Guest Interview with Kat Button

How would you describe yourself, both personally and professionally? 

I think the biggest word to describe me would be creative. I use my creativity to write songs and produce. I am always full of new ideas and enjoy experimenting with these ideas.  Professionally, as a primary school music teacher, my creativity enables me to think outside the box to plan and create lessons that are engaging and fun for all the children. 

ID: Kat standing in a garden surrounded by plants and trees. She is wearing a checked shirt and is smiling.

I am incredibly empathetic and compassionate. I love fiercely and aim to do whatever I can to help others. I would much rather give a present than receive one, although I am always appreciative of any presents I get!

I am also incredibly clumsy. I have an extraordinary ability to trip up and knock things over frequently, usually cups of water and mugs of tea. 

What core values guide your work and your life? 

For much of my life I have felt misunderstood. I have been suffering from things that are invisible to the outside world or are stigmatised. My main mission in life is to enable people to be seen and heard. For me to share my story through music. To offer comfort to those suffering from mental ill health and show them that they are not alone.  I also believe that education about mental ill health is extremely important, so I endeavour to describe the reality of living with a mental health disorder. 

Your music carries such authentic emotion. Can you walk us through your songwriting process? Do the lyrics or melody come first, and how do you know when a song is truly 'finished'? 

One of the things I love about songwriting is how the process can vary dramatically. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with a fully formed song idea in my head. Other times it takes a couple of days for inspiration to strike. Sometimes inspiration appears unexpectedly. 

For me, lyrics and melody happen simultaneously and are closely interlinked. I couldn’t imagine trying to create a melody to lyrics that already exist or vice versa. As a songwriter,  I feel that a song is ready to be shared with the world when I feel a deep sense of pride about it. I have an extremely creative and hyperactive mind, so I am constantly thinking of ideas to add to a song.  I have learnt that a song is never truly finished, but when I feel that I can’t do anything else to it without compromising its meaning and intent then it’s ready to be released. 

Many artists talk about the vulnerability of sharing their music with the world. What was the moment you realized you wanted to be a singer/songwriter, and how has that initial spark evolved throughout your career?

In the past I always wrote songs about things that people thought I should write about . For example, I was in a band for a short amount of time, and I wrote songs about topics that the other band members wanted me to write about. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a connection with these topics so wasn’t able to translate them into songs as easily. 

I have suffered with mental ill health for many years. I wanted to write songs about my journey as a form of therapy and release, but I thought I would be triggered mentally. In October 2022, I completed an ‘Understanding Mental Health in Children and Young People course.’ A lot of the topics in the course were things that I have personally experienced. However, I managed to complete the course without feeling triggered. It was at this moment that I thought that it was the right time to share songs about my journey. My journey continues to evolve, which provides a catalyst to write more music. 

The music industry has transformed dramatically with streaming and social media. How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision while navigating the business side of being an independent artist?"

When I decided to start releasing music, I never once said ‘oh I can’t wait to do more social media content or promo or pitch to playlists!!’  I adored creating and recording music, but I learnt as I went that indie artists are responsible for every aspect of a release and that is something that can’t be avoided. I create social media content, but I refuse to spend hours editing videos because I simply don’t enjoy it! Instead I do a mixture of serious and light hearted content that still aims to connect to the listener but doesn’t take huge amounts of my time. 

Your songs often feel like stories. Is there a particular song in your catalogue that holds special meaning for you, and would you share the story behind it?

Back to Nature is track 9 on the album. The atmosphere of this track is completely different to the others, but I think the slower pace and nature of the arrangements provides a welcome chance to breathe and recharge. I originally wrote this song for one of my school choirs to sing in a competition. The song has also been performed at concerts and it has been so lovely to see both the choir members and audience appreciating the track.

I then recorded a version in the studio of me singing it. My recording and mixing engineer thoroughly enjoyed working on this track and seeing it come to life. 

Looking ahead, what themes or sounds are you excited to explore in your upcoming work? Are there any collaborations or creative risks you're hoping to take?

During my mental health journey, I kept on thinking that my diagnosis’ didn’t completely explain everything that I was feeling and experiencing. This was confirmed when I was diagnosed with ADHD in June 2024. All of a sudden, a lot of my life finally made sense, and I started writing music about my ADHD diagnosis. ADHD will be a central theme to my next album. 

Share a quote that holds special meaning for you. Why does it resonate, and how has it influenced your journey?

I love this quote by Emily Sinclair;

‘To refocus is to re-energize; it’s a vital part of personal growth.’ 

Refocusing is an integral part of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Refocusing helped me to shift attention from negative and intrusive thoughts to more positive ones. However difficult my OCD has been, it has also helped me grow as a person and has taught me that I am stronger than I think.