Born in South Carolina, and now based in Nashville, Western/country-pop singer-songwriter Kat Velasco is an artist with a passion for music & garnered significant attention with previous singles, “Leave Me Wild” & “Call Me”, landing her on Spotify playlists like New Music Friday & Fresh Finds Country.
Now, Kat shares the brand new single “Burning Man”, which was inspired by the iconic festival with this gifted artist diving into the metaphorical “burning” of one’s old self to make way for new growth. The song’s emotional depth, infectious melodies, & energizing guitar riffs allow fans to connect with the themes of personal transformation & perseverance.
Kat has kindly taken the time to speak with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the release of “Burning Man” & you can find the full interview below.
Hey Kat, thank you for this interview. Can you start by introducing yourself to readers who might be unfamiliar with your music?
Kat: Hello!! Thank you so much for this, so excited! My name is Kat Velasco, an artist living in Nashville, TN. I am originally from South Carolina, with a huge background in music and performing, so I am genuinely so grateful to have moments like this to continue doing what I love so much.
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Kat: My older brother James Velasco has a huge hand in my passion for music and where I’m sitting today! He is now a professional dancer, lived in LA for a decade and travels the world dancing and teaching. He is remarkable, but we were literally making anything from commercials, skits, and even movies by the time I was five or six years old. Probably not great, but our creativity was very prominent in my early life! We signed with an agency when I was 7 and that grew into musical theatre, pageants and now creating original music to share with all of you!! My passion for music is overflowing and growing. I find myself becoming more passionate and in love with music as I keep creating. It’s also nice to have someone to call, who knows me so well and understands what I’m going through as a creative. It’s really crazy to me, although I hoped for it, I never envisioned my life like this and now I can’t picture it any other way.
Have you always known that you wanted to pursue a career within music?
Kat: Such a good question, the short answer is yes. I was working in finance before I started writing my own songs in 2020, and in those moments it all started to click that this was my true pursuit of life.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Kat: Probably the hardest question I could be asked right now, but my sound is changing. It makes sense though because I am changing. I’m a totally different girl than I was at 22, so I have completely different words to share. I think right now, I’m just doing whatever feels right. Pop music has taken a big front seat in my soul at the moment, but country music is always going to be deeply rooted. I have always tried to emulate a timeless sound, such as Stevie Nicks and Amy Winehouse, the kind of music that is forever good.
You just released the new single “Burning Man”. How did the idea for this song come together?
Kat: I’m so excited about “Burning Man!!” It’s so different from anything I have ever created, the sound is so unique. Kassidy Adams is an amazing writer, she wrote another one of my songs “Lifetime Lover” but this is the FIRST song she ever sent me! It sounds completely different from what you’re hearing now, still incredible but with different lyrics and acoustic. When I met the producers of this song, Cooper and Danny of Broken Door Studios, it really changed everything. We all co-wrote this song together, it’s so cool when this type of collaboration comes together because there was no specific vision for “Burning Man,” we all just wanted to create something special and different than what you’re hearing on the radio right now. We made a hit.
This song centres around the courageous exploration of self-reinvention & resilience. What inspired you to put this into a song?
Kat: The message I really want to get across in this song is we all battle with something, we all have what makes us feel like the “Burning Man” in our life. I didn’t really realize this until after the song was done, but I have some really important people in my life who battle with addiction, so this song is powerful for me. I want everyone to remember no matter what we struggle with, we aren’t alone and we’re never going to be perfect humans. I’m sure everyone can relate to the fact that there’s something we do or have done that we aren’t proud of, but if I can say anything about this song, it’s that you are not alone in your struggles and never will be.
Did you always plan to release “Burning Man”?
Kat: We started on “Burning Man” in April, I knew months before it was finished it would be my next release. It literally has to be my favourite track I have ever created! Producers and friends, Danny and Cooper gave me such a big role in the creative process in this song and that’s really special.
What does this song personally mean to you?
Kat: “Burning Man” reminds me of how many times I have fallen off the wagon in my life or been so confused in life, yet have the ability to look in the mirror and look around the room and realize I’m doing alright. No matter how many times I wanted to push blame on a specific time in my life or situation, instead, I started appreciating those times and how I wouldn’t be here without them. Breaking the chains of shame or regret and loving the steps it took to get me exactly where I am now.
What message would you like listeners to take from this song?
Kat: Love the “Burning Man” y’all. Appreciate and acknowledge the struggles so you can be set free and finally appreciate the present. If I’m being honest, we’re all kinda messed up. Love yourself for who you are and forgive yourself. The acceptance of yourself is truly all that matters.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers?
Kat: I just want to thank you guys so much! If you got to this point in the article, thank you for taking time out of your day to read what I have to say. A lot of hard work, trauma, and love has gone into this song and I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to me to have people care about what I have to say. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate you more than you know!! If you want to keep following my life, my Instagram is @kat.velasco.music and my music is available on all platforms!! I hope to meet all of you one day!!
So much love, Kat Velasco!
You can check out the official video for “Burning Man” below or listen on more platforms here.
Fierce & Fabulous Revolution 