ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ~ KATE ANGEL

some patience, I'm music magazine, kate angel, artist spotlight, new generation rock, venom, matt noveskey, blue october,

Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/ bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons. We think they kick ass and we hope you do too! Today, we’d like to shine the spotlight on Texas rocker Kate Angel!

Kate Angel is blossoming into a major driving force behind New Generation Rock in today’s ever-evolving music culture. The talented alt-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was born and raised in “The Live Music Capital of the World” of Austin, Texas, and has had a keen sense of music her entire life. By age ten, she was already showing incredible vocal proficiency, as well as a growing expertise in piano and guitar.

“Music has always been something that was very natural to me because it’s something I’ve been learning and pursuing for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I really can’t think of anything else in life that motivates me more than music and songwriting.”

Kate’s self-written and self-produced 2021/22 hit singles H2O, 16 Drops of Tea, and Punk Persona are an immediate testament that Kate’s lyrics and style of music evokes the classic soul of rock n’ roll with a splash of 21st century alt-rock influence. She draws much of her musical influence from rock acts such as Evanescence, Halestorm, Paramore, The Pretty Reckless, Heart, and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks.

When Kate gave her first solo performance to the public at Roots Bistro and Bar in Georgetown, Texas, she seized the moment and hasn’t looked back since. She performed for nearly three hours, captivating the audience with a strong stage presence and a fresh sound. The show’s success created a plethora of opportunities for her to perform live in the Austin area in the coming years.

Since 2017, she’s given over 80 performances at venues and music festivals such as ACL 3Ten, The Saxon Pub, The Moontower Saloon, One-2-One, Unofficial SXSW, Houston Rodeo, Round Rock Chalk Walk, Georgetown Red Poppy Festival, and Pecan Street Festival in Austin, TX. Along with her solo performances, she acted as frontwoman and the primary creative driving force for numerous rock bands. As her presence grew in Austin’s burgeoning classic and alt-rock music scene, so did her talent along with it, leading her to where she is today as Kate Angel.

“Being involved with each of those bands helped expose me to different sounds and creative processes, which in turn drove me to write even more original songs,” Kate elaborated.

Kate’s professional and artistic growth has only been enhanced by her collaborations with Austin and Nashville based singer-songwriters, producers, and musicians. Among these names are Matt Noveskey, two-time Grammy-nominated Johnny Black, Greg Archilla, Brent Meyer, Alex Vallejo, and Omar Vallejo. Their experience in the music industry and mentorship has been paramount to Kate Angel’s growth.

Soon enough, she recorded her first song: Trust. The song was cut at 512 Studios, and debuted on 512 Studios LIVE, a local television show broadcasted on Austin’s CW Network. Her star power that was visible in her childhood had become an outright certainty. Kate was destined to be in the studio and on the stage.

“I have always enjoyed performing before a live audience because it energizes me,” she continued. “It’s a thrill I can’t fully explain, but I love to connect with my audience by telling stories through music, which allows my audience to have their own interpretations, based on their own life experiences.”

Kate has always shown a natural progress and ambition to virtually everything she has been exposed to. Aside from being a multi-instrumentalist, she writes and produces her own music in the studio, along with drawing and designing much of the imagery and graphics that accompany her songs. In 2020, Kate also added Impresario to her growing list of accolades, launching Rock Out Hunger, a charity concert event held at Roots Bistro and Bar in Georgetown, Texas. She personally recruited four other bands from the area, had KGTN Radio cover the event live, and raised over $2,700 and more than 154 pounds of food donations.

As she was working on Rock Out Hunger, Kate also released her own selfEP was co-produced by Brent Meyer, Music Director and Performer of Strangelove – The Depeche Mode Experience. It included New Generation Rock songs Robotic Rose, Sweet Revenge, Wrong Era, and Won’t Let Rock Go. The collection harkened back to her musical influences and solidified her understanding of musical instrumentation and production.

Blue October bassist Matt Noveskey took notice of Kate after the prosperous start to her career. As they collaborated and worked together, Kate’s music evolved. In 2021/22, she wrote and produced the aforementioned hit singles H2O, 16 Drops of Tea, and Punk Persona. All three songs carried a heavier alt-rock sound than her debut EP, with Punk Persona, landing at #2 for four weeks in a row on Los Angeles Indie Star Radio Top 21 Countdown.

