Fans of NBC’s The Voice will likely recognize powerhouse singer Kat Perkins from last season’s Team Adam. Perkins dominated with songs such as Heart’s “Barracuda,” Sia’s “Chandelier,” and even Frozen’s “Let It Go,” and now, fresh off of The Voice, the inspirational singer is paving a path of her own. Having just released a touching video for her heartfelt single, “Fearless,” we decided to have a chat with Kat Perkins about her journey on The Voice, her new album, and her goals as an artist. You can check out the video for “Fearless” below!
Interview by Shannon Shumaker
How did you first get started in music? Was there a definitive moment where you decided it was something you wanted to do with your life?
There were definitely some definitive moments! I started singing when I was three and had my first performance in front of people when I was four. I was so scared, but it felt so good to perform for people, so I started doing it for fun. When I was fifteen, though, I figured out how to get paid and sing and do functions.
You’ve obviously had a different journey than most musicians – how was your experience on The Voice?
Oh my gosh. It was very unexpected. I was a huge fan of The Voice from season one, and it was just very surreal. I actually didn’t think it was real.
But I was comfortable with my life – I was nannying and working and didn’t expect it, but my friends and family were very supportive and said “Why don’t you go and follow your dreams?” I wanted to show them that I wasn’t scared, even though I was absolutely terrified. The Voice was the ride of my life – I felt so lucky to be part of it every single week.
Did it ever get easier with each week?
I kept thinking every week that it would get easier and it never did. Every week, it was that same sort of gut wrenching thing to take on, but it was very rewarding no matter what. To do the Monday night performance when it went live was the best feeling ever. And it was amazing to be surrounded by so many talented people who were all there for the same reasons.
Do you still talk to the other contestants?
Oh yeah! We made so many life-long friends. Every week was so traumatic, it was like going through a tragedy together. We were all holding eachother up and it brought us, mainly the top eight, together. I made so many life-long friends, and we still talk at least once a week, if not more.
How do you think The Voice helped you as a musician?
There were two main things that The Voice helped me with, especially being 32 and having been in the music industry for quite a while. Number one was confidence. Adam Levine was really good about instilling confidence and teaching me to trust my gut when it comes to music. Having that validation from a superstar was incredible. It made it more real than it has ever been before.
The second thing was courage – the courage to get back on the horse and do something that scared the absolute crap out of me. I don’t know if I’d be doing this today if I didn’t go through with it.
You just released a video for your song “Fearless” – can you talk about the song a little bit? What does it mean to you?
Yes! I wanted something different. I was considered the “rock singer” last season but I wanted to do a song that encapsulated my experience and something to inspire people to step out of their comfort zone. I did not write the song, but when it came across my table, I wanted it the second I heard it. They said, “this is what you need,” and they were right. The content and the message behind the song was just perfect, and I’m so happy and so proud of how it all came together. It was also my first time filming a real music video.
And the video is pretty simple and raw, switching between you and the home footage – where did the decision for the video come from?
A lot of different companies came to me but I loved the idea that a company out of Minneapolis – where I am still currently based out of – gave me. I also wanted to include my family and something about my past in the video. People know my journey from The Voice, but they don’t know my family, and I wanted to include that.
What, if anything, would you like people to be able to take away from your music?
I want people to be inspired and feel something. Whether it’s by my songs or by my passion, I want them to feel inspired. You can definitely see that in the live show.
We’ve been writing the record for a couple of weeks, and I just want to make people believe that this is what I was set on this earth to do, to make music and inspire others.
You said you’ve been working on the record for a couple of weeks, so can you share anything about it?
Yes! We’re trying a lot of different approaches with this record. We have a new sound going right now more poppy version of Kat Perkins. It’s like Lorde meets Katy Perry meets Heart. It makes me uncomfortable and scared, and I love it. It’s nice to have a different sound. I hear my voice all the time, so to do something different is refreshing.
I don’t know how I want to release this record, though. I liked the way The Voice had us release a single each week, but I don’t have them behind me anymore, obviously. But I only download singles – I rarely buy an entire album, so I want to something like that. I’m gonna test the waters and see what happens.
What’s in the future for you? Any plans you can talk about?
I’ve got a couple of plans! The first one is about ten years in the making, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to do a concert in the air, like a mile up in the air on an airplane. It’s such a weird idea, but it came about years ago, and I talked to a local Minneapolis airline called Sun County, but the idea just never took. I have a new take on it now, though, and really want to try it. I want to try to have kids or families tell me why their parents or family needs a vacation – kind of like how Ellen does. I’d have kids tell me why their family needs a vacation and pick a handful of families and fly there somewhere and do a concert for them in the air. We want to try to do this in the spring and take them somewhere warm.
The second thing comes from being a Nanny. When I was nannying, I got to see a lot of growth, got to watch these kids go from preschool to middle school to high school. I want to work on a children’s book, and bring my story into it, using the saying “Dream it do it.” I have the tattoo now, and I go to schools and talk to kids and I want to turn that motto into a book about a girl who starts singing. I want to work with children and music.
Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for having me! You can follow me on facebook, twitter, or instagram @katperkinsmusic or at http://katperkinsmusic.com!