Immerse yourself in the latest offering from the angelic sounds of Kate Stewart and her new EP, “You Had to Be There”, dropping on October 6th. Jam packed with soaring harmonies and full-bodied belters, this EP is a beaming testament to Kate’s stellar pop presence and fiercely gifted vocals.
Featuring the golden, summer drenched lead single “Never Enough”, You Had to Be There is a beautifully crafted EP which showcases Kate’s timeless soul sound and her vocal flexibility, ranging from Sade-eseque moments to sassy, R&B one-liners.
Embracing a new era of confidence and freedom, this brand new EP showcases staggering uprightness, celestial vocals and raw, groundbreaking talent. This rising star’s trajectory is phenomenal and “You Had to Be There” is just the beginning of Kate Stewart’s stellar musical career. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Kate to chat through the meaning behind her sparkling EP, early influences and exciting upcoming tour dates…
Stream “Name Out Of Your Mouth” from Stewart’s forthcoming EP,”You Had to Be There” now..
Read the exclusive interview below…
Congratulations on your upcoming EP! Can you tell us what inspired the title, “You Had To Be There”, and the overall theme of the project?
Thank you! The title came to me because I was thinking about how subjective music is and how when a song is written, it can be interpreted in so many different ways. It’s like when someone tells you a story and they think it’s funny, but when they’re telling it and you don’t laugh, they end it with “you just had to be there”. I find that quote hilarious and interesting, because it’s true; if you weren’t there, you might not fully understand the situation, just like lyrics. And to be quite honest with you, there is no overall theme of the EP, it’s mainly just the emotions I was going through over the course of writing it.
How did you first get into music, and who were your earliest influences?
I first got into music from a very early age. I grew up in a very musical family, my brother is now a producer and a songwriter but growing up he was always playing different instruments in the house and singing. Same with my parents, my dad is a stage actor and a comedian and my mum is a former dancer, so my house was always filled with show business. I had a lot of early influences, but my most prominent was Christina Aguilera, Stripped was the first album I listened to that really got me into R&B. I used to lock myself in my room and sing along to it, Christina basically taught me how to sing, I learnt all my riffs and tricks from listening to her.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that you think helped shape who you are as an artist today?
There’s been quite a few moments that have shaped me as an artist, while being in the industry. But one that sticks out is back at school, I studied musical theatre and I loved it, but they do insist that you sing a certain way for musicals, and my singing teacher did not approve of my tone. One day we all had to bring in a song from a musical to sing in front of the class, and I brought ‘on my own’ from Les Mis. I must’ve riffed on one of the words, and my singing teacher shut me down straight away and said ‘what the hell was that??’ And from that moment onwards, I knew I wanted to be a popstar, so I could riff freely!!
You’ve said that this EP signals “a beautiful new era of freedom” for you. Can you elaborate on what that freedom means to you as an artist?
I’ve had a very turbulent career so far; there’s been a lot of highs, but also a lot of lows. I wasn’t able to have any freedom as an artist when I first started in my career, signing to a major label was not the right choice for me, and after I left them, I still felt very confused and conflicted as to what kind of artist I wanted to be. It took me a very long time to understand myself as a singer and what I wanted to portray, but with this EP, I feel very confident that I am not only showing off my skills as a singer, but really opening up as a songwriter. I have been able to create this project with some amazing friends of mine, and I’ve been able to do whatever I want musically with the people that I am most inspired by and that to me, is freedom.
The lead single “Never Enough” opens the EP with ‘sun-kissed sounds’. What was the inspiration behind this track, and why did you choose it as the opener?
I wrote that song with my brother, who is an incredible pop producer. When I got into the session with him, I knew that I wanted to get a big pop banger with him, because I didn’t have one on the project yet and he kills it every time! When we wrote it, I felt like it was the perfect balance of pop but it was still cool and still chill. I think it was a good opener because it appeals to a lot of people, and hopefully makes them feel good!
The EP also features softer moments like “When It’s Just Me” and “Me + You.” How important is it for you to balance vulnerability with confidence in your music?
Very important. Like I said before, it took me a long time to understand the kind of artist that I wanted to be. I am a very confident person, but I am also very vulnerable as well. A lot of the time I do only portray the confident side of myself, because I think that’s what I wanted people to see. But leaning into the softer tracks, I wanted people to see the other side of me, the side that my friends see, the side that my boyfriend sees, I’m not always strong, sometimes I’m intimate and reclusive, and I’m happy I’ve gotten to portray that on my project.
You’ve stepped back from the conventional formula in creating this EP. What risks did you take, and how did you find the courage to follow your gut instinct?
I didn’t really think about it that much. I just made music with friends, released the songs, made some cool visuals, created a project and went with what felt right. I decided to take pressure off myself, and just enjoy it. Sometimes I get very stressed if things don’t go my way. And with this project, I decided to just let it be, what happens happens, as long as I love the music, that’s all that matters.
Given that you’ve described “You Had to Be There” as just the beginning of your journey, what are some musical or career milestones you’re aiming for in the near future?
I just want to be a respected singer. I want to be able to perform to people who love my voice and my music, I want to be able to keep making music with the people that I love, and I want to have longevity.
Finally, are there any tour dates or live performances in the works to support the EP launch?
I am performing at KOKO on the 4th October, with my full band which I’m really excited about, and I’m definitely going to try and do another headline show before the end of the year.
What can fans expect from a live Kate Stewart experience?
SHOW BIZ BABY