Kate’s self-written second EP, VENOM, was co-produced with Matt Noveskey and Kelsey Flanagan at the famed Orb Recording Studios in Austin, TX, and released on February 14, 2023. The new songs continued to lean heavily into both classic and new alt rock influences, as she further establishes her name in the industry.

“I want my listeners to be energized, excited, and to come away with their own interpretation of my songs,” Kate said. “I want them to believe it’s ok to express themselves, and to have the confidence to be who they are. Especially in today’s world. My goal is for my music to help inspire people to communicate with each other, and to learn more about each other through music.”

We sat down for a short, but fun Q & A session with Kate!

Every superhero or villain has an origin and a band or artist is no different minus the radioactive spiders and secret government experiments. What is the origin of Kate Angel?

I was born in Austin, TX, “The Live Music Capital of The World”. I was always surrounded by many different music genres and live concerts. By the time I was 9 yrs old, I developed strong vocals as a classically trained soprano. I also began learning piano and guitar, and took my first steps towards writing songs, both lyrics and music. Over the next 5 years, I enrolled at 3 different music schools, and I performed at local festivals and open mics. In addition to my solo performances, I found a love for being a front-woman, and created 5 different bands during this time. Both solo and band experiences were very important to my musical growth and brand as it is today. I valued collaboration, and I was exposed to many creative musicians. My drive to write original music and involvement with School of Rock Round Rock, encouraged School of Rock Round Rock to create their own music writing program. It wasn’t until I entered a Battle of The Bands with a few of the other musicians that I got my first break. We won, and Jeana, the owner of ROOTS in Georgetown, TX took notice of my vocals, original music, and my stage performance. Jeana gave me my first full 2hr gig. I then recorded my first original song, “Trust” at 512 Studios, and have since been on their TV show in 3 different seasons. I recorded 3 additional songs under Katelyn A. Simpson. During this time, I learned the importance and the influence of a producer. Being heavily influenced by Bad Flower, Evanescence, Flyleaf, Halestorm, Paramore, and Yungblud, I wanted more “alternative heavy rock” edge to my sound. Kate Angel was born, and my current EP “VENOM” was on its way to being written and produced.

Band names or atrtist names can have a meaning or it can be a name pulled out of a hat. What’s the story behind Kate Angel?

Kate Angel was born out the love of alternative rock music. I am heavily influenced by Bad Flower, Evanescence, Flyleaf, Halestorm, Paramore, and Yungblud, After my first set of recorded songs, I found it was too much synth-pop. I wanted to reinvent my music persona along the lines of those who influenced me. “Angel” came from the sound of my vocals when I was younger. It was a classical songbird soprano vocal sound, angelic in nature. “Kate”, short for Katelyn, is my alter-ego rock rebel self. I created a more “alternative heavy rock” edge to my brand and sound. I became Kate Angel, a Woman Who Rocks! My EP, “VENOM”, was purposely released on February 14 2023 as an anti-Valentine’s Day EP. I self-wrote “VENOM” and co-produced with Matt Noveskey of Blue October and Kelsey Flanagan at Orb Recording Studios.

What are you currently working on?

I just released my first EP, VENOM on February 14, and I am currently booking my summer Texas regional tour. My biggest project at the moment is my 2nd annual “Rock Out Hunger” concert that will include 5 bands over 6 hours, and raise money and canned foods donations to our local food banks. I initially started “Rock Out Hunger” in January 2020, right before the pandemic hit. We raised over $2700 and over 150 lbs of canned food. “Rock Out Hunger” is scheduled for May 13 from 5 PM – 11 PM at The Ballroom Spiderhouse in Austin, TX.

If you have any tattoos, what was your very first one and does it have any meaning behind it?

Growing up, I remember not wanting a tattoo on my body unless it had a significant meaning. I chose to be called Kate Angel for my stage name because everyone would call me an angel when I was little. Going into the pandemic my junior year of high school, I became edgier and found my inner punk persona. I decided to get my first tattoo my senior year of high school with my boyfriend at Great Wave Tattoo. My tattoo design has angel wings and a halo in the middle. The wings represent my passion for music and the confidence I carry on stage. The halo represents my fans and all the people that have supported me through my music journey.

What are your 5 favorite albums?

As a woman in the rock industry, I am heavily influenced by artists and bands including Halestorm, Paramore, Evanescence, Bad Flower, Flyleaf, Yungblud, and Heart.

My favorite albums are:

The Strange Case of… by Halestorm

The Bitter Truth by Evanescence

weird! by Yungblud

Riot! by Paramore

Fever Dream by Palaye Royale