This week we caught up with Ayrshire singer songwriter Katie Palmer to find out more about her musical influences, her favourite local bands and of course her debut album, Something New which was released during lockdown…
When did you discover your love for music and what were your main musical influences growing up? I have loved singing since I was a young girl. I have been singing since I was five or six, when my friend and I both found a shared love for music. We would enter competitions and would spend most breaks in school singing and dancing around until we would have to go back to class. It was at the age of 12 when I had received a guitar as a gift on Christmas day. I practiced every night trying to perfect chords and learn some songs and within two weeks I had learned numerous songs on the guitar. My interest in playing guitar was sparked by watching my dad play every night before bed and since then I have just loved the guitar and writing my own material.
You released your debut album, ‘Something New’ – what was the writing process behind it and is there a particular place you go to write your music? I feel that I don’t need to be anywhere in particular when writing just as long as I have my guitar with me. However, comfortable spaces for writing are definitely my bedroom and studio sessions/band practices.
Is there a particular message / meaning that you wanted the album to represent? There is not a particular message behind the album however i love to write songs that have multi meaning. I love the idea that someone is able to relate their own personal experiences to the music I write and when writing songs I do have ideas/occasions in mind which may be personal to me, but for me this is not what the song is really about. It is about writing a song which can be applicable to another’s experience without going into tremendous detail about a specific event.
What’s your favourite song from the Album and why? My favourite song from the album is the title track ‘Something New’ because this song has a lot of meaning behind it such as writing the song, then performing it for the first time and to then recording it. When singing and playing this song, I get lost in the song. It’s as if my surroundings aren’t there anymore and it’s only me in the song that’s truly present.
You are from Ayrshire, home to many talented musicians, what local bands / musicians would you recommend us checking out? A new local band writing their own material that I would definitely recommend would be the band Ocean Views. They are on the rising and would be good to keep an eye on for the future. They are also great when watching live and know how to work a crowd. Their instagram is @oceanviewsmusic
What’s been the most memorable gig you’ve played and why? The most memorable gig I’ve played was the F32 Records Showcase gig at Irvine Harbour Arts Centre. This was the first gig playing with a band and playing my own material and i felt people were truly listening. On the lead-up to the gig was rocky, this being down to nerves and the gig being something so new to me. I was nervous until the last moment before I went on stage. This is where it all came together and everything i had been nervous about just fell into place. This was my best experience so far and the crowd were a massive part of the reason why it was the most memorable gig.
It’s been really hard for musicians this year with the pandemic, what venue are you most looking forward to playing again? I am most looking forward to playing any venue! There isn’t a specific venue in mind, I am just looking forward to playing live again.
What are your hopes and ambitions as a musician for the future? My ambitions are self improvement in my writing and guitar playing. I also love the idea of branching out to other instruments other than the guitar. I truly hope to make something of my music and I hope people will enjoy listening to my music.
Make sure you keep up-to-date with Katie’s future plans via her social media platforms below…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiepalmermusic
Instagram: @Katiepalmermusic
The Music Files 