Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Kat Saul released her first single “Jericho” in 2018. Followed by “Unit 408” and “Nick Miller”, the singer/songwriter has designed a colorful and powerful pop sound.

The singer/songwriter is now delivering a brand new single entitled “Middle Name” produced by Lucas Arens and written by Kat Saul, Lucas Arens & Paige Blue.

“Middle Name” is very literally about one of the first dates I had with my boyfriend. We had tried to go to a play in the park, but it started pouring rain. We ended up just chilling on my couch, drinking wine until 4 in the morning…no funny business, just quality conversation. There is so much magic in the getting to know someone in that next level kind of way,” explains Saul.

“Middle Name” if off her upcoming EP, set to be released on March 6th.

Introduce yourself - where are you from?

Hey! My name is Kat and I am from Nashville, TN, like, originally.

What's your story?

I’m not sure how a parent decides a kid is creative, but at some point mine did. They had me in piano when I was 5, and taught myself to play guitar off YouTube after stealing my brother’s guitar. When I was 13, I saw all the amazing songwriting around me and decided I wanted to be singing my own songs. And so I wrote. By the time I was in high school I was writing in professional rooms. Fast forward to freshman year of college and I realized that all of the songs I was writing in my bedroom were unique and honest…that I was an artist…that I could combine my love of performing and vibrant beats with the lyrical songs I was writing. I felt empowered to pursue a pop project even though I lived in the country music capitol. With the power of the internet, nothing was holding me back. Now at 21 (almost graduated ayo!) I am pursuing my artistry full time.

Could you tell us about your first experiences in the music industry? What lessons did you learn?

Some of my first experiences with the industry were through a friend’s Dad who drove our carpool commute from Brentwood to Nashville for middle school. My friend’s dad was (and still is) an A&R/Producer in the country music industry. He’d play demo CD’s that publishers would send him for pitch to his artists. If he didn’t like the songs, he’d throw the CDs in the backseat floorboards, and if he liked it, he’d keep it in the passengers seat. I pretty quickly noticed the patterns and common threads between the songs he was keeping vs the songs that got tossed. Without realizing it, I was learning songwriting skills. I remember specifically realizing the good songs included poetic devices I was learning about in my 7th grade english class, yet there was an emotional, conversational depth. I tried to replicate that as much as I could in my own writing when I got home. There were also a lot of truly horrific songs. I think I probably learned more about how to write good songs from hearing what NOT to do hahah.

You're about to release your new single "Middle Name". What's the story behind this song?

“Middle Name” is very literally about one of the first dates I had with my boyfriend. We had tried to go to a play in the park, but it started pouring rain. We ended up just chilling on my couch, drinking wine until 4 in the morning…no funny business, just quality conversation. There is so much magic in the getting to know someone in that next level kind of way.

What made you want to release this particular song as your next single?

I only want to release songs that actually represent something I’ve experienced, and this one is pretty much a diary entry. Plus, the track makes me want to dance!

When did you start writing "Middle Name"? Could you describe us the songwriting process?

We wrote “Middle Name” on October 8th. I went to Luke’s studio and he got a vibe going track wise. At that point, I had worked with Luke quiet a few times, so he intuitively knew the kind of sounds I’d vibe to. Paige and I started just spitting lyrics and it flowed out in a matter of 1 or 2 hours! We actually took longer recording the I-I-I-I-I part of the pre-chorus than anything else that entire day. The vocal on the final track is the vocal we recorded that day. I kept listening to the demo in the car, and realized in December I wanted to release it as the next single. From there, we decided to set a date for mixing with John Rausch. It was later mastered by Evren Goknar.

You worked with Lucas Arens and Paige Blue for this single. How was it like to collaborate with them?

My homies! I’ve worked with Luke and Paige on a release in the past (“Nick Miller”), so “Middle Name” was smooth cruising. Luke and Paige are just fun to be around, and they know me on a personal level, which helps bring out my personality into the music we write.

How would you define pop music?

Pop music is music that is popular.

How's it like to live Nashville as an artist?

Nashville is great because music is everywhere. On the weekly I’m going to shows and gathering inspiration from other artists and songwriters around me. There is also an unspoken open doors policy when it comes to industry people in Nashville that is relatively unique from LA or NYC. Most people are happy to take a meeting, chat about art or give advice. That’s been a huge help as an independent artist and my personal development.

What do you think of today's music industry?

What a question. I’m super excited, honestly. With streaming culture, there is literally room for everyone to succeed, not to mention more opportunities for consumer discovery. With my past release “Nick Miller”, I was shocked by the overseas support. In the past, developing a fan base abroad (or even nationally) was nearly impossible for an independent artist without serious touring and distribution. I feel really lucky.

What advices would you give to young songwriters?

Write the songs you want to listen to. Nouns are your friend. Being literal is sometimes more impactful than being clever…that one took me a long time to figure out.

What are your goals for 2019?

To put out more content! Songs aren’t meant to live in dropbox folders:) Also, tryna hop on that self care grind.

In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?

If people cared like 5% less about what others thought. And if everyone made an effort to be a little greener.

What's your purpose?

To perform songs that I write. We’re all human. We all feel feelings. Dancing and singing about them makes us all feel a little bit better. I want to create situations where we can all do that.

Connect with Kat: