Meet Katherine Paterson | Singer-songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katherine Paterson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katherine, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
I started reading “The Sandman” by Neil Gaiman a few years ago, at the recommendation of a friend, and it kind of changed my life. My understanding of and relationship to the comics are still shifting, but the first read-through came about while I was working on my debut album, “Wake” (which came out January 14th). The last volume of the series is called “The Wake,” which, without spoiling anything, is, of course, about a wake (a vigil). The play on words–using the word “wake” in the context of both dreaming and death–perfectly collided with where my head and heart were working on the album. The album is a journey through grief–the profound feelings of loss, the yearning, the celebration of life, and the growth. While I won’t try to say anything profound about the novels–many better writers than myself have spoken beautifully about the genius of Gaiman–what I will say, is that reading “The Sandman” unlocked my brain in a way that allowed me to see the album, and my grief, from a different perspective. One quote from the final volume that I carry with me is a secret that Abel shares. When Eblis O’Shaughnessy asks, “Then what died? Who are we mourning?” Abel responds, “A point of view.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m getting ready to release my debut album, “Wake,” on January 14th, which is exciting and scary! I’ve always had a hard time labeling my genre, which may very well come from a desire to never have to talk about myself (lol), but recently I’ve been vibing with indie-folk and Americana. This project has been at least two years in the making, and I am so incredibly proud of it.

Being someone who hasn’t always been confident in their writing skills, I’m especially proud of myself for getting to the point of sharing my music with others. When I was a kid, I loved to write stories. I lost this sense of confidence in my writing somewhere between high school and college and didn’t find it again until I took a poetry class my last year of college. The writing prompts and exercises got my creative juices flowing again, and I wrote my first song soon after graduation. Approaching songwriting from this encounter with poetry means I spend a lot of time on my lyrics. The song “Brittany,” which is on the album, is about how I felt after our first foster dog got adopted. Brittany is a dog breed and also a place, and I used my Wikipedia rabbit hole into the the Carnac stones of France to help me talk about trying to understand and feel understood in my grief. Focusing so much on lyrics also means I listen more now to the storytelling of other musicians (it’s why I’m such a big fan of Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ok, here’s my ideal itinerary for a weekend in DFW: Let’s say you arrive Friday afternoon, go ahead and grab some BBQ at Terry Black’s (I’m a vegetarian, so I’ve only had the sides, but even the sides are awesome), and then go see a show in Deep Ellum (I’m a fan of Deep Ellum Art Co. and Opening Bell Coffee). Saturday, going to the McKinney Farmers’ Market is a must. I live in McKinney, so I may be a bit biased, but they won best farmers’ market in Texas this year! That’s a morning activity for me, because some of the vendors sell out, so once you’ve done your market shopping, I’d recommend a walk around the McKinney square. There are a bunch of awesome locally-owned businesses and restaurants and if you’re feeling like a BBQ-off, order the same thing you did at Black’s at Hutchins’ and compare them. Now that you’re full and your feet are tired, head down to Bishop Arts for happy hour at the Wild Detectives (you get a free drink with a book purchase!). They have a nice outdoor space to sit, sip, read, and relax. If you’re not exhausted after a full day, walking around Bishop Arts is nice (more fun shops and awesome murals). Sunday, if it’s WNBA season, I’d recommend going to a Wings game in Arlington. They’re usually in the afternoon, so I’d say you should do yourself a favor and eat lunch at Mellow Mushroom near UTA. For dinner, (if you can’t tell, I’m a pretty food-oriented person) I love Whistle Britches. They’ve got great fried chicken biscuit sandwiches (and their sides are amazing). There’s so much to do in DFW, so this should be viewed as a non-exhaustive list (I also love the DMA and the Nasher, but they didn’t fit into this food-centric itinerary!).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oof, the list is so long, but my family and friends deserve a major shoutout. I am so lucky to have such a supportive family when it comes to my music–they enrolled me in violin lessons as a kid, they’ve flown to Dallas to see me perform multiple times, they’ve helped me research tour venues, and so much more. I’m endlessly grateful to them. I also have had the utmost pleasure of having so many loved ones work on this project with me. Not only is my producer, Chris Peters, a dear friend, but my partner, Lilly Lane, lent her ear, voice, and heart to “Wake” as well. My friend Dave Kopperman, who I credit with encouraging me as a songwriter early on, did the amazing artwork for the album. When it comes to being an emerging artist in such a saturated industry, it makes a huge difference to be surrounded by love and encouragement on all sides.

Website: https://katherinepatersonmusic.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/kpatmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kpatmusic

Image Credits
Erik Espinosa Katherine Paterson