LONG BIO

Listening to Brooklyn-based singer, and songwriter, Kate Gratson, several elements begin to reveal themselves. With a breadth of sounds and textures taken from R&B, electronic, and folk, she weaves her delicately lush vocals into atmospheric ballads. Honing her sound by blending genres, she draws inspiration from a mix of artists, from Ella Fitzgerald and Amy Winehouse to Claude Debussy and James Blake. Resulting in a sound that is both timely and timeless.

With venues shuttered in early 2020 and the music world paused - Kate delayed the release of her EP and returned to writing and producing. With music venues remaining closed the following year, her project, The Girl You Knew, was expanded from an EP into an album. Released in November 2021, the album explores self-reflection, doubt, and personal growth. Finding deeper understandings of these states of being, the listener passes through these feelings with her and through her carefully sculpted layers of musical and emotional elements, she arrives at the goal: acceptance.

Kate's pull to music began at a young age with the cello. As her early years progressed, so did her relationship with the language of music. At nine, she picked up singing, she added singing to her pre-conservatory studies, and by high school, she started writing songs and exploring composition. As her musical abilities and inspiration grew, discovering new artists was crucial to informing her sound. LaGuardia High School marked a shift where she built on her musical awareness with a new source of inspiration: jazz, and by 2013 she was a YoungArts Finalist in Jazz Voice, lead soprano in the GRAMMY Camp Jazz Session choir, and a GRAMMY in the Schools award winner for her song "Coins." Further development of Coins would evolve into a self-released EP, peaking at #14 on the iTunes Jazz charts. 

Following this success, Kate would earn a BM in music composition and vocal performance from the State University of New York at Fredonia. During this time, her sound as an artist began to take shape - discovering new connections between modern composers and contemporary R&B. Returning to New York City after graduation, she focused on the new inspirations that guided her.

With the music world reawakened, Kate prepares her latest project, focusing on a more intimate sound. With her single "Bloom," set to be released in the Spring of 2023, she seduces with her expressive vocals and poignant lyrics, keeping the listener tuned to every musical phrase.