Hiya Kate Foster, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
Music has always been a part of me, my mom is also a musician, vocalist and composer, performed many gigs while pregnant with me. I kinda came out the womb singing.
Introduce us to you and your musical history.
I started writing melodies before I could even speak. My first instrument, besides voice, was piano when I was about 5 or 6. Then I played all sorts of flutes, recorders, violin, viola, then the stand up bass in my middle school orchestra, and finally stuck with guitar.
In high school, I went to an arts school where I really honed in on my writing and performance skills. We had an amazing program at school called ‘Rockband’ (not the video game lol), where we were put into bands and had to write songs and do covers, then perform them in front of the class every week as well as larger concerts every few months in front of hundreds of people. Having been fairly shy as a kid this helped me really break out of my shell.
After highschool I continued with an alt pop rock band called Vermillion, that lasted on and off throughout my university years. We began gaining traction after Uni and right before covid, but that all halted to a stop when the rest of the world shut down. This is when I started doing my own solo music production and have slowly developed my own style up until now, which is a bit more in the electro/altpop world.
What’s the live music scene like in San Francisco right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
I just moved back to SF after living in France for 4 years so I’m just settling back in. I’ve done a few shows here in the past but I’ll need to find my footing again after being gone for so long. I plan on performing again around the area in 2025!
I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online. What’s your view on the industry?
I mean it’s always hard to stand out right? It’s a very cutthroat industry… I think a lot of it has to do with luck and timing. And money. Then there are the lucky few who blow up in trends or on Tiktok… it can be pretty overwhelming honestly. Just have to keep faith in yourself and keep going…
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
I think I’m just on the cusp. I’m just starting to put out music more consistently and really develop my own style and brand. It’s taken me a while to understand my own genre even, but it’s starting to come together. I’ve released more of my own self-produced music this year than I ever have before, so that feels like a big accomplishment in itself and a great step in the right direction.
Tell us two truths and a lie about you.
I was born in Hawaii.
I am a great surfer.
I’m obsessed with burritos.
(Answer: I am not a great surfer at all, but I am great at snowboarding :D)
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
I mean yeah for sure. I think anything can be skewed or taken the wrong way. Plus our world is becoming a little bit scary right now too with how much can be created inauthentically, whether it’s from AI or even just photoshop. It can be unnerving.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories? If not, why not?
If you’ve seen Ancient Apocalypse, I’m totally on board with that. 😂 It talks about the evidence of highly technologically advanced civilizations that thrived long before we thought humans were even capable of using primitive tools. They were wiped out by massive floods from meteors hitting icebergs during the Ice Age (if I remember correctly). Yo, we know more about the moon’s surface than the ocean floor! I believe it.
What was your best experience on stage?
I think one of the best feelings is when people start singing and dancing along. Especially at venues where a lot of people are sitting, god it feels good when they get the courage to get up and dance in front! And then suddenly a whole group infront of the stage starts to form… yeah that’s nice 🙂
What was your worst experience on stage?
Band members not showing up until the very, very last second… stressssssss.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
I just released a song ‘Critic’ about some of the struggles I, and many artists have, with self criticism and being your own worst critic. But it’s also about appreciation of self, letting go and being gentle with yourself. I wrote this song when I was pretty sad one day, it poured out of me in about five minutes and then I finished the production on it in a day and a half. It came together sooo quickly. The guitar riff I wrote was actually for another sort of emo style pop punk song I had going, but then I threw it into Ableton, sped it up, and ‘Critic’ came to life.
What was the recording process like?
I write and record most of my music in my bedroom. I’ve got a rather basic setup but all the essentials. Then I went to an actual recording studio where I worked with my friend Rayn. We re-record all the vocals, he adds some final touches, polishes the details, and that’s that!
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
I often write about things going on in my life or that have gone on in my past. Sometimes it comes out easily, sometimes not at all. I think the thing for me the most is to not overthink what I’m doing or worry about who is listening… just let it flow naturally.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Not really, each song I release I like better than the last so, I think that’s progress. I’d like to continue pushing my style into a more electronic world but I don’t like forcing my songs in any direction either. I’ve got a lot of alternative/rock/emo, pop, soul, and varied electronic influences so… it’s a mashup style. Though ‘Critic’ is definitely on the pop side haha.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I have an EP/Album coming out early 2025! Super excited to share this debut 🙂
FOLLOW HER HERE
🇺🇸 FOR MORE NEW MUSIC NEWS FROM THE USA CHECK OUT RGM USA 🇺🇸