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KATE SCHRODER Kate Schroder has been busy. Between playing shows in Toronto and Ottawa, featuring on tracks by many different artists, and most recently releasing her latest EP, Songs I Made, we got the chance to pick her brain on her influences, songwriting process, and favourite shows. Do the right thing and read on!

VITALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateschrodermusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathrynkatarina

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kate-schroder

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuJcM65NnwM

Latest release: Songs I Made (EP, May 2016)

Upcoming shows: Stay tuned!

SA: How did you get your start in music? KS: I grew up in a musical household and started taking piano lessons when I was 3 or 4 (continued until I graduated high school) so that was my official start. But I always knew I wanted to be a singer even before that, so it wasn't long before I was joining choirs and taking singing lessons and it all progressed from there.

SA: What bands, musicians or artists would you cite as the biggest influences on your sound? KS: Alicia Keys was the first to have a large influence on my sound (other than the Spice Girls. Boy did I ever love my GirlPowerPop). She made me want to write songs to sing (and belt) while playing piano and artists like her and Aaliyah gave me a love for Pop R&B. That's had a big impact on the way I like to sing and the beats I like to use. Like everybody, I've gone through a million music phases since then, but Boards of Canada was another important one for me. They made me understand music and sound and the composition of it in a new way, and they made me realize how much I wanted to start producing. Grimes played a big part in that realization as well. Her DIY layering and experimenting and power is hugely inspiring.

In the last few years, what's been influencing me most is the real noisy stuff. Canadian bands like Single Mothers and The Dirty Nil have got me just wanting to wail and fuck shit up, and that effect has been slowly making it's way into my solo stuff more and more.

SA: Thus far in your career, what has been your biggest success? KS: Releasing a self-produced/self-written EP. I'm very proud of that.

SA: Conversely, what is the biggest challenge you have faced, and how have you dealt with it? KS: Honest expression. Up until recently, I'd been almost constantly focused outwards during the production of a song. Even if the original inspiration had been honest, once I started working away at it, I was thinking entirely too much about how it was going to sound to other people. Making sure it wasn't too long or too short, was a proper pop structure, wasn't too all over the place so as to be palatable etc. Basically I just wanted very badly to be on the radio and I was trying to cater to that and focusing on the wrong things. And those things ate away at my creativity, leaving me stuck in writer's block all too often. Currently I'm working on just doing whatever the hell I want, and so far that feels much better. It's probably gonna get weird. SA: How do you approach the song-writing process? KS: I've got a variety of approaches, but my favourite (and luckily the most common) is that I think of a melody and chords while I'm out and about and then make some voice notes on my phone to get the idea out. Then when I get the time I start working it out more and experimenting on my keyboard and computer.

SA: Between your band, Those Gulls, and your solo work: do you use the same process for song-writing, both lyrically and musically? KS: Somewhat. In Those Gulls, I'm usually building upon ideas more than I'm actually bringing forth the foundation of a song. The experimenting is similar, but in the band my instrument is my voice and melody vs. with my solo stuff, I'm experimenting more with the song as a whole. But man is it ever fun jamming out a song with everyone when it starts to come together. Magic.

SA: What is your favourite venue or gig you’ve ever played, and why? KS: Favourite gig I ever played was at Gabba Hey! with Those Gulls and we opened up for PUP. I'd never been to that venue before and it quickly became my favourite. PUP was obviously fantastic, the crowd was amazing, and the vibe of this place made me feel like I was at the show of the year at some underground punk club in Brooklyn. So god damn fun.

SA: What is the first record you ever owned? Why did you buy it and has it held the test of time? KS: The first record I can remember going out and buying with my own money was Billie - Honey to the B. I really did love my GirlPowerPop.

SA: What comes next for you in 2016? We wish you the best, and good luck! KS: I'm working on a music video for a track that was on my latest EP so hopefully that'll be done by early Fall. I'm also planning on having a couple singles out by the end of the year. Lastly, I'm going to get my live show going again but I want to dramatically revamp it. Probably will add in a couple bandmates so I can focus more on the mic. As much as I love the multitasking I do on stage and having the freedom to do shows all on my own, I think it's time to involve some more people. Thank you so much, SOMETIMES ALWAYS RULES!!!