RAINBOWS!!! :)

6 years married to my Sweetheart!

Honestly, I wrote this EP for and about my husband Collin.  He's the sprinkles to my sundae.  The chocolate chip to my cookie.  The rainbow mane to my unicorn.  Ok, you get it!  ;-)  He's my best buddy.  Every now and then I sing to Collin when he has a headache or to just ease his nerves.  I'm glad he likes me singing to him or else that would be SUPER annoying, right?!  The songs I always sing to Collin are from my favorite 1940's-50's musicals.

In the summertime my family would visit my mom's side of family in Texas.  Hot Texas sun and humidity, 1970's swimming pool, fresh baked bread with honey from Granny's bread machine, Tang (who can forget Tang!?), fire ants all over the place and all day/night play with my brother and cousins...  It was the best!  My favorite part was sitting in my Granny's sewing room with my cousins and watching old musicals like Nancy Goes to Rio, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, My Fair Lady, Calamity Jane and so on.  The music capivated me like nothing else and the songs were written on my heart the moment I first heard them.

Since I was 16 I have been trying to figure out who I am as an artist.  Being a songwriter and session vocalist I've done opera, gospel, moody indie music, pop, folk, r&b, country, and pratically everything inbetween.  To be honest my main focus was getting someone to notice me...  All in hopes for someone to discover me and sweep me off my feet with a record deal.

Who be hatin' on this delicious
magical beverage?!

Five years ago I went on American Idol and stood before Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara.  Out of twelve thousand people I supposedly made it down to the top forty in the audition city.  I sang my song and then was ripped a part and literally made fun of for what seemed like an eternity.  They kept saying I was "too cutesy"and compared me to Minnie Mouse, Doris Day and eggnog...  Yes, eggnog.  (I don't know about you but I like all those things!!!)  Random, but even though I made it through without balling on national television (they didn't even air my audition), like venom I allowed the opinions and hurtful comments to slowly paralyze me with fear and regret where I stopped singing and writing all together.

I felt so defeated.  A music school dropout, working in a cubicle, not singing, not creating...  I was miserable.  Collin was there for me and wouldn't let me give up but I was a pathetic mess of a 24/7 pity party.

Jane Powell in Nancy Goes to Rio
My favorite movie and actress/singer!

One day this past year when Collin had asked me to sing to him I had an idea pop into my head...  I decided I wanted to write an album to ease his mind (maybe one day our kids') and to remind him of the simple, happy things in life that we all tend to forget about.  As I started to dig into this idea, I realized that the best way to do this was through singing in the same style I've always loved like the great Doris Day and my favorite, Jane Powell.  I wondered if it was too dorky or risky...

But then as I started to think more about it I realized that this was the music that would never leave me, the music I've been singing since I first listened to it in my Granny's sewing room, the personality that I was made fun of for at some television competition...  This was really who I've always been...  I've just been too afraid to show it to everyone else and accept it.  I was never meant to be a Christina Aguilera wannabe, or some edgy indie artist...  I was created to be the musical, rainbow, glittery, funny, tiny bit dorky (or sometimes REALLY dorky!), positive, encouraging, old-fashioned romantic, unique, Katie.

And my message was to be this:

SPREAD JOY TO OTHERS.

Like I say in my bio, I wrote all these songs when I was sad so I knew that if the song could make me smile that it was a perfect fit for Hello Sweetheart and the purpose behind it.

I prayed to God about this idea and I was so afraid of how I was going to make it work.  Who would want to help me?  I knew I couldn't pull this off alone.  Then all the sudden person after person said "Yes," they would help.  I couldn't believe it!  I kept thinking, "REALLY?!"

My producer/co-writer Jesse Michael Howard being one of them who has always believed in me from the start.  Without him and my other co-writer Aidan Rowe this EP wouldn't exist.  And honestly I believe God did it that way on purpose.  I really believe our gifts are incomplete and are meant to be fused together with other people's specific gifts and talents to create something beautiful and impactful.

Then along came my friend and manager Heather Hagwell who has been pushing me to keep going, work hard, not take short-cuts and to tackle my fears to pursue this vision of spreading joy.  Incredible musicians like Kris Wilkinson, Nate Fleming, and Eryn Jones added their own sparkle to this music which makes me smile every time I hear their strings, vibes and harp.

This idea came out of pain, fear and anxiety...
Much like a DOUBLE rainbow from a rainstorm!  (WHOA DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!)

But I had to stop being the victim.  I had to dust myself off, dry my tears, and start helping others do the same. :)

I hope this makes you smile, dance, laugh and reminds you of the beauty and blessings that surround you!

It started with an idea... What's yours?  What's your rainbow?  :-)