We were lucky to catch up with Kate Heron recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me is something that happens all the time in Austin, TX through the music community I’m wildly grateful to be a part of. The community I’ve made here has had one of the most profound impacts on myself as a person and artist. It’s inspired me to dream big, not limit myself in any way about who I am and who I’m becoming, what kind of music I’m making, embrace who I am as a person, and finally start saying to myself every day: “I am totally the right person for the opportunities that continue to come by way. This is what I was meant to do.”

The friends I’ve met here have changed my life and constantly uplift me when I don’t have the energy to uplift myself. Encouraging me to keep on the path when I’m down on myself. They inspire me with the insane amount of creativity everyone has- it really feels like making our art is celebrated here by the musicians who live here- despite capitalism. And people continuously take care of one another without judgment or expectation. It’s a beautiful and vital thing.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey, my name is Kate Heron. I’m a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and sound designer. I write ethereal indie rock music in Austin, TX as well as sing and play keys in bands: Great Howl and Tele Novella. I’ve also sung and played keys for a bunch of other folks here.

I lived the first twenty-ish years of my life training to be an opera singer- and then realized while at school in Ithaca College that I didn’t want to sing opera- took a sound design class, fell in love with it and got a double degree in voice performance and audio production instead.

But my songwriting hit a catalyst three years ago when I moved to Austin- I was pretty sick for eight months and the only thing I had energy for was singing (literally it was all I could do). An old friend said to me “that’s a really sweet guitar, do you ever play it?” which started a whole journey into playing a maroon Luna guitar I had since high school, songwriting, and learning about myself as an artist. I wrote songs on piano ever since I was a kid but I discovered a whole new part of myself in songwriting on guitar, and it became a goal to be able to be healthy enough to stand and perform and set and honestly, I think that’s how I got myself healed and healthy again.

Ever since then, I’ve been writing music with the intention of helping people unlock and feel deep, hidden feelings. I like to create little universes in my songs- blending together my background in film sound design with songwriting. Folks have told me before that they felt more healed after some of my sets and man, that’s kinda the best thing you can hear in response to sharing your art.

I’m proud of myself for keeping on the path- it has not been an easy road, dedicating time to music with the obstacles of very real-life things coming up- it’s all thanks to my friends and community for saying to me “You really have something here- keep going.” And, I truly believe that now.

I also started this year by saying to myself on New Year’s Eve “What would happen if I stopped being so hard on myself? Who would I be?” And so far this year, quite a lot has happened. I’ve: been cast in a big feature film (Merrily We Roll Along) as a small role for acting/singing, found out I’m going on tour with Of Montreal with one of the bands I’m in, arranged/produced one of my songs in a very short time frame for a mini-orchestra of six musicians (“Are you opening yourself to love?” music video out now on YouTube), and signed on to write my first film score- so it’s been absolutely wild. And there’s a bunch more big things in the works. This is the first time I’ve said “I am totally right for all of these opportunities and receive them all.” and that is a new mind frame that has opened up a world of surreal possibilities.

Believe in yourself! It saves so much time! Also- why the heck not! We’re out here manifesting!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn that you shouldn’t look for validation about your art in the outside world- make it as something for yourself and share it if it feels right. Know you have something that is important and has value.

Let it be a bonus that people resonate with it- so when someone tells you “hat was beautiful- you’re very talented”, you don’t argue or question it- and you can instead quietly tell yourself in your mind: “Thank you. That’s true.”

It’s not an ego thing in my opinion- it’s self-preservation so you don’t prescribe to what the whole world thinks of what you’re making- so you can know how you feel, first- especially because most other sensitive folks I know- we glom onto the bad that is told to us. And then amplify it so, so much. And that’s a dangerous game.

I think having a strong sense of an internal compass before you immerse yourself in the world is the best thing you can do. Be solidly yourself. It’s really, really hard man. But we’re out here working on it and it’s worth it.

And trust your gut about- everything you can- but especially when it comes to working with folks on your art- I was working in live sound for a couple of years full-time before I moved to Austin and I learned the hard way about not trusting my gut because other people said “oh, it’s fine.” I let it slide by being uncomfortable at my job and experiencing heinous comments in the name of keeping a job/good report with men who should’ve just been kicked out. I questioned if it really was “so bad.” and it absolutely was that bad. Nothing is worth feeling targeted or demeaned. There are more jobs- and better people. I’ll never do that again.

Trust yourself always. To my femme/non-binary folks, the bottom line is: if someone in a studio makes you feel weird- leave- don’t work with them- I guarantee there’s a woman/non-binary producer who would love to work with you and they’d kill it- In fact- I am a producer- so you can always ask to work with me!

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

Many things: Buy people’s music.

If you don’t have the means- share their art, tell your friends, do whatever helps the algorithm

Go to shows and pay the cover. Buy a little merch. Venmo them something. Every little bit helps but even more so- it sends us all the message- “Hey, I care that you make this and want to send you the means to keep doing it.”

I think it’s hard to understand until you’re in it, that-

It’s not just that most artists don’t make much- that’s true, but also we have to live on a slim budget while pouring our minimal money- into our art. Working all the time- making less and less and then using that little money to bring our music to fruition- be it paying band members, affording touring costs, studio sessions, or just life expenses. Using our savings to fund music videos, photo, PR, social media campaigns, workshops, gear- there is so much that it costs to be sharing your music in the world.

And it takes some time before you make money back and even then it might not even be that much. Especially with how much streaming services take away and the brutal merch cuts from big venues. If you love an artist, venmo-ing then even five, ten, fifteen dollars makes a huge, huge, huge difference- it takes over two hundred streams of a song to even make ONE dollar.

Make a point of when you have some leftover change to take a second and think about what artist you admire that you could support by giving to them in some way.

Also: we need more grant programs that support artists. There are some great ones but still- even more! Those grants are life-changing to myself, and lots of folks I know, to not have to drain our bank accounts to make the music we’re envisioning and not lessen the quality of our art and also be able to pay the other creatives we’re hiring to make it all happen.

Lastly, making sure that programs like HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians that provides assistance with medical care to musicians- most of my friends and I get our health insurance through them) and SIMS (mental health services for musicians’ and their families) are available in other cities. Those programs are so invaluable to people here in Austin and I can’t wait for the day that they are available in other places so that other artists don’t have to worry about being able to get the healthcare they need.

I know we all heard the sentiment during the beginning of the pandemic: “What did you do to pass the time to help yourself in that dark time? Did you listen to music? Watch TV? Read a book?” I think we need to return to that. All of those things are forms of art and the people who made them deserve a living wage so they can live without fear of being broke after sharing what they hold dearest to them in the world. Like, they gave that to the world! Wasn’t that kind and giving of them? We should pay people for doing that. We should pay them a living wage. It’s that simple.

Contact Info:

• Website: Kate-heron.com
• Instagram: @kateheronn
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itskateheron
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kateheron8491

Image Credits
1- Maggie Ball 2- Kylie McLaughlin 3- Nikki Thompson Magnetic Focus Photo 6- Greer James