Kate Stewart

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By: Olivia Vitarelli

Following the release of her new single ‘Numb,’ self-proclaimed “bad bitch R&B” songstress Kate Stewart readies the world for her upcoming EP, You Had To Be There. The singer-songwriter chats with Rival about her creative process, the importance of trusting one’s own instincts, and how an in-class performance of the paradigm musical theater tune ‘On My Own’ inspired a head-first dive into the pop music industry.

Growing up in West London, Kate says she “can’t think of a better place to live and be creative.” Still, the genesis of her artistry can’t be attributed solely to London’s great inspiration. “I grew up in a very musical family so I feel like I was destined to go into the arts,” she reveals. “I studied musical theater from a very young age, and then I went on to study music and songwriting. Both my parents were and still are in the industry, as is my brother, so I’ve always been around it, and there’s nothing else I could ever see myself doing.”

While her passion originally centered around musical theater, Kate’s keen pop sensibilities and velvet vocals eventually grew too distinctive to fit into the note-perfect restrictions of the genre. “I always wanted to go into musical theater,” explains Kate, launching into a tale about her college Song and Dance class. “My teacher asked me to sing ‘On My Own’ from [the musical] Les Miserables. I sang the song and added my own flair to it, probably had a little riff in there at some point, and my teacher stopped me and said ‘What was that?’” Kate’s response? A straightforward, “‘It’s just the way I would sing it.’ And he said, ‘No, no that’s not what we do in musical theater.’ As soon as he said that, and I realized I wasn’t able to express my voice how I wanted to, I knew it wasn’t for me…from that moment on, I thought, I want to be a pop star.”

The journey through the music industry, however, is an arduous one. “[It] is definitely not for the weak,” Kate notes. “You have to work really hard, try not to get defeated, and keep going. Which is what I’ve done, and will continue to do until I get where I want to be. But it’s been a very long and tough but enjoyable and incredible journey.” With such a mixed bag of life lessons, musical triumphs, and dismaying tribulations throughout her career, the singer-songwriter has learned, quite simply, “You have to trust your gut.” Reflecting on further takeaways from her experiences, Kate adds, “Take advice and criticism and don’t get defeated by it. You have to keep evolving, it takes a really long time to find your sound and your authentic self, [but] once you get it, you’ll feel it, and it will be so liberating…I’ve learnt to never, never give up.”

Perseverance, a quality required in broad strokes for the longevity of Kate’s career, is also required in the minutiae of a musician’s work, from the countless hours spent in the studio to the careful conceptualization and construction of a song. “I like to start with the beat,” Stewart explains of her songwriting process. “I have to have a solid vibe before I can start thinking of melodies. I need to know where the song is going to go. After we’ve got something I like with the production, I’ll start thinking of melody ideas and then write the lyrics…I often come to the studio with a word or a song title that I like and then we go from there.”

The resulting song is typically of the R&B and pop variety, and always features Kate’s vocals – equally soulful as they are technically sound – as the star of the track. “I love R&B and pop,” she says. “I really listen to every genre, but I grew up listening to the divas… so I’m very influenced by [the] incredible voices and melodies that make your face screw up or give you goosebumps.”

Her latest track, ‘Numb,’ a smooth-flowing anthem for those who can’t help but feel nothing, is written about the phenomenon of plateauing romances. “I wrote it about that feeling you get when you’re totally numb in a relationship,” Kate reveals. “You’re neither here nor there with your emotions. There’s no hate but the love is also fading. When you feel stuck and aren’t quite sure what to do. Your mind is just blank and your body feels numb.

‘Numb’ will be one of many tracks on Stewarts upcoming EP, You Had To Be There. “There are a lot of different vibes on this project,” she says of its musical character. “There’s a song for every mood. It’s definitely my first project that feels totally authentic to me and who I am as a person and an artist. I’ve taken a lot of experiences that I’ve lived through in the past and put them into these songs. It’s a lot more aggressive within the melodies and less soft and floaty than my last EP. It feels amazing to finally find my sound and put it into these songs.”

Ultimately, Kate tries not to concern herself with how her music will be consumed by others. “I never really think too deeply about how my music will influence people,” she says. “However, I think we lack great voices these days. So I definitely want to make sure I am on the map as one of the great diva vocalists of our generation.”

Promising authenticity and modern vocal greatness, Kate’s upcoming EP is not something you’ll want to miss. In fact, you just have to be there.

Photographer: Heather Koepp Creative Director: Oththan Burnside Wardrobe Stylist: Oththan Burnside Mua: Noeila Hair: Doug Mengert