We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kate Watson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When I was about seven, I watched my parents travel across Texas with their band, playing at church camps, DNOWs, and many other events. My dad was the leader of the band—he played acoustic guitar and was a phenomenal songwriter. My mom played the drums with incredible passion—kind of like Animal from The Muppets! I traveled with them and was their biggest fan.

Through them, I got to see music as something more than just words or notes—it was something that changed people’s lives. At seven years old, I didn’t quite know how to put that into words. All I knew was that my parents were rockstars, and I wanted to be one too when I grew up.

Because of their constant traveling, I moved a lot as a kid—15 times, to be exact. Back then, it was tough always being the new kid. That was me. I had a really hard time in school, facing struggles that eventually led me to a dark place. The most painful thing was hearing people say I was worthless, that I would never amount to anything. After a while, I started to believe those things myself. By the time I was 14, I had hit rock bottom.

Thankfully, my parents recognized the signs that something was wrong. They sat me down, told me that something in my life needed to change, and—on top of that—grounded me because my grades had really slipped. I was grounded for a whole month, and during that time, I decided to try something different.

I chose to give God a chance to speak into my life. I already knew what everyone else was saying about me, but I wanted to know what He said about me. So, I read my Bible every single day for that entire month. That’s when I discovered the truth: He says that I am a masterpiece, that I am beautifully and wonderfully made, and that He loves me so much.

That gave me a new sense of hope. Then, He began to speak into my life and told me that I was meant to pursue music—and to do it for Him.

At 15, I sat my parents down and told them I wasn’t going to college—I was going to pursue music full-time. I expected them to be upset, but to my surprise, they said, “We know this is what you’re supposed to do, and we will help you in whatever way we can.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started pursuing music professionally at 15 years old and have had some incredible milestones along the way. One of the biggest was being on American Idol in 2019, where I had the opportunity to perform in front of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan.

For my audition, I chose to sing What a Feeling from the movie Flashdance—a song that had never been done in American Idol history. After I finished, the judges let me know I was moving forward to Hollywood Week. As I walked up to shake their hands, Lionel Richie looked at me and said he thought I could win the whole thing.

Because his words meant so much to me, I decided to sing his hit song Hello for my next performance. When I told him my song choice, he said it could either be really good for me—or really bad. My response? “It’s go big or go home.”

I sang the song, and as I finished, Lionel stood up, clapping, with a big smile on his face. That moment is something I’ll never forget, and to this day, it still means so much to me.

Being on American Idol pushed me to grow as an artist. I had to hold my own—not just around singers who were far more seasoned than I was, but also while performing in front of music industry legends who had already made it. It was a “sink or swim” moment, and it prepared me to sing in front of anyone, on any stage.

From there, I kept working on my craft. The next big turning point in my career came in 2021 when Parker McCollum discovered me.

It happened at Lone Star Cowboy Church in Montgomery, Texas—the largest cowboy church in the world—where I have the honor of helping lead worship. What I didn’t know was that Parker’s uncle attended my church. One Sunday, he filmed me singing and, knowing that I was an artist, sent the video to Parker, telling him he needed to come hear me.

Parker showed up, and I had absolutely no idea. After the service, he walked straight up to me, stuck out his hand, and said, “Hey, my name is Parker McCollum.” I couldn’t believe it.

He told me he had come specifically to hear me sing. Then he said something that stuck with me—there are tons of talented girls in Texas, Nashville, and all over the world who can sing, but I had something that couldn’t be taught: the ability to connect with people.

He told me he believed in me, that he thought I could go far, and that he wanted to help me get there. For the next two months, he was on the phone with me and my family, giving us advice, connecting me with the right people, and listening to my songs.

Then he told me, “Now it’s time for you to do the work.” He took a step back and encouraged me to take every show I could, play anywhere and everywhere, and gain as much experience as possible.

Now, four years later, I just opened for Diamond Rio for a weekend run and have shared the stage with Deana Carter, Maddie & Tae, Drake Milligan, Dwight Yoakam, Pat Green, Roger Creager, Kevin Fowler, William Beckmann, Flatland Cavalry, Jon Wolfe, and many more.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

There are so many things I love about what I do, but my top two would have to be, first, getting to make new friends along the way. One of my favorite parts of every show is hanging out at my merch table, taking pictures, and meeting new people. I love hearing their stories—who they are, their journeys, and what brought them to the show. This never gets old. I’ve made so many friends who I still keep up with, and they aren’t just fans—they feel like family.

The second thing I love most is getting to do school tours and share my story with students. Meeting them and hopefully encouraging them to stay true to who they are and to hold onto hope means everything to me. It’s amazing how many people have felt the way I once did or just need someone to listen and remind them that they matter.

This is also part of what I know I was born to do. I look forward to every one of these opportunities and can’t wait for many more to come.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The cool thing about the music industry today is that you can support an artist without even spending a dime!

Of course, if you do want to spend money (which would be awesome), that’s always appreciated. But one of the best ways to support artists—without spending anything—is by liking and sharing their social media content and streaming their music online. It costs nothing but can open so many doors for an artist. Bookings and even potential record label interest often come from social media engagement and Spotify numbers.

So, if you like my music (and I really hope you do!), please help me out by sharing it!

Another great way to support is by buying tickets to shows, grabbing some merch, downloading music, and contributing to any fundraisers for new projects. Making music, creating content, and producing videos all require a lot of capital. At this stage, it can feel like a pay-to-play situation.

As an artist grows, the financial rewards come—but it takes time, persistence, and endurance. This journey is a marathon, not a sprint, and every bit of support makes a difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katewatsonmusicofficial.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katewatsonmusic/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekatewatsonmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KateWatsonMusic

Image Credits

Bailey Lamar Media, AET Photos, J Roden Photography