featuring @kat.velasco.music
1. Welcome to OLC! Kat! You first emerged in 2021 with your debut single “Cliche Country Song.” Looking back, what was the moment when you felt like the music industry truly “discovered” you, and how did that early validation change things for you?
A. Thank you for having me!! I appreciate it so much.The first time I heard my song in a room where people didn’t know me, or seeing strangers connect to something I wrote… that’s when it clicked. It made everything feel real, but it also raised the bar for me. It stopped being about proving I could do it, and started being about building something that actually lasts.
2. Many artists have a “how I got my break” story. Was there a specific person, opportunity, or lucky coincidence that helped launch your career as a Nashville-based artist?
a. Nashville and music is all about consistency, I moved here and met some really incredible people. The most talented people I’ve ever met. Johnny Gates has been a huge influence, writing and producing my debut album “Cowgirl Complex” which is being released as we speak, was a huge moment for me and my validation as an artist and songwriter. Another amazing person that has made me feel so seen and discovered as an artist, Lauren Leaver who is with Fav Records. I’ve recently signed a deal with them as my creative team and it’s been beyond life changing!
3. Were there any female artists or songwriters who were particularly influential in helping you find your voice and confidence as a performer?
A. I’ve always been drawn to artists who feel really unapologetic in who they are. Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks or Kacey Musgraves, even Charli XCX. They’re feminine but strong, emotional but grounded. That gave me permission to lean into my own perspective instead of trying to fit into what I thought I was supposed to be.
4. Let’s talk your new single “Shutting Down Midtown”. What inspired you and your co-writers Johnny Gates and Joey Myron to write a song specifically celebrating Midtown instead of the usual Broadway scene?
a. We wanted to write something that felt like our Nashville. Everyone talks about Broadway but Midtown is iconic, it’s where a lot of the real memories happen, its where a lot of artists get opportunities to perform. Yes, it’s a little messier, a little more local. It’s the nights you don’t fully remember but somehow never forget. We wanted to capture that energy and make something people here could actually feel seen in.
5. You name-drop real spots like Losers and Red Door in the song. How did those bars make it into the lyrics, and are there any specific wild nights at those places that inspired the track?
a. Those places are basically characters in the story. If you’ve spent any time in Midtown, you know exactly what kind of night you’re walking into at Losers or Red Door. A lot of the lines came from real moments or conversations, it just felt more honest to name the places instead of generalizing it. Nights where we get chances to play our original music, our music friends come and support, we celebrate after just because we get to do what we love.
6. In the quote you shared, you mention nights where you “kinda forget some parts.” How much of “Shutting Down Midtown” is pulled from your own real-life experiences going out in Nashville?
a. I mean hey, we’re young! It’s definitely pulled from real life. I think everyone’s had those nights where everything blurs together… you’re laughing, you’re a little too honest, maybe making decisions you wouldn’t make at 2pm the next day. Probably waking up with the scaries. That line is really about that in-between space where you’re a little lost but also completely yourself.
7. You also just released “You’re Drunk,” which dives into the late-night texts and blurry modern dating cycle. How do the party vibes in “Shutting Down Midtown” connect (or contrast) with the story in “You’re Drunk”?
a. “Shutting Down Midtown” is more of the outside, the energy, the chaos, the night itself. “You’re Drunk” is what happens maybe behind closed doors, or what we think is behind closed doors but really a full blown mess. It’s when it gets quieter and a little more emotional. One is the party, the other is the aftermath. They live in the same world, just different moments of it.
8. Both songs feel very honest about nightlife and relationships. Is writing about the messier, unfiltered sides of dating and going out part of your “complex cowgirl” identity?
a. Yeah, 100%. I think being a “complex cowgirl” is owning all of it and I am that. It’s the confidence, the chaos and mostly the vulnerability. Real life isn’t polished and I don’t think the music should be either. The messier parts are usually the most honest. It’s fully me and my experiences, in different points of my life.
9. You’ve drawn comparisons to Stevie Nicks and Maren Morris. Do you see “Shutting Down Midtown” leaning more toward the rock edge, the country storytelling side, or something in between?
a. I think it sits right in between. It has that rock edge and attitude but it’s still rooted in storytelling. That balance is really where I feel most like myself, that I’m not fully one thing or the other. I’m just me and I am complexed and always will be.
10. With your debut album Cowgirl Complex coming this summer and more singles on the way, where does “Shutting Down Midtown” fit into the bigger story you’re telling with the project?
a. It’s a big piece of the world. “Cowgirl Complex” is about all the different sides of me, and this song represents that wild, carefree, slightly reckless part. It’s not the whole story, but it’s definitely a chapter. Working with Fav Records on the creative side has really helped me zoom out and shape the full picture, not just individual songs but the identity and world around them.
11. For fans who are visiting Nashville soon, what’s your perfect “Shutting Down Midtown” night look like — from outfit to bar order to the one song you hope the DJ plays?
a. This song is Nashville. Waiting for the weekend, running into country artists’ in the bars and not to mention the bachelorette parties. It’s truly an anthem. It’s a little undone but still intentional. Probably tequila, maybe a dive bar to start, and then ending up somewhere way too late. I want it to be something you can scream with your friends, the kind of song that feels like a memory while it’s happening.
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
- Socials: @frazer.live
- @neill.outloud
