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Be happy and grateful for everything you encounter in life – An interview with Kate Louisa
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Be happy and grateful for everything you encounter in life – An interview with Kate Louisa

Kinga Bartczak

I am pleased to welcome a very special power woman in the interview today: Kate Louisa! The Hamburg-based singer and songwriter is considered THE newcomer of German pop culture. Dear Kate Louisa, welcome to FemalExperts. I am very happy to get to know a talented and ambitious Role Model in the context of the interview and would start directly with the first question:

You completed the pop course at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama and subsequently worked with a number of bands and producers. What was the trigger that made you take a new path?

I’ve done a lot of great projects, played musical theater, and had the chance to work with interesting people. I tried myself in different directions and started different projects, but they either fell apart at some point or I stopped them. Unfortunately, I always somehow had the feeling that I had to bend in order to please. I didn’t have the courage to really open up and for a long time I didn’t really know who I was and who I wanted to be. I learned a lot during this time. At some point I sensed that there was something else in me and set out to find my “own” musical voice. One night I sat down at the piano by myself and wrote my first songs. That’s when I felt it was important to do my own thing. And suddenly people respected me for who I am, not what I was trying to be.

What feelings played a crucial role in your change process and how did you deal with them?

I faced my fears at some point: The feeling of not being enough, of having to fit in, of not having a real place in life, of not knowing where I stand. I relived it, allowed it to happen, and went through it. I started focusing on the positive in my life and stopped dwelling on the past. This robs us of valuable life time that I have tried to invest in making a change. That made me stronger.

You come from a family in which tax consultants, lawyers or business economists are more likely to be represented. Was the step into an artistic direction a special challenge for you?

Right. I’m sure my parents would have loved to see me in the tax accountant’s safe haven of numbers. But I think I was born with a passion for music. For me, it was already clear at the age of three that I wanted to become a singer. Back then, I climbed on a chair at my grandfather’s birthday party and serenaded him in front of 300 guests in a village near Cologne. After that I “told” my mother that I will be a singer when I grow up 😉

Lade Deine Geister zum Essen ein und mach sie zu deinen Freunden, indem du dich den schwierigen Emotionen stellst. Danach bist du freier, neuen Chancen zu begegnen. Click To Tweet

What would you recommend to women who also want to break out of a determined career line and dare something new?

The most important thing is to stand by ourselves and know who we want to be and what makes us happy. From this we develop the greatest power. If we then strengthen our belief that we will achieve our goals, we can do anything and convince any critic (including our parents).

Kate Louisa - songwriter and singer
Photo: Kate Louisa

In 2014, you flew to Los Angeles. What did this trip change for you and your future career and life?

The artist scene in LA was both inspiration and motivation for me. Before that, the ups and downs of the artistic process often irritated me. Due to my legal environment, I did not know how to deal with the artistic doubts that inevitably arise in the creative process. Living out my artist soul gave me the courage to show myself in my own writing.

You work very closely with your producer Jo Varain. What does it mean to you to have a kind of “sparring partner” at your side, someone you’ve known since your school days, as in your case?

My songs are very personal. In my texts I describe feelings that I had in difficult times for me and thus show myself openly. For me, it is therefore very important to have a musical partner at my side who handles this gently and understands my openness correctly. In addition, we develop all songs together and make every decision together. Having a team that I can rely on, that understands and accompanies me is one of the most important things on this journey.

Kate Louisa and band
Photo: Kate Louisa

Pop music, despite your artistic nature, is still part of a “business”. How would you describe the relationship of female singers to the music industry?

It is no secret that we are still in a male-dominated industry. Unfortunately, these “old structures” have still not been completely broken down, and we women should continue to fight for them. We see from successful albums, like “Mother Tongue” by Sarah Connor, that it is by no means only male artists who can lead the way. I would like to see even more openness in the industry for new female artists. We girls have a lot to say.

To what extent can women within this artistic world gain more authenticity and self-confidence to develop their own and individual style?

By staying with ourselves and raising our voices. I think that applies to everything you do. At first glance, my music does not correspond to the usual mainstream: My lyrics also deal with topics that we might not like to talk about sometimes. Feelings, however, we all have – fears, doubts, looking for the place in this world. With my texts I would like to encourage you to face these emotions, to allow them and to treat them lovingly. That makes us stronger. At the same time, I want to show that we can get out of it.

Your lyrics are like a mixture of touching thoughts and a call to confidence. Is there some kind of message or feeling you want to convey in particular?

I am convinced that we can do anything if we really believe in it. And that at the same time it’s okay to feel lost along the way. I always say, “Invite your spirits to dinner and make them your friends by facing the difficult emotions. After that, you’ll be freer to face new opportunities.” Our attitude towards things determines our outlook on life and we can with positive thinking, come out of difficult times to live the life we want.

An interview with Kate Louisa
Photo: Kate Louisa

What three valuable tips would you want to give to those who want to establish or develop themselves in the artistic field, but perhaps don’t yet dare to do so?

  1. Face the fears that are holding you back. Don’t try to ignore them, because that won’t work. It feels good to be brave.
  2. Draw creative power from your doubts and put them into your artistic work. Show yourself as you are. This is authentic and makes you unique.
  3. Supposed setbacks are there to learn from them. There are no detours. Trust that this is the best way to your destination. If you stand up once more than you fell down, you will be successful.

Finally, I would ask you to finish the following sentence, “In 5 years, I will…”

To be happy and grateful for everything I encounter in life.

Thank you very much for the great and interesting interview.

About Kate Louisa

Kate Louisa

…I am a crazy mind, a creative soul on a journey. Spirited and “always the tenth step before the first” in mind, I nevertheless try to live in today. The people I love are the most important thing in the world to me. If you are my friend, I am always there for you and chat with you about God and the world until late at night. I’m a regular on my mental merry-go-round and like to drive myself crazy analyzing everything. I try to “make the world as I like it” and learn something at every stop along the way that moves me forward. My heart’s desire is to touch many people with my music. I love my hometown Hamburg. This is where I was born and raised and where I took my first musical steps. After my music studies I sang in various bands and tried my hand across the musical alphabet. Great projects with different songwriters, producers and cooperation with labels followed. At the beginning of 2017 I started writing my own songs and producing them with my producer in Hamburg. In September 2018, my first single “Mit dem Rücken zur Wand” came out, followed by the song “Halbes Herz”, which I dedicated to my brother who was born with only one heart valve and my current single “Schwerer Rucksack”. This song is about how with the past in the background, we can go into a bright future with a positive outlook. These three singles were released with two more on my first EP in November 2018. I’ve also been touring live with my regular band since 2018, and we’re already looking forward to the 2019 gigs. Currently we are working on new songs – my next single will be released in May.

Website: www.katelouisamusik.de

See Also
Role Model Interview mit Autorin und Mental Health Kolumnistin Nora Hille-Artikelbild

Facebook: katelouisamusik

Instagram: @katelouisamusic

YouTube: Kate Louisa Music

Spotify: Kate Louisa

Listen directly

The next live dates in 2019

  • 15.3.
    Living room concert in Drage
    at 19.00h
  • 4.5 Easter street festival in Hamburg on the cabaret stage at 17.00h
  • 6.7 At the CSD Cologne at Alter Markt at 18.30h

About the author

Website | + Articles

Kinga Bartczak advises, coaches and writes on female empowerment, new work culture, organizational development, systemic coaching and personal branding. She is also the managing director of UnternehmerRebellen GmbH and publisher of the FemalExperts magazine .

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