SEASON 4 | EPISODE 1

Season 4 of the podcast is finally here and there truly couldn’t be a better guest to kick things off. Believe it or not, Katie was set to be the feature of the first ever live recording of Made for Music, featuring Daym. Unfortunately, good ol’ COVID-19 made sure that event never came to fruition. Rest assured, her Made for Music debut was well worth the wait.

Not only is Katie is not only an extremely talented songwriter and musician, but she’s a savvy business person. Fortunately for us, she broke down everything from the creation of her latest masterpiece Alligator (which was recorded in just TWELVE DAYS), the “fuck it” adjustment, tips-and-tricks for independent artists rolling out new material, and so much more.

“There’s this myth ‘if it’s good it will be discovered’ which is not true. It is no longer the case. There are no longer people of influence in an audience in a random bar in Seattle. That’s not the reality any more...so I started looking at the approach to releasing my music a little differently.”

One of the most powerful moments of the interview (for me personally) was breaking down the process of establishing agency over the creation Alligator. It’s clear throughout the interview and the album itself Katie has become even more sure of who she is as an artist, songwriter, and individual. She also understands the importance of one’s environment and creating healthy habits than enable her to be the best person and creative she can be.

“I’m often the only woman in a lot of spaces. I’m often the youngest too…and the only queer woman in a lot of these spaces. Before [this album cycle], I had a lot of discomfort and a lot of self-protection in how I directed people and how my music would be made”

Alligator: A Master Class in Building Atmosphere

Katie Kuffel’s latest album “Alligator” is her strongest album to date, which is saying a lot when it comes to one of the most talented songwriters in the Seattle music scene. It kicks off with 1999 which is sure to make you dance and shout “I’ve got to move”. The soundscape continues to expand as the album goes on, without ever feeling out of place. The highlight, for me personally, is “Carillon”. The song is a master class in songwriting and building atmosphere. Her songwriting is on full display, with driving guitars pulling you through each verse, accompanied by perfectly orchestrated horns that swell into an an undeniably epic hook where Katie soars with an emphatic declaration “I don’t want to be undone”. I’ve listened to it 10+ times writing this piece with my sense of awe growing each time I hit “replay”.

Stream/download Katie’s music below:

To get the full picture, check out latest episode of Made for Music featuring Katie Kuffel here.