is immaculate – I listen to his songs on repeat and geek out about all the details. He’s a genius. I also feel inspired when I listen to the Carpenters and The Beatles.
Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
My biggest musical inspirations at the moment are Amy Winehouse and Adele. They were both so successful in reinventing the 60’s sound, blending elements from that era with modern production to create something really unique. Amy brought the sounds of 60’s soul to a new generation, along with being a total icon. Adele did the same, and her music has a timeless quality that appeals to multiple generations.
What’s your dream gig?
Having the biggest setup of percussion imaginable on stage and just cutting loose and being a maniac. There’ll be gongs, drum kits, bass drums, marimbas, chickens that lay egg shakers which I throw out to the crowd, a giant triangle that I will swing from, and cymbals everywhere.
What artist can you not get enough of lately?
The Wanted Gems! Their music is divine, and it reminds me of being on a sunny holiday on the beach. Their harmonies are beautiful, and their production is stripped back and dreamy. Have you seen their music video for “Lovely Distraction”?
What has been the most memorable moment of your musical career so far?
Ok, well this is not necessarily about my career, but my most memorable musical moment happened a few days ago! A group of my darling friends got together to form a choir and surprised me for my birthday! They sang three songs with choreography!! They called themselves the “Hot Mess Mamas,” but it turns out I was the hot mess. I’m still coming down from the high. It was the most beautiful moment.
Where can people catch you performing live?
The next performance will be at The University of Melbourne Open Day as ‘Kat Greta & Van’. We’ll be playing at The Hub in Southbank on August 18th, 10 am.
What are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond?
I’ll be rereleasing the rest of my EP “Get Up & Go” in August, also with my vocals. We’ve got some duo gigs lined up around Melbourne, then I’ll be releasing another single in December. Early next year I’ll be going on tour through regional Victoria and NSW as a soloist.