Queer Madison-based band Kat and the Hurricane has released their latest single “Out of My Mind” earlier in 2021. It was released alongside previous track “Sorry That I’m Like This,” and is building into a new EP set to release around late Spring or early Summer.
“Out of My Mind” starts with an acoustic somber tone fit to lyricism exploring anxiety’s impact on life. Partway through the song, the acoustic music is masterfully transitioned into more dancy electronic music. There’s a beautiful instrumental section to slow down the song right before the tone drastically shifts. It moves into an instrumental electric bit with a skilled guitar solo lent by Isaac, a friend of Kat and the Hurricane’s. It breaks into a more beat-driven latter section with more poetic lyricism about anxiety. “Tied up and twisted – My mind is insistent – To give up, to give in – Be left just to swim in – The waves of my doubt – That I might not get out,” lead vocalist Kat Farnsworth (he/she/they) belts soon after the music transitions. “Out of My Mind,” is an exploration of anxiety both realistically and poetically. The polarization of the musical sound gives it the opportunity to delve into the topic of anxiety in these two vastly different ways.
Like much of Kat and the Hurricane’s music, “Out of My Mind” was written from personal experience. Kat says “[I] was going through a rough time with, I don’t know, just having shit hit the fan. And it was [during] a time in my life where I was not going to therapy or, you know, properly medicated.” They wrote it from a place where their living situation wasn’t working out, and they were in fight or flight mode. It ended up taking on the same chords as “Sorry That I’m Like This” but with a different structure. This builds the songs in a way that foreshadows a cohesive yet dynamic structure for the EP.
Kat and the Hurricane consists of vocalist and guitarist Kat Farnsworth (He/She/They), keyboardist and backing vocalist Benjamin Rose (They/Them/Theirs) and drummer Alex Nelson (They/Them/Theirs). They are a Madison-based band started by Kat as a solo project in October 2015, but eventually they met Benjamin in 2018 at an open mic night in Janesville, Wisconsin. Being in a small town, it was hard to find other queer people, and that gave them something important to bond over. Pretty soon Benjamin became an official part of Kat and the Hurricane. Alex had also met Kat in 2018 but first had a chance to see the band perform live in 2019. Kat asked if they would consider drumming, and they agreed though having never played on an actual drumset before. They were able to pick it up due to having worked with music their whole life and having previously made beats and written music on garage band. After Alex had picked up the drums the band became what it is today.
Kat and the Hurricane is an award winning queer synth-rock band who has played alongside the likes of RENT STRIKE, Telethon and Apes of the State. They have previously been named Madison Area Music Association’s New Artist of the Year and Madison Magazine’s Best Alt/Indie Band of 2020, and they played Summerfest in 2019. Their touring was shut down in 2020, but that hasn’t stopped their creation and passion for music.
Kat and the Hurricane is currently working on an EP set to release in early Spring or late Summer. They have also been working as the backing band for a new project by Kat’s friend and previous bandmate Candace, and there’s a “Sorry That I’m Like This” dad hat that just became available.
“Out of My Mind” can be found on Spotify, Itunes, Bandcamp or your streaming platform of choice.
Kat and the Hurricane Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Twitter – YouTube – Website
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