Conversations with Kate Stedelbauer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Stedelbauer. 

Hi Kate, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
From a young age, I had an interest in singing and writing songs. My parents bought me my first guitar when I was ten, and that really opened up a whole new creative world for me. As I grew older, I continued to play and write, performing here and there. My parents really encouraged me to keep pursuing my passion – they have believed in me from the beginning. In 2016, at the end of my senior year of high school, I felt a strong call to pursue music professionally. Instead of going to college, I released an EP and started performing around my hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia. After gaining experience and exposure locally, moving to Nashville became the next big dream, which I achieved in August 2020. It has definitely been challenging moving to a new state in the middle of a pandemic, but I’m very grateful for all I’ve gotten to do in this first year in Nashville. I’m thrilled to say that I just released a new single called “Dishes in the Sink”, which is about my experience thus far living in music city. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Is a career in music ever smooth? Haha, I can only imagine. I have definitely faced a lot of obstacles. Self-doubt, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and even physical health issues have knocked me off my feet a number of times over the last few years. Even so, I think so much of what we struggle with as artists comes from within – it’s an internal battle, at least for me. Half the fight is learning how to silence the voices of fear and insecurity in my mind. Pursuing music is such an unstable career path – there’s no guarantees – and that can be either motivating or discouraging. I just try to wake up each day and do the best I can for myself. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an Americana singer-songwriter, heavily influenced by artists like John Prine and Joni Mitchell. I really value the art of storytelling – I want my listeners to be taken on a journey when they hear my music. When writing, I pay a lot of attention to the lyrics – I want to make sure I say exactly what I want to say, exactly how I want to say it. I am most proud of the single we just put out – “Dishes in the Sink”. It’s really representative of my time spent in Nashville thus far, and I’m so happy with the way it turned out. My producer, Houston Heard, did an amazing job. It feels good to make something you really love and share it with the world. 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Authenticity and originality. I don’t want to be like anyone else. I want to make music that makes me happy and write songs that truly represent what I think and how I feel. I think listeners value that as well. I would never want to achieve success in music at the expense of being someone I’m not. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: katestedelbauer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katestedelbauer/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kstedelbauer
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWUrXiwaZEk&list=OLAK5uy_n44H-wMEPJRhxji2_5aNscyX05SMfxY3I
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Mn7A082j7IMWfoxsRo1Xb?si=d_DMkVm1RAGw3C5_LExL1g