“Growing up, I put on countless shows in the living room for my family, I did dance recitals, I sang solos at church and at our small-town festivals…” LA-based, Georgia-raised Katelyn Tarver tells us. “I was a shy kid but something would click in me when I got on a stage. I was always drawn to it. Even to this day I almost always tear up at the beginning of a concert. That moment when the lights go down, the crowd cheers, there’s this collective excitement for what we’re all about to experience…so magical to me, and the idea that I get to be a part of that in any way as my career makes me feel like the luckiest person alive.”
Her new album Subject To Change, released in November, is an exquisite showcase of her pull-at-your-heartstrings lyrical and vocal prowess. “It usually starts with a lyric I have written down in my notes and then I just try to build out a world around the feeling it brings up,” she says. “I have relationships with a few co-writers and producers who I feel really comfortable opening up to, which I think makes all the difference. They also know my style and instincts at this point, which is helpful in creating an environment to create in and take risks. And then I just try and write a song that feels honest and authentic to me, and sometimes it happens and sometimes we get nothing and just have to call it and try again the next day!”
The result is a style she categorizes as “emotional/introspective/melancholy/singer-songwriter indie pop”. We just call it stunning.
“Existential questions, a rough patch in my life, transitions, reflecting on difficult past experiences. It all inspired the album,” she says, of Subject To Change. “The title has a few different meanings to me. A lot of the songs are about staring down change and uncertainty and my thoughts and fears around that, so I thought it was a fitting title to sum that up. It’s also kind of a statement of how I view the world right now. A realization that life isn’t about arriving at this ultimate place of happiness. It’s up and down. It’s messy. Every gain comes with some type of loss. Nothing is ever static. And maybe accepting that and trying to embrace it instead of white-knuckling onto certainty and this idea of perfection is a good place to be.”
She has a few dates left in her 2021 tour, which will resume in March of next year. Be sure to check her out.
Here’s a day in the life of Katelyn Tarver.
Date October 25, 2021
Time I woke up 8:00 a.m. (okay 8:45)
Every day starts with Scrolling Instagram! How many articles will I have to read telling me that that’s the worst way to start your day before I actually listen? I do not know…
Breakfast consists of Granola and coffee.
To get going I always Go for a walk and call my manager to ask him what I’m supposed to be
doing that day.
I don’t feel dressed without My teeth brushed.
Before I start working I must Clean out my closet, do laundry, organize a junk drawer, pay my water bill, call an old friend…you get the point.
Currently working on Album promo/ trying to figure out a Halloween costume.
But I’d really love to be On tour! Sooooon!
Book I’m reading No One Asked For This: Essays by Cazzie David.
I don’t know how anyone ever Doesn’t lose their sunglasses a few times a year.
If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be Continuum by John Mayer.
The perfect midday consists of An impromptu, big lunch out somewhere with a friend that makes me laugh.
To help get through the day I need A La Croix by noon.
Not a day goes by without speaking to My brother and sister.
My daydreams consist of Me on a terrace in Italy overlooking cliffs and the ocean. Me playing a big sold out concert. Me buying groceries and actually eating them throughout the week instead of getting delivery by Tuesday.
In a perfect day, in a perfect world All my friends would play a board game with me without giving me shit for wanting them to play a board game with me.
I’ll always fight for The idea that that that scary thing you’re feeling, as isolating as it seems, is probably a feeling a lot of other people have had and you’re not crazy.
Currently in love with Anyone who has bought a ticket to my shows/bought my vinyl/bought my merch/streamed my music… I feel so overwhelmed with love from my fans lately! It’s really the best.
Hoping to make time to watch The Crown. But I’ve been saying that for two years now…
By my bedside I always have Two glasses of water. One fresh one that I just made, and one still there from the night before that I forgot to put away.
To help get through the night I use a Snooz sound machine. If you are a baby like me and need white noise to sleep, this is the best one I’ve come across. (not an ad but….. Snooz wya???!)
Bed time Truly anywhere from 10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. depending on the day.
When I think about tomorrow, it’s always Oh, I should get that thing done I’ve been meaning to get done! Tomorrow will be the day!
