We chat with singer-songrwriter Kate Martin

Kate Martin is a musician overflowing with fierce determination. Originally hailing from Townsville, she now calls Melbourne her home. Since her migration, she has become invigorated to a new level, perhaps inspired by the arctic winds of the south. Kate regularly flits around the country, playing shows and recording; like her nomadic lifestyle, Kate’s music is constantly moving and changing.

At the tender age of 22 her accomplishments dwarf her years. She has released two full-length albums and supported the likes of The Middle East, Josh Pyke, Emma Louise, The Waifs, The Paper Kites, Bluejuice and Little Birdy. In 2012 she took out the Triple J Unearthed spot for Groovin’ The Moo festival, at the same time signing with Gaga Publishing, subsequently landing her music numerous placements on prime time Australian television. Her live shows are renowned for hushed rooms, commanding attention with her onstage presence and captivating style. “I don’t want to be limited by genre. I want to always remain diverse and spontaneous by running with whatever ideas inspire me at the time…however, my signature will always be embedded in each of my tracks in some way, shape or form.”

Crafting songs that are expansive as much as they are accessible, she clearly has a bright future ahead of her. Kate has been pushing herself further than ever before, harnessing a new confidence gained from experience and using it to explore new sounds, which feature in her new album due for release in early 2014. Retaining her inner child and whimsical silver tongue, she is an artist unafraid to invest her all in order to communicate the honesty behind her craft. Her song writing sparks a challenge. It points over the horizon and asks – Do you want to see what comes next?

‘Awaken’ is the beautiful first taste of your upcoming third album, have you finished recording the album? How have you found the recording process this time around?
Really great, I’ve gone into lots of two to three day long sessions spread out over about eighteen months. I’ve enjoyed doing it that way. The album is very close to being finished, I’m just about to go into a mixing session.

When can we expect the album’s release?
At this stage we’re looking at releasing in the first half of next year.

‘Awaken’ seems to hint at a wider range of instrumentation than your previous work, is that something that we can expect on the new album?
I think so yes! Sonically speaking, I feel like I gain more confidence and have more fun with each release. I’ve made an effort not to repeat my previous work and to push myself to try different approaches to songwriting and production sounds, both vocally and instrumentally.

Do you record with other musicians or play everything yourself?
We hired string and horn session musos for a few songs. But between my producer (Michael Carpenter) and myself we generally have all bases covered. I really love sitting at the desk next to my producer, just him and I, ploughing through song after song. Having said this I also think records should sometimes be inclusive. I enjoy inviting friends and session musicians to come into the studio and be a part of the process.

The production on ‘Awaken’ is spot-on; who did you work with on the track (and album)? Or did you produce it yourself?
I work with the incredible Michael Carpenter in Love Hz studios in Sydney which is where I’ve been recording this album (as well as previous albums) We have a great affinity, I’ve co-produced this album with him from start to finish.

So you grew up in Townsville, when did you make the move to Melbourne?
I moved to Melbourne in August 2012, I’ve been living here for just over a year now.

What were the reasons behind the move; did you see more opportunity to develop your music career in Melbourne, or were there other factors?
Music was my main motivation for moving, everyone I worked with at the time were already based here and it just made sense to migrate. Also I felt like I needed to immerse myself in a new environment with new opportunities as I’d only ever lived in Townsville up until the move.

How do you think your sound has been influenced or informed by growing up in Townsville?
Growing up in Townsville it was easy to remove myself from expectation, I loved writing music and developing at my own pace in a tight knit community of like-minded creatives. Having that support around helped me in the early stages of my journey. There’s a naturalistic beauty and simplistic ease about Townsville that helped me to approach writing music in an uninhibited way. That’s something I miss and I have to work harder for these days.

There is always a strong sense of progression whenever you release new material, what do you think drives this continual development in your sound? Is it a conscious effort on your part?
I like to challenge myself each time I go to record and play shows. I also try to learn from mistakes. I don’t think it’s ever a conscious decision to evolve, I find it sort of just happens that way. Plus I think the creative temperament is never fully satisfied, if at least momentarily. I think that’s something that drives me to try new sounds.

What can fans expect at your upcoming tour shows, will you give us a taste of material off the upcoming album?
Definitely! Im usually quite protective of unreleased material but I decided to do things the opposite way around this time and feature a whole bunch of new music from the new album, as well as a mix of songs from my previous albums.. I’ll be playing with my band and I’m looking forward to seeing how people react to it.