Now nicely settled back in her hometown, Exposed caught up with blues and soul and blues artist Kat Eaton to talk formative Steel City experiences, coming full circle and an upcoming second album in the works.
Hi Kat, it’s great to have you back in the Steel City. Can you tell us a bit about what prompted the move back up north?
It’s so nice to be back up north. I was worried how everyone would react. I thought people would think we’d abandoned Sheffield for the Big Smoke and they wouldn’t accept my husband Nick and I back again. But I needn’t have worried because we have been accepted back into the community with open arms and Sheffield has changed so much for the better since we left. London was everything you can imagine – fun, exhilarating, challenging, exhausting! But with the recent cost of living crisis we really noticed the atmosphere shifting.
It might just be me, but London doesn’t feel as vibrant anymore and it’s lost its allure. Our plan was always to move back up north after we’d make the connections we needed. And that’s just what we did – it only took us nine years! We’ve gone from living in a two-bed flat to a gorgeous house that we own with a huge studio at the end of the garden. It’s a total gamechanger and we feel incredibly grateful to be back. Also, the beer is just SO much better here!
When talking about early influences, you’ve mentioned sneaking into gigs to watch Sheffield Blues legend Frank White when you were younger. What was it about Frank’s music that resonated with you, and have you been inspired by any other Sheffield artists?
Frank’s passion on and off stage was what I loved about him the most. When he wasn’t on stage writhing whilst wailing out another heartfelt vocal, he’d be talking about music and encouraging us to broaden our minds by listening to all sorts of genres and artists. He brought all of us musicians together and there was always a real community around him. Don’t get me wrong – he was hard work sometimes! But all of us paid our dues playing in The Frank White Band, and we learnt a hell of a lot doing it.
Frank got us our first paid gig at The Crown in Totley when we were 17 and he even blagged his bass player Jeremy Meek (who had never met us before and had just come back from touring the world with Joan Armatrading) to play with us. Understandably, Jeremy almost didn’t turn up to play with a bunch of 17-year-olds, but his wife Clare pushed him out the car! Now Jezza’s just recorded bass on our new album, and he’s played on a track that we wrote about Frank called ‘NBT’ (New Barrack Tavern). It felt like a real full circle moment.
What else motivated you to pursue a career in music, and what has the journey been like to get to where you are now?
To be honest, I never really thought I’d be able to make a career in music. I studied Fine Art at uni, so I thought I’d end up doing something with art. Music was everything for Nick, but it was more of a side hustle for me to begin with and I thought it would be a struggle to make ends meet. But when we started making money just doing what we loved (and I realised being a fine artist was going to be an even bigger struggle!), I started to think this might actually work.
When we lived in Sheffield, we were playing the odd headline gig, weddings and functions, but we always said at some point we just wanted to make new music and tour Europe playing our own songs. I’m happy to say that’s what we’re doing now. Being a self-employed musician you’re never safe, but we’re fortunate enough now to just focus on making new music for however long that lasts.
How has your sound evolved and where do you see it heading in the future?
This new record, which Nick and I wrote, and Nick produced, is much more rootsy than the first album. It’s still Soul but slightly more Gospel, Blues. The lyrics are much more revealing and we’re less worried about trying to create something that’ll get on the radio. They’re also mega to play and we are so excited about playing these songs live! I think in the future I’ll go even deeper into Gospel and Blues. That’s where I started out. That’s what I love the most. That’s where I want to end up.
Can you share any insights into the recording process of your second album and how it differs from your debut album, ‘Talk To Me’?
We recorded the whole thing (apart from organ and horns) in the studio at the end of the garden. All in-house – literally! It should really have a name, shouldn’t it?! The Potting Shed… or The Flower Bed… God, they’re awful! Any better suggestions?! It’s not quite soundproof yet so the neighbours did notice we were recording, but only when Seb played the same drum groove over and over to get the perfect take.
Funding the album ourselves we have to make sure everything is organised so we don’t run over or take advantage of the musicians who are doing it for mates rates. It’s not always as organic as people think making music should be – you can’t always have a full band in a studio trying things out and writing things as you go along! That’s the dream but it’s expensive!
We are so excited about playing these songs live! I think in the future I’ll go even deeper into Gospel and Blues. That’s where I started out. That’s what I love the most. That’s where I want to end up.
Looking forward, what do you hope to achieve as a musician in the coming years?
We’ve just got new management [Wings – Gregory Porter’s management], so things will hopefully start snowballing soon. I know it’s a cliché, but if I can keep doing what I’m doing now and progressing at the rate I have been I’ll be happy. Of course, I have the usual aspirations: tour the world and have a hit single! But that’s only because I want to use that money and get back in the studio to make more music. The feeling you get when a person tells you that a song you wrote really resonated with them is the best kind of currency – hearing that every few weeks sustains me. I don’t need much.
Finally, what can we expect from your upcoming live show at Yellow Arch on 1st June?
It’s my first full band gig since moving back up north, so it’s gonna be carnage! Expect rip-roaring solos, Frank White-inspired gut-wrenching vocals and a lot of laughs either side! We’ll be playing music from my first album and exclusively revealing brand spanking new tracks. Last time we played there we sold it out. so make sure you get your tickets in advance!
Advance tickets for Kat Eaton’s full band performance at Yellow Arch Studios (£15) on 1st June are available at www.kateaton.com/tour
