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It’s been almost a decade and a half since we last heard from award-winning diva Kate Redgate. 14 years. It’s a long way to go if you’re waiting for a new set of songs to follow up on the excellent “Nothing Tragic” record (I think so). Nothing too tragic (really, this sentiment is just a T. Petty lyric), but the wait is finally over. “Light Under the Door” will go global, and on Saturday, June 3rd, a release commemorative live will be held at the Music Hall Lounge.
Call it Americana, folk, rock, whatever you want. Redgate runs the gamut, and in doing so, her musical porridge will cure all your ailments.
Seacoastonline has caught up with Redgate.
coastline: There is a lot to unpack here. It’s been a really long time since your last record, Nothing Tragic, was released in 2009. You made a show around it. The press has arrived. And then, perhaps tragically, you disappeared. Not completely. But that’s how I felt. what happened? Watching as a fan and as an outsider, it felt like there was a positive trajectory derived from the album’s release. But life is interesting, right?
Redgate: “What happened?” How much time do you have? like a joke. So many things happened. But there are two main headlines. The first headline reads: “Single mother puts writer’s career on the backburner again”. She was 29 and she had two children when we got divorced. So being a single mother was nothing new. But the ‘nothing tragic’ era was also the beginning of complete withdrawal, both financially and eventually for the child’s father. Physically. I got really busy. Heading #2 was about the professional side, and I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the results of “Nothing Tragic.” I didn’t have full control over my production choices. And the irony is that I really didn’t want to be this tragic figure. “Despite everything that happened against me in my previous life, I wanted to rush the record out and move forward…” (Thus, “There is nothing tragic. ..”), but really, I wasn’t ready to make the record I wanted to make. I wasn’t at my best. I felt that some of the writing was great and the players were great, but as a series, well, I felt defeated, so I stopped. So it was kind of not easy for me to shelve everything for a while. It will be years.
coastline: When did you start actively writing again? When did you feel an itch that made you want to scratch? What made you pick up that pen again? Did you come out?
Redgate: I never stopped writing. I stopped trying to make it a career. There were periods when I was more prolific than others, and there were long periods when I wasn’t very productive, but I never stopped. Diaries, lyrics, poems, songs, words on pages, book chapters. I actually have a suitcase stuffed with notebooks and scraps and am working on them somehow. Writing to me was, and still is, how I survived.
coastline: Your new album “Light Under the Door” will be released on June 1st. It’s out on RumBar Records and it’s great. They seem to have hired a number of local celebrities in recent years. How did you become involved with the label? What are you excited about being on the roster?
Redgate: Ruh Mansdorf (Lumber) invited me about 10 years ago when there was talk of me jumping into record making. He checked in every few years and left the door open. He even added the song “Nothing Tragic” to the sampler a few years ago. So when I was finally ready, Lou was thrilled that I was finally joining the roster and he was so happy. He welcomed me into his family and helped me carry water to cross the finish line. He’s such an avid supporter, music lover, and just a passionate and kind person. It really helps me to have him in my corner. And he loves songs, which makes it easier to work with him. RumBar is indie, Boston, rock, garage, rockabilly swing, outlaw, punk… So I can sit there and just say, ‘What genre is she? An artist that I am naturally.
coastline: More importantly, what excites you about this record? What are your goals for this? What was the process of putting it together? It feels like it’s progressing through a series of starts, stops, and breaks. When did you see the finish line? How did you know it was “done”?
Redgate: Everything about this record excites me! The process was so special that it took us all by surprise. In fact, we were in the studio the weekend before Corona doing one of those “starts.” Shortly thereafter, the world shut down. But even without COVID-19, it wasn’t magic. Those sessions vanished into thin air. More time passed and I personally had a lot to work through. I hadn’t given up completely, but my light was just dim. I was so tired of life. So when the members and I got together to rehearse our first post-corona outdoor show, I think it was Rick (Habib) who came up to me and said, “I think the pandemic made us a better band.” And he was right. A change has happened. Also, the timing was good. Mark (Paquin) was off the road that long. We all had a little extra time on our hands and were just grateful to be able to make music in our room together after that horrible period. I was taking a huge personal leap of faith in the name of building a new phase in my life. My kids are grown, I’m sober, quit bartending, and grilled cows on purpose. I was interested in trying desperately to clarify how the next chapter is going to go. The timing was perfect in many ways.
