Tāmaki Makaurau based artist, songwriter and producer Katie-Lee (they/them), opens up to share the heartfelt project 'Destined for Loneliness' about the complex inner turmoil of feeling a sense of disconnect in your early 20's. With a theme of loneliness weaved throughout the project. Alongside the release of the EP, Katie-Lee is doing a headline release show at Big Fan on Friday the 13th November (tickets here).
Born and raised in Papakura, traveling to the city for high school gave Katie-Lee a sense of physical disconnect from the get-go. Always feeling like they were too much for some, but couldn't be enough for others, finding their place has been tricky to navigate. That's where music came in to play. "I could freely express myself without the fear of being perceived or ostracised. I also think that's why it's taken me a very long time to release music." Although at only 22, they've been writing music for over 10 years.
Growing up playing open mic nights, pub gigs and anything Katie-Lee could get their hands on, they've always wanted to scale it bigger and build a career out of it. "It wasn't until I taught myself music production and could truly articulate myself and these feelings. That's when I decided this is what I feel most proud of doing, and I want people to connect with it."
Vulnerability comes naturally to Katie-Lee, and this is seen clearly throughout their music. "In real life, it's very hard to shut me up, and I naturally pull from thoughts and feelings deeper than I really should." Something so natural to Katie-Lee is what makes them stand out in a crowd. "I think all I really crave is connection, and this comes from being vulnerable and inviting others in."
The biggest takeaway from Katie-Lee's music is that they want people to feel seen. They want people to connect with the sad and the ugly, because it's human. Cultivating a space where people can feel things freely and not have to push it down, because that's when the sense of loneliness creeps in.