Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Stedelbauer.
Kate, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I first started pursuing a career as a singer/songwriter right out of high school, releasing music and playing shows around Hampton Roads, Virginia. I am lucky enough to have incredible parents who fully supported my decision to chase music – they never wanted me to look back and regret not following my passions. After spending a few years cutting my teeth, I got the opportunity to move to Nashville in 2020. What a time to move to a new state! Nashville was always the goal, and I still feel so lucky to get to be apart of this community. Though the last five years have had their ups and downs, I have grown so much as a person and an artist.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh, absolutely not. No one tells you how much you change and grow as a person in your 20s. In 2023, I was 25 and had been living in Nashville for a little over two years – and I had a total quarter life identity crisis. There were a few different things working together that I think spurred it, and man was it difficult. I realized that my desire for success in music had become my identity, and I truly believed that I was going to let down every single person who had ever believed in me if I failed. I started to question if I even really wanted to do music at all, or if I was just hanging on to the dream out of fear that I’d disappoint people if I ever quit. I had to do a lot of work to unlearn and unpack all of the fears and worries swirling around inside me, to get to a place where I could discern unequivocally what *I* wanted for myself and my future. In time, that lead me to the understanding that music was absolutely still something I wanted to pursue, but I needed to do it on my own terms, without putting so much pressure on myself.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an Americana singer/songwriter. I write all of my own music – my goal has always been to write songs that are honest, engaging, and thought-provoking for my listeners. I’ve been heavily influenced by songwriting that tells a story, that creates a world and characters, that transports the listener to a new place. Everything from John Prine’s debut record, to early Kacey Musgraves, to Taylor Swift’s folklore/evermore sister albums, I am enthralled by this type of artistry and have been inspired to create my own worlds and storylines in my music. I think at this point, I am most proud that I have kept going. I do not desire exorbitant fame or accolades – I simply desire to share my songs with the world and craft a life I can be proud of. With that said, I just release a new song called ‘Boy Named Sunday’, available on all streaming platforms!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My faith matters most to me. When I went through my identity crisis, I was ultimately reminded that my identity rests in Christ alone. I am not defined by my career success, my appearance, my relationship status, my social media following, my bank account, etc. – I am defined by my belief in Jesus and my identity as a child of God. That is the only thing that no one will ever be able to take from me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://katestedelbauer.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katestedelbauer/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@katestedelbauer3564
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Mn7A082j7IMWfoxsRo1Xb?si=pvAvtiZHRWWgCchoQlPCCQ
