Katie Bates has a heart steeped in great and spirited American music – from The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Band to Nirvana and Audioslave. This is no doubt the product of a family with a healthy vinyl collection and active subscriptions to Triple R and PBS. She is very much inspired by the music, culture and fashion of the 1960s and 1970s. And proudly so.
But there’s many other things at play in Katie’s music. She’s also heavily influenced by the grunge and grit of artists such as PJ Harvey, Garbage and Audioslave and aims to blend both her love for Americana/alt-country with alt rock and grunge. Music you can both two-step to and head bang to.
Her new EP, ‘Until The Day Dies’, is built around an era in Katie’s life involving both self-love and self-doubt, but also discovery as a human and an artist. Self Proclaimed and Polka Dot Dress have the rockier/heavier tones that bridge the gap between country and rock, which is a taste of what’s to come beyond this EP. Yes, Katie is – like any real creative artist – already looking to the future, the next recordings, the next gigs.
On the gig front that includes appearances at the recent Out On The Weekend 2021 and Dashville Skyline festivals. Add into that is Katie playing bass in Ben Mastwyk’s live and touring band.
Katie’s debut EP ‘New Gold’ came out in 2018, and resulted in a sell-out EP launch at the Wesley Anne. This led to extensive radio play on Melbourne community radio stations PBS and Triple R, to then performing at PBS’ Acid Country Live Broadcast for Leaps and Bounds MF.
She’s already the veteran of hundreds of gigs – mostly within Melbourne’s thriving Americana scene – and has toured the country as opening act for Muscle Shoals’ Hannah Aldridge.
Her recent full band performances as part of Back at The Ballroom and The Dainton Americana Carnival confirmed what everyone knew already – she’s a headline act in the making with the swagger, the stage presence and, most importantly, the kind of songs that sound just as great in a rowdy bar as they do late at night through headphones.”
Now comes the Until The Day Dies EP. The first song from it was extremely well received with Henry Wagons on Tower of Song premiering Polka Dot Dress, along with following title track as the next single before the record’s release.
“Sultry, intriguing and provocative, with a sound that turns satisfyingly, defiantly snarling, evoking PJ Harvey.” – Sophie Hamley, Sunburnt Country
Katie Bates is an artist on the rise. When not out playing gigs she’s working in her home studio in Melbourne’s south-east. Katie had better make the most of any time she gets to do that as the next year and onwards promises to be extremely busy.
“Bates’ voice is soft, sweet, and very warm which tends to pull you in as you listen. While ‘New Gold’ has got that traditional country, heart and soul grit to it, the songs have a very modern feel, blending the eras of old and new for a new generation to enjoy.” – The Music Below, California USA