After that show, we continued to congregate in Brian Rutland’s small home studio, hanging out, laughing, talking, making songs inside and out, creating a force field of trust and energy. John[Nolan]naturally became a producer because that was who he was, but he also kept me company for the length of time it took until I felt completely safe enough to step foot in the room. And from songwriter to songwriter, friend to friend, my songs that I had just spent time with and the scraps that became songs. Not only did they ensure that it was always a safe place—vulnerable—but they also ensured that ideas could be exchanged with mutual respect among all of us. Trust is catharsis. Friendships are important, and just having a few people who believe in you can make a big difference. So when I went to record the record, I just did the same thing in a different place. The players brought in an ‘A’ game (as always) and the same energy that we worked so hard to nurture just became part of us – that’s who we are now. . I set it up with vintage lamps from my apartment and lots of props to create the atmosphere. We cut live in the studio, all in the same room, no headphones. Vocals and everything. No bleeding or anything. There were few overdubs after the first session, and most of the keys were handled by Jim Gambino in Boston. I trusted John’s production skills. He and I were perfectly aligned in vision. He was able to explain the vision technically, and he passed it on to Chris Chase, who designed it. Then Duncan Watt mixed it, Dave Westner mastered it, and we all worked together to get it past the goalposts.
There was no goal line, no starting line. This is not at all a project that was about to be made before. This is something else entirely. This is the beginning of a whole new path and the record I set out to make at this stage in my life. How did you know it was done? When the studio ran out of time, we knew it was over! We only had a few days.
This whole process has opened a huge door for me and I feel like I’ve stepped into another realm or something. I’m back at work with the guys, and there are a number of songs left on the floor to follow up on plans to enter the studio this summer – and with the addition of John McCormack taking over on guitar – the band will maintain itself. grows and the song continues to rock. Greg Glasson is often on bass when Mark is on tour and he’s a great player too. Jim is playing with us more and brings us great energy. He’s booked new venues and he’s been doing a lot of shows, both solo and with a band, which is great. I expanded my range of solo activities. It’s great to be able to do both, and even though they’re completely different shows, we keep informing each other more and more. I am also working on other writing projects. Basically, I “give up on giving up” my career as a writer. This is actually kind of a ramp-up phase, which is a bit unrealistic. And at the same time I have no expectations at all. it’s a great place.
coastline: One of the things I love about your music is that it doesn’t fit into any particular genre. is that the spec? Or is it just the state when you start coloring the lyric lines?
Redgate: No designs or plans. It’s really just how I write.
coastline: What inspired you to start making music in the first place? why are you asking for it? why create it?
Redgate: Music has always been a part of me. I never intended to do it, nor was it a choice or decision. It always was/is now. Music was solace for me midway through life, a kind of ‘home’ when all the other parts of life seemed out of place. As a listener, and as a writer and player.
coastline: What did you learn about yourself between 2009 and 2023? How did long layovers affect your record results?
Redgate: The same roadmap that applied to this record also applies to my life path in ink, to my next projects and everything to come. It’s healthy to question your own motives, but fear-based decisions are never right. So trust your intuition, be intentional about what you do, and surround yourself with people you really trust and who will always reflect the truth in you. This is true in music and in life – it’s open.
coastline: You’re doing a release gig at the Music Hall Lounge on Saturday June 3rd, are you grateful that you’re able to bring these songs to your audience? What can they expect when they come to hear you play? Huh?
Redgate: I have a killer band and lots of great songs! This is going to be a great show. it will rock. I am grateful to have these people with me every time I play. We all feel that way, and I think it resonates with the audience. We are excited to share this record, this music, this energy with people.
For more information, visit www.themusichall.org and www.kateredgatemusic.com.
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