Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: All three of us grew up around music. Kat taught themselves to play guitar late in high school, Benjamin grew up playing music in churches, and Alex grew up with a professional drummer as a father. Not meeting until adulthood, all three of us independently developed as musicians who didn’t often get to see people like us represented in the music world and sought to become that for others.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Kat and the Hurricane”?
A: We have been really lucky to fall into an amazing music community in Wisconsin, and to find other queer indie acts around the country who have supported us. People are drawn to Kat and the Hurricane, I think, because we take a twofold approach to everything we do. One, we want the music to speak for itself. We have such an eclectic mix of inspirations as a band and write music that melds those influences into something fresh and creative. Two, we know that our music isn’t just about us. As a band of all queer musicians who have had our share of mental health struggles, we want our music to help other people feel seen. Writing about the hard stuff – grief, loss, trauma, heartbreak – is cathartic, because it allows other people to see themselves in what we make. Kat and the Hurricane fans are truly some of the kindest and most encouraging folks out there, who understand that emotional place of healing that our work comes from.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Well, this might not be a surprise, but we’re huge Chappell Roan fans. Not only because she’s brought fun, bright, truly sapphic pop music into the spotlight for a lot of people, but also because she’s someone who spent many years working hard as an independent artist to prepare for the moment that she’s having right now. I keep hearing the phrase “it takes 10 years to become an overnight success” and that rings so true in our experience. No artist really blows up overnight. It’s more about doing the work, keeping the creativity flowing, cultivating the right relationships, and then a whole lot of being in the right place at the right time. It’s a reminder that there is no magic potion: you just need to have something that means something and keep dedicating yourself to the craft, day after day.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Therapy.”?
A: Therapy is a song about catharsis. We all go through difficult experiences, which can build up in our bodies and cause long-term stress or even trauma. In order to move into healing – which is never linear and is always ongoing – we have to get it out. The song works in two ways, because two of our favorite ways to get things out are through therapy itself and through music. So yelling “we got it out, we got it out” on repeat is both a celebration of mental health care and the cathartic power of music.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Gay.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Therapy”?
A: Therapy was actually the hardest song to finish of all the songs we wrote for our new album, Got It Out. It started with just a verse and a chorus, which Kat wrote on acoustic guitar during the early days of the 2020 Covid lockdown, shortly after starting therapy for the first time. That whole era was a challenge in itself. Kat brought the song to us and we couldn’t agree on how to finish it. We tried so many different chord progressions and arrangements, but couldn’t get it to “click” into place like so many of our other songs had. When we brought it to the studio and showed it to our producer, Matt LaPlant, we shrugged and said we weren’t really sure what would come of it, but he instantly loved it and insisted it was the best song on the album. He encouraged us to just go with the pieces we had and trust our instincts, and the final product is something we’re all so proud of.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: We aim to be the representation that we really needed to see when we were younger. This is why we’re so open about being queer and non-binary; not because it’s the only or even most important fact about us, but because we know there’s a queer kid out there who needs to know that it’s possible to grow up to be a happy queer adult. If we can help encourage just one person that way, then I say we’ve done our job.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Tegan & Sara – it would be a dream to work with them, as they’ve inspired generations of queer songwriters!
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Cultivate relationships with people who bring out the best in you. No one makes it on their own, so be mindful of the team and community you build. Invest in your craft, first and foremost, and don’t be afraid to ask for things, whether that’s asking for help, asking for opportunities, or asking people to listen to your music or come to a show. It takes a healthy combination of humility and self-belief to make it as an artist.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Keep going. As teenagers, I think we all had that moment of singing in the mirror fantasizing about being on a stage and having people sing your songs back to you, and now we’ve gotten to experience that in reality. You never know what might happen, but even if life turns out way different than you expected, it’s always worth it to pursue the things you love.
LISTEN TO THE BAND:
Follow Kat and the Hurricane:
Spotify – YouTube – Facebook – Instagram – TikTok – Twitter – Website