Sophisticated and stunning, California’s beloved Katy Rose continues to impress listeners with newest offerings “Bleed” and “Somebody Got There First.”
First gaining recognition for her Mean Girls featured song “Overdrive,” Katy has continued to shine like a supernova, burning steady and bright. “Somebody Got There First” evokes powerful emotion, and Katy’s strong vocals tell a story. The pain of losing someone you love to the ‘somebody who got there first’ is palpable. It’s like standing outside the doors of a church, watching the love of your life marry someone else at the altar. It’s heart-rendering, but life and love must go on.
“Bleed,” another cut from Katy’s forthcoming EP, has a different feel musically, but is similar in that it keeps you connected to the ever-evolving artist. “Bleed”’s sound is simultaneously inviting and refreshingly upbeat, with changing motifs that range from a poppy intro with on-point drumming and carefully put imaginative finger-snaps, to an onset of seductive synths and entrancing percussion. Katy, much like the lyrics imply, pours her heart and soul into everything she does; but she can always lean on her musical style and cathartic creativity in times of crisis.
With music ingrained in her from birth (her father is world famous keyboardist, Kim Bullard) this girl has been going places for a long time, and she’s not stopping now.
I had a quick catch up with Katy over the phone to discuss her career, from her celebrated beginnings until now, and to commend her continued success as this rising woman continues to produce music with a profuse passion.
How would you say “Somebody Got There First” has changed from that specific style of “Overdrive?”
Well “Somebody Got There First” is kind of what you say is a ballad even though it is obviously played in the video we did for Amazon; it’s a full band, a 5-piece band, which is what I was playing with in the “Overdrive” days. But obviously some time has passed and I’ve had different experiences so I was able to put those into “Somebody Got There First,” so it’s a bit more personal, I would say, than “Overdrive.”
I know you come from a musical family, would you say they inspire you more, now that you are older, or do you think they were more influential when you were younger?
Well, I think I couldn’t help but being influenced by them with growing up in a recording studio. I think everyone’s influenced by who they’re around as a child, and their parents, siblings… It definitely took me until I was older to really understand how talented my parents were and how hard they worked. They both moved to Los Angeles when they were maybe 17, and got married when they were 20, and it’s so interesting to look at them as just two other adults that are doing [their] best and see how far they’ve come… in respect… as another adult. I feel very fortunate to have them to ask questions in my own career… Not many people have that.
If you could name your biggest influence of all-time, who would it be?
Biggest influence… uh… maybe Tori Amos… my dad produced her first record. Before she was Tori Amos, she had an 80s rock persona. She had a record called Why Can’t Tori Read? But it was spelled all wrong, and my dad produced that record. So, before she found that Tori sound, she was my parent’s neighbor when I was an infant, so they were super young still, too, and she was around. I discovered her music later on my own, maybe like 11, 12, 13, during those stages where you’re really developing who you are you know? Different from your family, growing, becoming that unique person you’re meant to be. She really inspired my songwriting and wanting to be a musician. I would say her and my mom, hearing my mom singing my whole life made me want to sing.
“Somebody’s Got There First” feels very emotional, was this song written related to something you experienced in your life?
Definitely. Although, in all of my songs, certainly there are pieces of my own life thrown in there and my own views and experiences and so on, but a lot of my songs come from stories from my friends, hearing about their lives and relationships, and completely things I’ve made up or if I’m doing a session with a complete stranger it’s a sort of a blind day of songwriting sessions. It’s from their experiences and I… which is kind of where this song comes from. I was writing with someone from Nashville, and living over there. And it was a culmination of all of those things, but, certainly, it’s a hard one to sing. It’s hard to sing those really sad songs. Because you have to get into that state of mind to really deliver an authentic performance… So, I kind of have to think about it… but we all have those regrets.
Do you feel like you’ve moved away from your rock and roll roots at all?
Yeah, I would say. That’s something I haven’t, surprisingly, thought about, too much. I’ve allowed myself over the last few years to evolve into the woman and artist that I am without thinking if I’m staying true to what I was creating as a teenager… I’ve done a little bit more study on songwriting as an art… I take a lot more time with my writing now.
Katy says she’s been spending a lot of quality time in the studio and has an EP dropping this fall, but she plans on more tours in the near-future, so connect with Katy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to make sure you don’t miss that!
By Jessie Schoonover.