Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathryn E. Russ.
Hi Kathryn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My gift as a singer was latent until my mid-20s. I started writing abstract poems and learned basic chords on a Roy Clark guitar around the age of 14; this initiated me into an obsession with guitars that eventually led to songwriting. At the time I dreamed of being a poet, for me the perfect concept as an introvert with mysterious words floating through my head I felt it was up to me to channel. I didn’t believe I had the talent for singing or writing songs and this caused me to abandon music for almost a decade. I ventured into unfulfilling careers around the country, always looking for one that would allow me the freedom to nurture my connection to music. Nine years later, a throat surgery in Los Angeles left me without a voice for 30 days, inspiring me to seek out a vocal coach. One of the regulars at a bar where I was working in Pasadena was a member of the LA Opera and gave vocal lessons to beginners like me in his studio down the alley. I grueled for several years, discouraged by my lack of progress at getting basic structures down. During this time when I discovered singing was a skill, I decided to pursue songwriting full-time and learn to sing from the ground up. I was always confident in my gift as a writer even though I knew developing it would take time. Music has been the only course I’ve traveled in life that no matter how many obstacles surface, I always want to keep going.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggle for me as a singer-songwriter and in general has always been my introversion, perfectionism, and employ of logic over intuition. This combination has stalled me from performing and writing for swaths of time. I am innately tenacious & resilient but do not deal well with setbacks in the short term. I need to see real progress in what I’m working on or I can easily be overcome by discouragement and a sense of failure. Not writing for years as a self-identified writer was a detriment to my self-esteem and isolated me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a singer-songwriter combining finger-style guitar, open tunings, and a voice as unaffected as possible. My interests in psychology and mythology play a large role in my inspiration and the topics I write about—storytelling, balancing the temporal and mystical, finding meaning.
I was raised in Alabama so I bring many Southern themes into my work by default. The artists I’ve been most drawn to and emulated have been the rule breakers—perhaps traditional in the material selected but non-traditional in their interpretations—artists who refused structures and were generally unpredictable, notably in the areas of Los Angeles and Austin in the early 70s and the British folk revival of the 60s. Ry Cooder is a good example. He has had a great career in film as well which I’ve been drawn to myself. I write visually—I see scenes when I write and those guide me on how to approach the song. Whether it’s black and white, color, day, night, etc., the vision and mood lead a trail for the song to be born. This has innately drawn me to the film world.
Over the last few years, I’ve also taken up two other favorite mediums I walked away from earlier in life—photography and painting. Painting started as a sort of therapy and recently grew into making prints which you can view and purchase on my website. Photography has been a gift and a great counterbalance to songwriting because I can go out and see immediate results from my day’s work. That immediacy balances out the time it takes to craft a song and keeps my creativity fueled—the camera can get me out of the house when I’m spiraling or stuck in a process. I frequently shoot live music which nurtures the solitary part of me that enjoys occasionally being in the shadow of the crowd instead of on stage under lights. It’s also extremely rewarding to give people photos of themselves they’re proud of.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’ve always had a mercurial relationship with the boundary line between comfort and risk. It has taken years and is a constant education in learning to trust myself enough to know when I need to sit something out or say yes. I am a working artist as a result of taking risks, of turning down jobs when I needed the money in order to protect my art. “When doors close others open,” is easier to say than to embody the trust required by that level of blind faith. It’s exceptionally scary and stressful at times.
Pricing:
- Music booking – contact
- Photography – contact
- Art prints – $15
- Art originals – $175-$350
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kathrynruss.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krussxca/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathrynrussmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathrynruss
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lfAUMWotAOKs4WYDaaeYk?si=vomwK521Te-3XryJMGqYEw
Image Credits
© Lucas Noonan, Joni Russ. Photos of Stuart Mathis & Pomme
© Kathryn E. Russ Original artwork scans.
