Kat Edwards
Kat Edwards is a name you may not have heard yet, but you will. After getting her start busking she is set to make her industry debut at BIGSOUND this September. Her new single Good Girl is fiercely vulnerable and unapologetic. The visuals of the video are striking, clean, and fit the song perfectly. Read her interview below to get to know Kat, how she feels about tour, and to check out her video for Good Girl.
Who are you?
I am a 19-year-old songwriter from Hobart, Tasmania. On the first encounter with someone new, I am shy and withdrawn. After that, I am an open book and it can be hard to get me to stop talking. I play the guitar, sing and write. I love plants, sewing and fresh air/moving my body.
Why music?
I have vivid memories from my childhood of making up songs on the spot and singing. I initially wanted to be a hockey player. One day my brother taught me a couple of chords on the guitar and I quickly changed my mind. Around the age of 15, I started to consider music as a possible career path, writing songs gave me an adrenaline rush. It just makes sense to me that I keep doing something that fills me with so much emotion.
What does being a “good girl” mean to you?
I think being a ‘Good Girl’, at least in terms of this song, means keeping the peace, staying silent and submitting when you should really be doing the opposite.
What was the inspiration behind this single?
I had just gotten out of a toxic situation with someone, so I guess I had some emotion swirling about in the back of my head. One afternoon I picked up my guitar and used a pedal that had a bit of crunch to it, it really put me in the right headspace to write Good Girl. The words basically fell out of me, along with the chords. It was just inspired through self-reflection, looking back on a situation and thinking, ‘I shouldn’t have put up with that behaviour’.
Favorite lyric of your own?
Probably ‘keep my mouth shut just how you like, why have opinions, you’re always right’
Just because I think everyone has been in a similar situation before.
Favorite smell?
Vanilla perfume, onion and garlic cooking together, fresh cookies.
What does vulnerability mean to you?
Being vulnerable is a big part of who I am, once I connect with someone I think I am an open book. Vulnerability is beautiful and powerful. If I lay everything out for you, then what’s the worst that could happen? I like not hiding away my thoughts and feelings, if I do, it becomes all I think about. It's therapeutic to be vulnerable when I write songs. It helps me work through things that I might not have realised were bothering me.
Best and hardest part of touring?
The best parts are around performing and connecting with people.
The hardest parts are the late nights and early mornings.
How does playing live feel?
Electric. Petrifying and empowering at the same time. I love connecting with members of the audience by just staring and singing at them. Performing is almost an out of body experience for me, when I walk off stage I have to go sit down somewhere quiet for a bit, because of the rush.
What’s next?
Create more music and release it! I’m touring with Didirri in Australia in August and then playing at BIGSOUND, which is a mini SXSW in Australia. I hope to travel and meet other songwriters and musicians next year. I can’t wait to explore and make my way over to Los Angeles, New York, Nashville and then to London.