Katie Locke
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Interview With Katie Locke By Chris 3/10/06
Katie Locke is a talented singer songwriter.
Who works hard for her music.
She is proof that there is talented singer songwriters out
there.
With out labels and and so on.
So read on it and expect more to come.
1. How did you get into music?
In my family, it would’ve been impossible for me NOT
to be into music! My mom owned a Baldwin piano store that
had been passed down through our family for three
generations, and she had gone to college as a Classical
pianist. My father had toured as a rock singer/guitarist in
the 60’s, before settling on a career in insurance.
My grandma was a professional singer, and my grandpa was a
jazz clarinet player and professional piano tuner. To top
it all off, my uncle was a trumpet player and my brother is
a metal guitarist/bassist! So music was pretty much
something I was born into, and it’s always been in my
blood.
2. Who were your idols growing up?
I loved Barbara Streisand and Whitney Houston as a child,
and listened to a lot of musical theater tapes (i.e.
Phantom of the Opera, CATS, etc). My main non-musical idol,
though, was my mom because she single-handedly raised me
with so much strength and love. I also really identified
with the author Ayn Rand’s books when I was in high
school, and was always in awe of heroes like Mother Theresa
who could give so much of herself to those in need.
3. Who were your influences?
Tori Amos, Jewel, Fiona Apple, Radiohead, Barbara
Streisand, Elizabeth Ziman and Will Champlain (friends of
mine from Berklee), Natalie Cole, Anita Baker, and the
Beatles.
4. Are you happy with the responses from the latest
release?
Absolutely. The CD has sold really well on CDBaby, and
everyone who purchased it seems to be happy with the
sound.
5. What have responses been like to your music on the
web?
Responses have by far been positive, stuff like great
songwriting and nice vocal stylings, or sounds like Anna
Nalick. Everyone always complements the proficiency of the
band-I’m so lucky to have them! Occasionally people
have said they would like to hear the vocals higher in the
mix, or that the music isn’t quite as marketable as
it could be.
6. Has the Internet helped with your music?
Definitely! I’m so glad I used Discmakers to package
and reproduce the album, because they gave me this great
package deal where I got 300 posters, 6 months free
Hostbaby, Sonicbids and CDBaby, and free iTunes
distribution. All of our recent gigs in Boston and NYC have
been booked through the Internet, and the majority of Cd’s
sold have been through CDBaby as opposed to at our
concerts.
7. Do you think tools like MySpace are useful?
Yes, so people can stealthily scope each other’s
music out. Airtight (the wedding band I sing for) once got
a bat mitzvah gig because the mother booking the
entertainment for the evening secretly looked me up on
MySpace and liked what she heard.
8. What is the scene like for the type of music you
play?
Not so big, at least in Boston. Most people our age want to
go out and see rock tribute bands while imbibing enormous
amounts of alcohol! However, I’ve noticed that the
labels have been picking up a lot of solo female artists in
the Adult Contemporary vein lately, especially Columbia
Records.
9. Has street press and music media/websites helped with
getting your name out there?
We are currently searching for management, and until we get
it, we don’t really have access to a street team (we
do all our promoting ourselves). However, using Sonicbids
Electronic Press Kit (EPK) has been extremely helpful in
getting us gigs.
10. What inspires you when writing music?
I try to do Object Writing every morning (where you pick a
random object and use all of your senses to write about it
for ten minutes) just to get my brain in the writing mode.
Though I write every day, usually I’ll come up with a
melodic line on the piano and put lyrics to it, or
I’ll write lyrics first and then set them to music.
Most of the inspiration comes from personal relationships
and emotional experiences I’ve had over the
years.
11. Have you had much response from radio?
I wish! I worked for WBOS in Boston for six months hoping
to find a way to get played, because I thought our music
would be perfect for several of the Greater Media stations.
However, when you represent yourself people don’t
really take you seriously was told at the station that
it’s a liability to play an artist that has no
manager or label representation, which is why we’re
currently exploring that option. We are being broadcast
online from a CT station.
12. What has been your favorite gig to date?
Honestly, when I got to tour as a backup singer for Patti
Austin back in 2004 because it was such a huge experience.
As far as the Katie Locke Band, I think our best gig was a
few weeks ago at Harper’s Ferry in Boston. The
turnout wasn’t exceptional, but we played our asses
off!
13. Who would you most like to record a song
with?
Tori Amos, because she’s the reason I write
music!
14. Have you had much response from labels regarding
your music?
Not yet, because we haven’t really pitched ourselves
to any. We’re waiting until we have management to
shop the labels; right now, we’re getting ready to
participate in the OS National Band Search in NYC, which
should expose us to many label reps and
opportunities.
15. What are your thoughts on talent shows like
Idol?
I actually tried out for American Idol once, just because
people wouldn’t leave me alone about it! Truth be
told, they’re not looking for the most talented
singer, but rather a star. Case in point: Jennifer Lopez is
not much of a singer, but when she enters a room you know
she has that special star quality that will sell tons of
records. At least that is the example the producer of the
show used when he addressed us. I heard so many amazing
singers that day, and almost all of them got cut. The
greatest singers from Berklee all got cut, so who knows
what they’re looking for? I enjoy watching Idol and
shows like it because I think they eliminate the middle man
and expose a lot of unknown talent. Just as long as the
public knows the shows exist for ratings and there is a lot
more talent out there.
16. What are some of your favorite musical
artists/bands?
Other than the artists/bands listed as my main influences,
I would have to say Elliot Smith, Jeff Buckley, OURS, Muse,
and Dianne Reeves.
17. Do you think Idol is the downfall of the major
label?
No, because I think the most talented artists that
aren’t chosen for Idol will still seek out labels,
especially because they can get a contract on their own
terms writing their own music.
18.Who has helped you out the most?
Teacher wise, Donna McElroy, Pat Pattison, and Livingston
Taylor (teachers from Berklee); my family, and my longtime
boyfriend, Bryan Ladd (bassist on Works for Me).
19. Who would you like to do a split ep with?
Elizabeth Ziman, I think. She’s a relatively unknown
but extraordinarily talented singer/pianist that my music
has a lot in common with.
20. What next for Katie Locke?
Our next gig should be between Nov. 9 and 11 (check the
website to find out) for the OS National Band Search, and
then we have a show at Kenny’s Castaways on Nov. 25
in NYC. We all just relocated to New York, and are
currently trying to find management so we can start to shop
the labels. Other than that, writing, writing, and more
writing!
