Talking Good Things with Kate White
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Kate White! Together we discussed arrangements, being a proud cat parent, daisies, their upcoming single "Good Thing", and so much more!
1. Mustard is grateful to have you join them at Music Shelf. How are you doing today?
I’m doing very well! It’s so nice out here in Boston today I may go to the Charles River and write!
2. Mustard wonders what your relationship with music was growing up?
Growing up I played a lot of piano with my great grandmother. She taught me to love and appreciate every sound I hear. I would crawl up on the piano bench with her and she would tell me every chord, every note was a beautiful gift. I knew that music was something that needed to be a big part of my life.
3. At a young age you taught yourself piano and guitar. What first attracted you to these instruments?
While I loved piano because of my great-grandmother, the guitar was something no one in my family played (I don’t come from a very artistic family). I saw a lot of my favorite artists mainly using piano and guitar so that’s what I gravitated towards.
4. You have a deep admiration for orchestral arranging. What do you consider a good arrangement?
That’s a really subjective question. I think an arrangement has to convey the emotion of the song appropriately. Other than that, I don’t think there’s truly a way to judge whether or not an arrangement is “good”.
5. You are a classically trained bassoonist. When did you first begin your training? What are some fun facts about the bassoon humans may not know?
I started playing bassoon when I was 11 years old - I chose it because I thought it sounded strange. Fun fact: bassoonists regularly read in treble, bass, and tenor clefs!
6. What are your thoughts on the bassoonist portrayal in Hulu's "There's Only Murders in the Building?"
I’ve never actually seen “There’s Only Murders in the Building” but I have had so many people tell me that I need to watch it for that reason. I’m definitely going to add it to my list.
7. You are a proud cat parent. What is your cat's name? Do they have a favorite toy or activity? Can we expect a collaboration with your cat in the future?
My son’s name is Mr. Grey he’s a 10-year-old domestic long hair. He loves playing with lasers and scratching on his scratching post. He makes appearances on my Instagram very frequently.
8. What is your creative process?
A lot of my writing centers around human emotion. Most things that I write about, I’ve experienced in a way. My songs usually start as poems that I’ll tweak and add chords to. From there, I start making a demo by recording live guitar, bass, and vocals, and then I go crazy with midi to see how I want the arrangement to be built.
9. Who (or what) influences you?
Experiences are my main influence. I try to write what I know best, and that is what emotions I’ve felt. Arrangement-wise, I draw a lot upon Phoebe Bridgers and Hozier.
10. Do you still consider yourself a goner? What was the inspiration behind this song?
I don’t think I’m a goner anymore. “Just a Goner” was written after I was cheated on by my ex-boyfriend. The situation made me feel as if the world was ending and I was helpless. By the time I’d gotten over it, I had written this song.
11. Mustard is curious about the beautiful questions you ask. Have you received a response?
I try to ask questions that don’t necessarily have answers. I believe that beautiful questions do not have concrete answers, but a multitude of possible responses. Now, if you’re referring to the opening line of “Mess”: “Could you love me?”, then yes I have received an answer, and that answer is yes.
12. Last December you released your debut single "Daisy." What was the inspiration behind this single?
This song is an homage to “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I wanted to ask the question: what does love feel like from Gatsby’s perspective? The answer? Desperate. I tried to encapsulate Jay Gatsby’s longing into one song full of references to the book.
13. Do you have a favorite type of daisy? Did the flower have any influence in the single?
I think the common daisy is my favorite - it’s a classic flower. Surprisingly, the flower did not influence the song, it was more so the character from “The Great Gatsby” that inspired the subject.
14. Daisy and Just a Goner are listed on the tracklist for your upcoming "Natural." featuring a snowy landscape. Will nature play a role in this upcoming EP?
Nature references are innumerable in this EP. My metaphors and similes tend to be naturalistic in theme. The real reason the EP is titled “Natural”, however, is because the tracks focus on how every version of love and heartbreak is natural. It’s normal to question if you really feel loved, it’s normal to be deeply in love, and it’s normal to feel hurt by someone who lied when they said that they loved you.
15. How can you tell you've made a solid connection with another human?
I think that a solid connection is based on communication. If I’ve developed a solid connection with someone, we have open communication and I don’t feel afraid to express my feelings.
16. You recently announced your upcoming single "Good Thing." What can fans expect from this single?
This single is all about love. It’s all about feeling lit up with joy when you see your person and knowing that not every good thing in this world leaves you.
17. What do you consider to be a good thing? Can a human have too much of a good thing?
A good thing is something that makes you feel happy. I think you can have too much of a good thing because if you don’t know sadness, how could you know happiness? The perspective that hardship gives allows one to really understand and appreciate the good things in life.
18. You perform all over the Boston area. How would you describe your live performances?
My acoustic performances tend to be intimate and emotional. When I play with my full band, the emotion really kicks into high gear as the instrumentation and arrangement clearly articulate the sentiment of each song.
19. Do you have any upcoming shows?
As of right now, I don’t have anything booked, but my website is always up to date with upcoming shows!
20. Where can readers listen to your music?
My music is on Spotify under the name Kate White and I post covers and snippets on my TikTok @kateaileenwhite :)