Kat Perkins Interview – Perkins is an American singer and songwriter from Scranton, North Dakota. She appeared on The Voice season 6 and advanced to the television show’s semifinals. Interview July 18, 2015.
Kat Perkins Interview
– What’s new in the world of Kat Perkins?
So much is happening in my world its amazing! My single “Fearless” that was released back in August rose to number 5 on the iTunes charts and we were ecstatic. We just released my second single Drive back on June 2 and it shot up the charts as well! We also released a full length video for Drive and my first full length self-titled solo album will be released on July 10! I couldn’t be happier with everything going on and being an independent artist, I feel very accomplished!
– How was it recording your album Drive?
We decided for it to just be self titled – Kat Perkins. Recording the album was so much fun. We did a lot of it in my favorite studios around Minneapolis and then we also did most of the vocals and guitars in my home studio! There’s nothing like waking up and recording a record in your pajamas!
– How do you build a song up from nothing to become something?
That’s the power of a great producer. Eric Warner from PK Jones productions had fresh, extraordinary visions for each song and he literally took them from zero to hero in the studio. It’s funny because a lot of people don’t understand that most of the songs that we write start off very acoustic and empty and they build into these awesome pop rock tunes!
– When writing a song, is there such a thing as investing too much time? What’s the shortest time you ever took to write one? What was your strangest inspiration?
I don’t think there’s such a thing as investing TOO much time. Crafting a song isn’t easy. Sometimes it takes a great while to say what you wanna say. However, there are some that just come blasting out my brain. I think the shortest time I’ve ever taken on a song is about 15 minutes. Believe it or not, I get most of my ideas while I’m in the bath or shower. I don’t know what it is about taking a shower but the creativity comes FLOWING out! One of my strangest inspirations once was quitting smoking. I wrote this fantastic tune about quitting smoking, but no one would ever know that that was my inspiration. It mainly sounds like it’s about a boy!
– How many shows do you play per year on average, and how crazy does the schedule get?
Hmmm… I haven’t put together the number of shows I’m playing in a year for a while, but it’s upwards of 250. My schedule gets jam packed with all kinds of amazing stuff. I do public inspirational speaking along with tons of charity events that are near and dear to my heart. Of course I play both acoustic and full band shows throughout the year as well. Just when I think I couldn’t work any harder I end up working even harder. But, when you love your ‘job’ as much as I do, it doesn’t often feel like work. Everyday just feel like I’m contributing to society what I do best and its a blast! I was born to entertain!
– Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life as a musician on tour?
A day in the life on tour isn’t as glamorous as some might think. Usually we get up pretty early to drive to the next town after playing the night before. I sleep a lot in a van! Then if there’s time I before the show I like to take a bath but most of the time I’m putting on my makeup as we get near the venue and hiking my pantyhose up in the back seat before arrival. My outfit, hair, and makeup are my favorite thing to focus on as I’m riding to the show! When we get to the venue I usually meet a few fans that are waiting for our arrival and take some selfies with them. The band and crew get all set up for the show and we sound check to make sure everything is working properly and we can hear ourselves. Then I usually go do a VIP meet and greet with my fans that buy VIP tickets and I get to visit with amazing folks. We try to find some food at this time then before you know it it’s time to take the stage. After each show I sign autographs and take pictures with anyone who is patient enough to stand in line and wait for me! I LOVE MY FANS! As I’m doing that, my crew and band pack our stuff up and we head to a motel for the night before waking up and starting the whole process over!
– How important are music videos in the industry today? How do they compare to videos from 20 years ago?
Thats a tough question because I think it’s all about your preference today. I still think videos are important to the industry because I like to see the story that the artist puts together for their song in a video. It’s like a whole other part of the creativity that keeps us relevant as entertainers. Twenty years ago they were WAY more popular but still held the same purpose. I always LOVE to watch music videos. They’re way more accessible than they ever where now because of the internet and YouTube but back in the day it was always so fun to wait for our favorite TV stations to air music videos! I even stayed up late on Fridays to watch my favorite artists videos. It was more of an event!
– What’s your take on the sex appeal in the music industry? Is it as important for men and women?
In my opinion, sex appeal is something that is very natural in the music industry just like it is in any facet of entertainment. It’s human nature to be more entertained by someone we find appealing in every sense. To me it’s equal between men and women. Do you think it’s a coincidence that hormonal teenagers -especially girls- always have their favorite boy band phase? Even the Beatles had their share of following because of their ‘sex appeal’. Human nature will always kick in when we want to be entertained whether it’s singers, dancers, actors, etc. I think it’s actually a beautiful phenomenon! Talent is sexy! Don’t you agree?
– What would we be surprised to find in your music collection at home?
I listen to a lot of blues and jazz believe it or not. I tend to listen to genres of music that I don’t tend to write. Blues is my hangout and relax with my friends kind of pleasure and jazz is usually in my own time as I wind down from a busy day. I love all music. Sometimes you’ll even find me rockin out in my car to a little Britney Spears!
– Any words of wisdom to share with aspiring artists?
Like my father always told me – If you can dream it you can do it. So my motto is “Dream it Do it”. I even have it tattooed on my arm to keep it in front of me. Work hard. Never give up and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!
Check out Kat Perkins online http://katperkinsmusic.com/