podcastinterview | https://www.facebook.com/Beatsthatsetmypulse/

Could not be more giddy about having had my good friend and badass front woman Kat Leon of Holy Wars and Pep Squad to pop my podcast cherry. I’ve had an interest in doing podcast for years, and am so grateful that Matthew Faulkner and & Matt Shores of BetaWave reached out to offer me the audio & video support to move forward with this endeavor. Kat was an obvious choice as my first guest, for she is lovely human being that I find so easy to talk to, and she has tons of recent successes to celebrate and be proud of: multiple song releases, publishing deals, music videos, virtual performances, etc. She is not simply surviving these COVID times, she is THRIVING, and although she may not want to bark about her victories, I certainly will. And, when it comes to live performances (who knows when those will be back), not many can reach into your chest and grip your heart with such tenacity and such grace as Kat. This dark, emotive beauty writes lyrics that are raw and revealing, “not covered up with poignant poetry but just saying exactly what I feel.” In her newest release, ‘IHATEMYSELF,’ Kat raises every hair on our body with the verse: “I look for happiness in the bottom of a glass, Drowning in the dark thoughts of an egomaniac. I’m making enemies, all the bullies in my mind, They try to hurt me but it was me the whole time.” Holy Shit. HOLY WARS. I feel so damn lucky to have met this lil’, petite, pint-size powerhouse who inspires us to shed the masks that society has asked us to put on and to embrace our truest self.

Industry Quotes:

“IHATEMYSELF” is one of the group’s most ambitious tracks, using dissonance and tonal changes to unsettle listeners and set up Leon’s powerful vocal hook. The song structure is similar to Radiohead’s first single “Creep,” shifting from a drifting, almost sarcastic melody into a hard-charging, guitar-and-drum riff, lightly layered with a synth vocal section that makes Leon’s delivery of the chorus even more powerful. –BILLBOARD
“Leon’s singing and music are really powerful with a vocal range that has come up against few boundaries” – BILLBOARD
“Legend” is heavy on stark, unsettling imagery and hypnotic symbolism that’s both strangely beautiful, and at times, disturbingly transcendent” – BILLBOARD
“…a distinctly heavy synth-rock sound that’s somewhere between Siouxsie and Suicide with a modern production sheen” – LA Times
“Crafting cinematically dark music with a sense of urgency and power, front-woman Kat Leon (Holy Wars) was reborn into music after the tragic loss of her parents a few years ago. The gaping void shattered Kat’s world and altered her soul and songwriting forever…With fantastical and warrior-like themes, this is music that’s somehow simultaneously melancholic and inspiring.” – Position Music