Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kate Hallowell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kate, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I started writing songs as a child, making up melodies and jingles. They soon turned into long melodic poems and by high school I was determined to figure out how to play piano and record them myself. Luckily I have two older brothers who are both musicians and composers so they were and still are my guiding lights. We all went to Berklee College of Music where I studied a mix of songwriting, production and performance. I think that even with all my studying, the way I learned songwriting and production is truly from experience. It just takes time. That being said, I don’t think you have to write for a decade to write a great song, things just become more nuanced the longer you do it. You become more aware of what the song needs. Production and engineering don’t come as naturally to me so I sometimes wish I had stayed on top of that more in the early years, again just to have a better sense of where to take a song verse just having the knowledge of how to create it.

My biggest obstacle with continued learning is probably myself. I can be fairly precious with my time and energy. It has allowed me to really focus in on meaningful projects but also I’ve probably missed out on some experiences that could have helped me to grow as well. It’s something I try to be mindful of.

Kate, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Kate Hallowell, a songwriter, producer and artist. I’ve been working in the industry since 2014 when I released my first single as an artist, Paperwhite. Paperwhite is a project between my brother Ben and I. It’s been an amazing creative outlet for both of us. We’ve been able to reach millions of listeners and create a small world where we’re able to share our stories and connect with our fans. We took a brief hiatus over the past few years but have recently began releasing music again and are set to release our latest EP Spring of 2025.

Outside of Paperwhite, I write and produce for artists and for tv/film. One of my favorite projects I’ve worked on was writing the music for Snicker’s Fix The World Super Bowl campaign. I was able to bring a few friends together to sing and play on the final track. It was a huge learning experience and a lot of fun to write in a different style.

Over the years, I’ve become more and more comfortable writing and producing in a wide variety of genres. It’s very satisfying to be able to learn and recreate new sounds. I think the way forward in this industry is to stay open to opportunities and continue trying new things.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

A game changer for artists and songwriters would be to have the ability for more financial stability. It’s no secret that streaming royalties are very minimal. As freelance musicians we have to pay for our own health insurance and we often don’t have the access to retirement funds or the same investment opportunities you would in other industries. The artist really has to take on those responsibilities themselves. It’s not to say that these things aren’t possible, its just that there isn’t a great system to help musicians thrive. As listeners, we can purchase music directly instead of streaming, buy merchandise or attend shows. All of these options support the artist more directly.

Our hope is that there will be more legislation within the US in the future that supports artists and their careers. It can’t just be on the listener, the industry as a whole needs to be revised.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Creating a world where our listeners feel heard and understood is the ultimate goal. I often try to write lyrics in a way that can have different meanings depending on where the listener is at. Music is a constant in so many people’s lives, it can help support them, make them feel less alone or simply bring joy.

I work hard to write music so that I can give it to someone else. I’ve always thought of being a musician as somewhat of a public servant. It’s for the listener. In my mind, the act of creating is for us and the bond that the song creates is for us but the song is for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katehallowell.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekatehallowell
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/paperwhitemusic
• Twitter: https://x.com/paperwhitemusic
• Youtube: https://YouTube.com/paperwhitemusic
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2JSBQeazRlk0kVp2gelwbZ?si=c_L1E5uIT4Wzf4Eg-iZK7Q

Image Credits

Haley Hunt Davis
Dillon Puswald