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Kat's Story

   

Kat McDowell makes music with an Ocean Pop sound delivered in a blend of Japanese and English that is uniquely her own.  
  
Her career kick started when her first record went to no 1. on the vinyl charts in Japan selling out after two days, and has since released 4 albums, 5 mini albums and appeared on several TV commercials. She has shared the stage with artists like Switchfoot and Colbie Caillat, and played over 1000 shows across the globe.
  
Her mission is to connect people through music, which shows through her openness and highly interactive performances. In 2015 she was a top 5 finalist in the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter competition out of 14,000 submissions and her DIY stop motion lyric video for "Language of My Heart" won the "voice of the people" award in the 2018 Independent Music Awards and in 2019 Kat's version of the White Stripes' "We're gonna be friends" was on an Xfinity and Apple commercial, getting a stamp of approval from Jack White himself.

2020 started with a bang when her collaboration “Outside Inside” with EDEN KAI was selected for multiple “New Music Friday” Spotify Editorial playlists around the world and Kat released her song “1000 Paper Cranes” as a tribute to her grandmother just as the pandemic hit and it sparked the idea to start zoom Origami workshops for her supporters as a way to connect and bring some comfort and therapy. The weekly live music / origami workshops on youtube and twitch have been a hit and have been picked up by colleges, conventions, summer camps and schools all over the US. 

Most recently in 2021, Kat's newest song "Kokoro no Kakera (Kintsugi)" won Grand Prize in the World Section of the John Lennon Songwriting Competition. 

She is also currently faculty at Musicians Institute in Hollywood mentoring up and coming artists.

 

short short bio -

Kat McDowell makes music with an Ocean Pop sound delivered in a blend of Japanese and English that is uniquely her own.    
Kat’s career started with a record that no 1. on the vinyl charts in Japan and her music has been placed in multiple commercials including a Xfinity and Apple commercial.   

Kat released her song “1000 Paper Cranes” as a tribute to her grandmother just as the pandemic hit and it sparked the idea to start zoom Origami workshops as a way to connect and bring some comfort and therapy. She has also been teaching Kintsugi workshops around LA and her newest song "Kokoro no Kakera" inspired by the art form of Kintsugi won Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition in 2021.  

  

 

blank posters

Blank Poster format Click on image to download large size Photo by Rachel Renee

Click on image to download the original

Live Promo photo Click on image to download full size Photo by: Eric Micotto

Promo Photo Click on image to download Photo by: Rockella Renee

Longer Bio

While drawing inspiration from artists like The Police, Jason Mraz and growing up listening to J-pop, Kat's Ocean Pop sound is definitely her own. She mixes acoustic guitar-led melodies with emotionally transparent lyrics, delivered in a blend of Japanese and English. 

She signed with Sony and Avex in 2007. Her partnership with them yielded several mini-albums, her first full album, and a limited vinyl edition of Nagoriyuki, which went to #1 on Japan's Vinyl Charts and sold out in two days. 

Outside of the studio, Kat has been recognized for her performances in high-profile TV ads. Additionally, she has also performed over 1000 live shows and has shared the stage with bands like Switchfoot and Colbie Caillat. 

Kat writes about humanity and life. Songs like "Dianna," inspired by a little girl who was born in a trash dump in Nicaragua, to "A little rain" which was written driving through a typhoon on tour in Japan, to "3.11" which was written as a way to deal with the wounds from the Tsunami which ravaged Japan in 2011. 

Since becoming an independent artist in 2010, Kat has continued to release new albums and tour the world.  Kat changed her home base from Tokyo to LA in 2013 to face a completely new challenge, touring the US and expand her horizons, and 2014 saw the release of a brand new album "Rise Above" about overcoming life’s challenges. 

In 2015 she was a top 5 finalist in the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter competition out of 14,000 submissions and in 2016 her youtube channel was selected as a winner in Youtube Next Up’s creator program.  

Her DIY stop motion lyric video for "Language of My Heart" won the "voice of the people" award in the 2018 Independent Music Awards, and in 2019 Kat's version of the White Stripes' "We're gonna be friends" was on an Xfinity and Apple commercial, getting a stamp of approval from Jack White himself.

2020 started with a bang when her collaboration “Outside Inside” with EDEN KAI was selected for multiple “New Music Friday” Spotify Editorial playlists around the world.  

Most recently Kat released her song “1000 Paper Cranes” as a tribute to her Japanese grandmother just as the pandemic hit and it sparked the idea to start zoom Origami workshops for her supporters as a way to connect and bring some comfort and therapy. The weekly live music / origami workshops on youtube and twitch have been a hit and have been picked up by colleges, conventions, summer camps and schools all over the US. 


When Kat’s not singing for a Japanese princess, girls in a safe house in Nicaragua, or at a college in Oregon, she’s in the studio recording, or baking cookies, or surfing at Venice beach!  
 

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