UK Songwriter and producer Katie Nicholas returns with her long-awaited “Chemistry” EP!
This 4-track collection of country-pop bops and ballads are songs Katie has reworked and produced, celebrating the music that kickstarted her career. Written between ages 16,17,18 and 19, these are her earliest and most cherished tracks by fans. In a bid to not leave them behind as she charges forward with her prolific catalogue of music, Katie vows that this is “the record my younger self would have dreamt of making”.
Katie has kindly taken the time to chat with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the journey behind the EP and you can find the full interview below.
Hey Katie, thank you for this interview. Can you start by introducing yourself to readers unfamiliar with your music?
Katie: Hi! I’m Katie – a songwriter, producer and videographer from Liverpool! I’m a bit off a genre-hopper weaving between the lines of country, Americana and folk and I make every element of my creative campaigns, all released under my indie label “Ladybird Records”!
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Katie: I think it was day one! I used to buy CDs in HMV and sit there for hours writing out the lyrics (even if they were in the booklet) rewinding the same track over and over. My dad was musical, so it was inevitable that I ended up picking up his guitar and trying to write my own songs around the age of 7. I went perform a lot as a young teen, in bands or even performing at local events my dad would host. I was surrounded by music from day 1!
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Katie: Currently, and especially for my latest release, I’d describe my musical style as alt-country Americana with folk undertones! I write songs which I feel can be dressed by any genre – it’s just about finding the right outfit for it!
You recently shared the 4-track EP “Chemistry”. How did the idea for this EP come together?
Katie: The Chemistry EP has quite an elaborate personal story for me. I wanted to celebrate the start of my musical journey – which had always taken a wiggly path full of stop starts, highs and lows. I picked 4 tracks between the ages of 16 and 19 and reworked them as the producer I am today. These are songs that longterm fans have always supported and requested at shows, and it felt only right to release them properly and also in the way I always envisaged them from day one without the nuisance opinions of mentors/labels who don’t really have your best interests at heart as a young artist starting out, who’s still finding herself and her sound.
These songs are some of your earlier releases that were taken down due to “guidance”. How did it feel to take these songs down at the time & what does it mean for you to take them back to share again?
Katie: It was a difficult time when I chose to remove all the work I had poured my heart into previously, but at 20 I had a crisis of confidence after being passed from pillar to post in the music industry and in a bid to “start fresh” and only focussing on my “potential”, it sent a signal to me that what I was doing simply wasn’t good enough – despite a growing fanbase and also being in that space where I was exploring and developing my sound. I believe artists need to be very careful early on in their career because we can often find ourselves more impressionable and unsure of our own judgement. It’s taken me a long time to become much more discerning and to feel completely in control of my music and what’s right for me as an artist.
How do you feel that person back then would feel seeing these songs gaining a new life under your own rules?
Katie: Immense relief. Because I believe that person back then actually could hear these tracks in her mind sounding the exact way they do now. At that time I was yet to step into the producer seat, so I was often allowing others to shape my music, meaning I could never 100% achieve the sound I wanted.
What does this EP personally mean to you?
Katie: It means more than I can adequately explain or try to sum up. It’s a round up of my early life and a person I’d like to honour but also move on from. These songs have defined me, dressed me and now I’ve worn that coat a little too long – so now I’m hanging it up and letting others take a stroll around in it. It feels like I’m closing a chapter on my 20s all while it being a starting point as the female producer I’ve become – who’s more sure about the direction she’s now moving in.
What message would you like listeners to take from the EP?
Katie: I think I’d like the listeners to pick up on the purity and simplicity of the songs and the intricacies and care within the music. Whether nestled between the joyful hooks within the title track, or the soaring strings that encapsulate the sorrows of In Your Shadow, or just a foot-tap along with the dry dusty humour of You Kill Me – I just hope there’s a piece for everyone in there that rings true.
What advice would you offer to someone looking to pursue a career within the music industry?
Katie: My advice would be don’t let a world of over saturation, metrics and baseless notoriety shift your focus on what really matters most to you. Don’t let it scare you off so you don’t even begin. We are born to play, speak our truth and enjoy the process – not the ending.
Finally, is there a message for readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Katie: Yes! Firstly thank you Fierce & Fabulous for giving me an opportunity to talk about my work and thank you to the readers for supporting such a wonderful blog that bridges the gap between readers and artists!
You can check out “Chemistry” on Spotify below or via further platforms here.
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