Katy J Pearson has always been a unique voice in alternative music. From her debut LP Return, through to her fantastically melodic sophomore album Sounds of the Morning, Pearson has consistently proven the need for anthemic, pop-driven music in an alternative landscape often more sympathetic to angular, male bands.
On the 20th of September 2024, Pearson released her third and most recent effort, Someday, Now, an introspective and sonically ranging album. The record spans themes of loss and pain to more interpretive, poetic lyricism, all whilst letting Pearson’s powerfully charged vocals soar and dip with the songs.
The album seems to be a genuine sign of an artist reaching where they want to be. Working as the lead singer-songwriter in her own project, Pearson shoulders a lot of responsibility, but she jumped at the chance to describe her creative process: “I think I've always wanted to have a unique identity, I guess, as much as I can. And everything I choose to do is a major decision to help the track… also with this record, it was a real luxury that me and Bullion [her producer] had a week before we even went in to start rehearsing live, to just go through every demo and, like, re-demo it, just so we felt like it was in a more closer place to where we wanted it.”
Someday, Now appears to sample from a broader set of influences than her previous two albums – particularly when it comes to how the album sounds. Written and demoed in Tottenham, Pearson utilised working relationships with session musicians, as well as producer and friend Joel Burton to develop the LP, writing the tracks ‘Long Range Driver’ and ‘Sky’ in this setting.
Credit: @ Carry On Press
Pearson mentioned being an avid fan of singer-songwriters, with one in particular taking centre-stage for this album: Kate Bush. Bush’s distinctive art-pop style still clearly has a deep resonance for those actively making music in 2024, especially with the female vocalists she has helped champion. Pearson mentioned Bush’s album The Essential World as being “one I listen to a lot for this record.” On this LP, it was more than mere influence for Pearson. She went on: “It's her song ‘Watching You Without Me’ from Hounds of Love […] there's a drum beat and a drum sound we were obsessed with”. She described how they achieved this drum sound: “Joe Jones, who engineered it had this Nyquil tape recorder, so we could basically made our own samples in the studio with percussion and then program them.”
The role of ‘producer’ is always key in an album’s sonic creation, but where the producer starts and the artist stops isn’t always as clear. On asking about how much of a producing role Pearson took on for this new LP, she remarked that “with the first two [albums], I think I was a bit more shy and nervous about it.” She went on: “I don't know… I think I put producers too much on the pedestal, and thought that my opinion didn't matter. But, I think with time, and I think the right people like Bullion [aka Nathan Jenkins], I was never made me feel outside of my own work, I guess.”
That strong relationship comes across in the album, which seems as though every synth pluck and horn stab was tailor-made for the songs on it. This is a self-confidence Pearson has developed, and she was by no means shy of discussing it. “I think I had a strong sonic palette that I liked, but in the past, I wouldn't really tell people that. I would kind of be like, oh, what do you think? For this one [I] definitely was very much involved with every step. I feel like, although Bullion was producing in the room, I felt like I was a co-producer, which is how the artist should feel like every time. But it doesn't always work like that.”
It would be an incredible understatement to say that the experience of female artists is a more difficult one within the music industry. Pearson is of course no stranger to that. “Being a woman, I think it takes you longer to bloody call the shots because when you first start, there are experiences of getting shit on by producer men that make you feel like your opinion doesn't matter.” That experience of Pearson – in her own words – finally going “what the f**k, I need to just tell everyone what I want” is at the heart of her genius. Pearson’s is a brazenly individual voice, carving her own path regardless of others.
When asked as to whether she felt she belonged to a ‘scene’, she responded: “I don't think I've ever felt part of a scene. Not because I think I'm better or anything - I think I've always just kind of been getting on with it on my own… I wouldn't be able to pick other artists around me where we would be part of the sonic scene, I guess.”
Credit: @ Carry on Press
“People like Cate Le Bon and Aldous Harding and Julia Jackman, they all have similar sonic palettes but they're not part of the scene. They're just really amazing songwriters that are putting out music and I think that's something I've always aimed to do. I feel really empowered that I haven't been part of the scene.”
It appears that instead of relying on the conventional makeup of a ‘scene’ of bands, Pearson looks across the spectrum for inspiration. “I was part of a ‘Bristol scene’ of sorts. Me and my friends were making music. [It] was a really exciting time when I was in Lazarus Kane, [and] all Lazarus Kane were in my band. Squid had just moved to Bristol. Scalping, who are now Scala… Bingo Fury… There was a lovely scene but none of us were in the same world.”
“I think because we were removed from the London scene, we were just given more space […] My career has been a slow burn […] and every record I'm hopefully getting better. But I feel really privileged that I've had the time to actually learn what I'm doing and get better without having such a huge spotlight on me.”
Despite not feeling she belongs to a scene, this hasn’t stopped Pearson from enjoying touring life. When it comes to taking an album out on the road, it can be a different experience entirely. On asking Pearson about the experience of touring this record, she said: “I love it. It feels really good to play live. It’s a lot more energetic, and bouncy, and poppy, so playing [Someday, Now] live is really rewarding!”
In particular, she described a fondness for Manchester. “I really love Manchester. It's a great city, and I always find playing up north is just the best place to play. The south is fine, but you're welcomed so much more in the north. I think the crowds [are] just way better, and I just find it less pretentious. Manchester, I've played there a lot, and I just really enjoy the city, so, yeah, I'm really excited. A lot of my friends went to uni there.”
Pearson is also clearly tuned into what is going on musically above the South East. “I think people always think that the epicentre of music is in London, but it's bullshit. There are so many bands coming out of other cities and music scenes happening in Manchester [and] Leeds. In Leeds, you've got Yard Act and English Teacher […] English Teacher winning the Mercury Prize was such a win. […] That's what the Mercury Prize should be. It shouldn't be when these big bands on major labels shouldn't be winning it.”
This political edge is not particularly something people would associate Pearson with, but hers is a clearly political voice. Rather than being overt or patronising; however, Pearson lets her actions, and of course, her music do the talking.
As we enter an era of the decline of the most recent wave of post-punk, it is high time for ingenious, melodic songwriters like Pearson to take centre stage and let their music talk for them.
Katy J Pearson will be playing Manchester’s New Century Hall, and you can find tickets for the gig here.
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