Kate Stewart is a singer and songwriter. Her new song “Numb” was recently released along with the lyric video for it. The song is an ode to a chapter of the heartbreak story. YEM was able to speak with Kate about working with renowned producers for “Numb”, how she has evolved since her older music, and her favorite part of the process when making a song.
Young Entertainment Mag: What is it like having such a personal song like “Numb” come out? Did you have any nerves about how it would be received?
Kate Stewart: No, I never really get nervous before I release songs. I would never release a song that I didn’t really love and feel confident about releasing, so as long as I love it, I’m happy.
YEM: What was the process like when you were writing “Numb”? Did it take a while or was it very natural?
Kate: It was actually very natural. It only took us a day and we came up with the ideas super quick. It was the first time I’d ever met Swagg R’Celious, who produced it, and wrote it with me. But we clicked straight away, both on a personal and professional level. He really understood the kind of thing I was going for in terms of melody and lyric ideas. It was a great session.
YEM: What do you find is the main source of inspiration for you when you’re writing a song?
Kate: I mainly just take inspiration from things that have happened/are currently happening in my life or my friends lives. For some reason, me and my friends all have very dramatic personal lives so it’s great for musical content. Or often I will see or read something and I’ll take it for a song title and elaborate on the idea of the song from there.
YEM: Your songs surround a lot of universal experiences. Do you hope that your audience/fans will relate to your songs?
Kate: Of course. I always write my music in hopes people will relate to them. I try and write about things that have actually happened to me or friends, as I said. I know a lot of women go through a lot of the same things in life so it’s good to talk about them, even if they might be hard to talk about.
YEM: What was it like working with such renowned producers for “Numb”?
Kate: It was amazing! I always feel super blessed when such renowned producers or writers want to work with me, because it means they rate me the same way I rate them and that’s an amazing feeling. Whoever I work with, as long as we get an amazing song, then I’m happy.
YEM: The music video for “Numb” is a really cool collection of behind-the-scenes footage. How did you come up with the idea for the video?
Kate: My first video for Hate You was very dark and moody. I was almost playing a villain character. So for this, I wanted to show another side of me. A much lighter and more fun side. I’m a very chilled person, so I wanted to put that across in this video. Lucas (who filmed it) Hannah (who shot it) and I are very good friends and always have such a laugh together, so I knew that the day would be really funny and we’d be laughing a lot. So it was the perfect team to capture these moments with.
YEM: Is there a specific artist or style of music that you draw a lot of inspiration from?
Kate: There’s a lot of artists I draw inspiration from. I’m heavily inspired by Rihanna, I don’t even have words for how much I love that woman. Voice and ad-lib wise I’ve learnt a lot from Whitney and Christina. The list goes on, I listen to a lot of singers and take different things from each of them.
YEM: How do you think you’ve sonically and creatively evolved since your older music?
Kate: I’ve changed massively. Since I started making music my style has changed so much. For the longest time, I didn’t even know what kind of artist I wanted to be, and to mix that in with a major label guiding me, I got very lost. I listen to so many genres and so many different artists I was getting clouded by all of them, trying to copy and trying to sound like them, it was all very confusing for me. But as the years have gone on, I’ve found my authentic sound and it feels totally true to me. It took a long time but I got there. I’m sure I’ll be forever evolving. But as for right now, I’m very comfortable with the artist I am becoming.
YEM: How did the pandemic influence your creative process? Did you find more time to work on music, or was it more difficult to write during quarantine?
Kate: I didn’t write at all for about 6 months. I tried, but writing over zoom was not for me. And then as the lockdown went on and on, I became increasingly less inspired. Like everyone else around the world, I was doing the same thing day in, day out, and I had no creative juice. It slowly came back when the world started to go back to normal, I didn’t put pressure on it.
YEM: How do you approach photoshoots and/or develop your personal style to reflect your music?
Kate: Whenever I make a new song, I always know I love it when I can think of the music video straight away. I am a very creative person and I love thinking of concepts for videos and shoots, so they just pop into my head. I wouldn’t say I have a specific approach to it. My personal style is forever changing, day to day it’s never the same. I’ll just go with what I’m feeling like on the day.
YEM: What’s your favorite part of the process when making a song?
Kate: Recoding. My favorite thing in the world is singing. So getting on the mic and singing the song we’ve just created is an incredible feeling. It gives me a lot of adrenalin.
YEM: Do you have a dream collaborator who you would like to work with?
Kate: I have SO many. But let’s go with Rihanna.
YEM: Are there any plans for an album or future singles coming up that you can tell us about?
Kate: I have a few more singles coming out this year. And then my EP “You Had To Be There” later on this year. There will definitely be an album in the near future, but not just yet.
