Singer/songwriter Kate Gilbertson launches her new EP, Olive Street at Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle, this Thursday, October 24 alongside Patient Little Sister and Natasha Shanks.
Kate Gilbertson used to be on the other end of the artist-critic relationship, eking out a living as an arts journalist (not that there’s anything wrong with that). However, it soon became apparent that she would be much happier creating music rather than writing about it.
“Realising that I wanted to be the one on the other end of the phone call was a strong indication for change,” she explains. “Music and writing have always been part of my make up. But when I realised my job as an arts journalist was interviewing artists I had forever longed to be, it became very clear to me I was on the wrong end of the line.”
Her live debut came in April 2012 when she supported Passenger at the Fly By Night Musician’s Club. Since then she’s gigged around the usual places, honing her skills and building her audience, all leading to her debut EP, Olive Street.
“Olive Street is the first chapter of my exploration as a songwriter,” Gilbertson tells us. “The EP captures a series of pivotal moments of change and coming into one’s self. Its folk lineage takes the listener on an intimate journey with lyrical sincerity and engaging melodies.”
How the release will fare in the precarious Perth local market is difficult to predict. However, Gilbertson already has plans to spend more time in the recording studio. “Olive Street is the forerunner for a full-length album which I hope to release late next year. Working and playing with a band for the first time, including some of Perth’s finest musicians and an amazing engineer Greg Nosow, has inspired me to already start writing for my full length feature record.”
