Miss Kitty Talk New Music, Videos and Are Feline Positive

Could you tell us about how the band Miss Kitty was formed, who is in the band and what do they play?

Sure! So James Ashbury and I put out an ad, as we were really desperate to be playing with a rhythm section after performing our songs as an acoustic duo for a couple of years while we relocated and got settled in South Wales. Through that we met Iain Mills who plays bass and sings backing vocals, and he knew Seb Jones who now drums with us, so it all came together pretty easily. James plays guitars and sings backing vocals, and I write the songs, sing and play keys.

You have recently self-filmed and recorded some live performance videos of some new original material which can be viewed online now. Where did you film the videos and how did you want to approach the recordings?

We filmed the videos at a rehearsal studio called the Practice Pad, right in the heart of the Welsh valleys, on the outskirts of a town called Bargoed – pronounced “Bargoid.”

Our aim was to give people a taste of what our band sounds like, as we were getting so excited during rehearsals, and I just felt it was a waste that no one was hearing it! And I wanted people to hear what our new material is about! We gave each song one run through, and then went for a take. We all had our phones at various angles filming it, then cut it together.

James ran the recording of it, there was a glorious stack of 5 audio interfaces on a flight case, cables absolutely everywhere, and by the time we’d set it all up, we had half an hour to get the three tracks, before we needed to pack down. It was absolutely mad, but it worked!

Could you please tell me the inspiration/story behind the track ‘Sweet Regret’?

In simple terms, Sweet Regret is reflective – thinking back to that moment when you made a bad decision that changed everything. It depicts a battle of wills with an emotional terrorist. It’s saying “I’m on to you, and I’m not going to stand for it anymore!” It’s inspired by a great many relationships I’ve witnessed, and sadly some of them last for a very long time.

Another song that you recorded was ‘Never Give Up’. What was the inspiration for this song and was it a difficult one to write?

Actually this one flowed pretty easily, but I suppose in a way it came from a difficult place – I was sitting there contemplating this paradox: as an artist, there is a weird, constant undercurrent thought process of “should I just quit?” I think some of it comes from all the crap we’re fed when we’re starting out, such as ‘if you haven’t made it by the time you’re 26, you won’t ever make it’ and some of it is probably down to the highs and lows of artistry, and the lows certainly can be difficult if you don’t stay grounded. However, as a musician, who has trained my whole life, and who studies every day, and takes music very seriously, quitting is not an option, it’s an absurd notion. So really I was mulling all this over, and kind of comforting myself with the words, and telling myself and others that it’s all cool. It really doesn’t matter how long it takes.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I don’t really have a hometown – I was born in Lancaster, but went straight back out to sea, as my parents had rebuilt a 52 ft Schooner which we lived on and sailed the North Sea. Here are my five words:

Seagulls, waves, scrub the decks.

Do you have any favourite stage instruments/equipment/effects?

Now then! I dream of playing a real piano on stage every night. At the moment I just can’t fit one in the car, so I have a very great Nord – wave 2 keyboard, and when I feel like playing all 88 keys, I have a Roland that I take out. Really I’m a girl of simple requirements. Bit of reverb, and off I go. I’m not much of a tech geek – quite the opposite in fact haha.

How do you look after your voice?

I warm up regularly – all the way up, all the way down, I drink as much water as I can remember to, and amazingly I quit smoking two and a half years ago, and since then my voice has dramatically improved with regards to control and stamina.

Do you have any plans for any live shows in the UK in 2023/2024?

Yes indeed! We have a gig at the Golden Lion, Bristol 26th Jan, and we’re also playing the Newport County football ground before a match on 13th April which is all very exciting, and hopefully we’ll get some decent festivals and shows elsewhere.

Are there any plans to release any more live performance videos or music say as singles or an EP?

There sure are – we are looking to get in the studio and record a single at least, possibly an EP, maybe even an album, we’ll see how we get on, but yeah – definitely plans to record early 2024.

What type of music/artists do you like listening to? Do you have any recommendations?

I listen to a lot of jazz, especially piano players such as Fats Waller, Oscar Peterson and Errol Garner – I collect jazz vinyls, and listen to them all the time. All of that stuff just blows my mind. My main influences with regards to songwriting have been Joan Armatrading, Carole King, bands like Garbage, Skunk Anansie, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, more recently I like the Nova Twins, and Deap Vally. I’m a little obsessed with Big Thief’s Tiny Desk concert at the moment, and would recommend that for sure.

What makes Miss Kitty happy and what makes you unhappy?

Respectively, peace and war.

Aside from that obvious answer, I love growing veg, always have, and I guess what upsets me is waking up to find that the slugs and snails have decimated my salad bed. That kind of thing will have me in a rage, out in my dressing gown in the rain, cursing loudly at them.

Photo Credit: Hattie Alwen

For more information on Miss Kitty visit their website here: https://www.iammisskitty.com/