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Interview with
KAITLYN THOMAS

(12th May 2023)

Interview by Dave Bruce

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Have you always wanted to be a musician? When did you get the song writing bug?
I have always been creative as a child; song writing came naturally to me. When I was little, I would sing the normal ‘Happy Birthday’ I would sing my own version of ‘Happy Birthday’. If I had to put a timeline and date on when I got the song writing bug it would’ve have been when I was 9 years old when I started playing guitar. Ever since then I have known that I wanted to be a musician.

How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
My sound is Country/rock/pop. I like to think that if Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, Linda Ronstadt, Anne Wilson, Sheryl Crow and Suzi Quatro had a child it would be me. Mix them all together and you’ve got Kaitlyn Thomas. I think people resonate with my music because of the content I write about, I draw and write from my personal life experiences and what I’m going as a young woman in music and in today’s society.

Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today? 
I’m inspired by the incredible women within the music scene, these artists push me to challenge myself as a song writer and singer. Some of these incredible female artists include; Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood, Suzi Quatro, Anne Wilson, Dolly Parton, The McClymonts, Hayley Jensen.

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Your new single ‘Pretty Little Thing’ has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution. 
‘Pretty Little Thing’ came about after being told I don’t fit the mould and what is typically expected as a female artist. I wanted to write about embracing who I am and female empowerment. ‘Pretty Little Thing’ is about breaking free from societal stereotypes and embracing one’s true self.
The whole song writing process of ‘Pretty Little Thing’ was like a Nashville experience. I wrote and produced the song with the legends Michael Delo and Michael Paynter at Msquared in Melbourne. I’ve had the title ‘Pretty Little Thing’ for years and it wasn’t this co-write that I was able to finally use it. We spoke about why I wrote down the title and the song pretty much just wrote it self. Day one we wrote the song, day two produced the song and day three recorded my vocals for the track. 

Is there an EP or Album on the drawing board?
Over the past year and a half, I’ve been reflecting on who I want to be as an artist and what makes Kaitlyn Thomas different. I can say that I have now finally found my sound which is Country/Rock/Pop and producers who understand my sound and get me as an artist. So yes, there is an upcoming EP/album that will be coming out.

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I’m really looking forward to the following shows that I have lined up this year.
3rd – 5th November – Molesworth Music Festival – Molesworth, VIC
17th – 19th November – Camp for Cancer – Darraweit Guim, VIC

If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why? 
There are so many artists that I would love to perform with, it is truly hard to pick just one. I would love to perform with legends such as Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Shania Twain,

Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist? 
I would love to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, tour America and do music for the rest of my life. I love my job and I love that I able to do what I love every single day, and I can only hope that I can continue to what I love and make music that people resonate with.

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What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
Nothing beats performing to a live audience. I didn’t realise how much I loved performing on stage and in front of people until it was taken away during Covid-19. Performing is electric. Seeing the audiences’ reactions to your songs, having them sing along, get up and dance its truly remarkable and definitely one of the best things about performing live. Highlights from my career so far include; Top 30 of this year’s Australian Idol, being an ambassador for anti-bullying organisation, Bully Zero since 2012, representing Australia at the World Championships of Performing Arts, and being endorsed by Maton guitars since 2016.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album –Feels Like Home
Artist – Sheryl Crow
Movie –Anne of Green Gables
Place to visit –Bali
Venue to play –Bluebird Café’
Food –Honey Soy Chicken Ribs
Drink –Coffee
Person in History –Martin Luther King
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?) ‘Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly’ in memory of my late grandmother.

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Follow KAITLYN THOMAS
FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM – TIK TOK – WEBSITE

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Press Release 14th April 2023 (below)

2023 Australian Idol
Top 30 Finalist
KAITLYN THOMAS
shares new single & video
‘PRETTY LITTLE THING’

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In her first release since appearing among the Top 30 of this year’s Australian Idol, Kaitlyn Thomas empowers women everywhere with her barnstorming new single ‘Pretty Little Thing’.

The country music star on the rise isn’t your typical performer. “Pretty Little Thing came about after being told I don’t fit the mould and what is typically expected as a female artist,” she reveals. “I wanted to write about embracing who I am and female empowerment.”

The result is a powerful anthem about breaking free from societal stereotypes and embracing one’s true self. Inspired by her love for legends such as Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Shania Twain, Kaitlyn has developed a sound that blends the best of country, rock, and pop.

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The singer-songwriter collaborated on the bop with highly sought after production duo MSquared (James Johnston, The Veronicas). In a whirlwind three days the song went from just a title to a complete track. “Writing this song with Paynter and Delo was like a Nashville experience, the song was written in a day, vocals laid the next and final production completed on the third day. Working with MSquared allowed me to dig deeper into who I am as an artist and really find my distinct sound that no one else is doing.“

The companion music video, shot by Benny Greggs, depicts all the dynamism of Kaitlyn’s live performance. “I didn’t want to go down the storytelling road, I wanted to capture what it would look like live,” exclaims the singer-songwriter. Filmed locally, at the Race Track Betting Shed, the clip earns its authenticity from a cast of genuine fans. “The live audience we had, had never heard the song until the day of filming.”

Kaitlyn’s journey as a musician began at the age of eight, when she started writing her own songs. Since then, she has honed her craft and established herself as one of Australia’s most promising new talents.  The young star has represented Australia at the World Championships of Performing Arts taking home prestigious medals, performed with Opera Australia in La Boheme, and has been a passionate ambassador for anti-bullying organisation, Bully Zero since she was 12 years old.

A graduate of both the junior and senior Academy of Country Music, Kaitlyn has performed at many of Australia’s biggest festivals including the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Road to Roma and Whittlesea Country Music Festival, and has opened for artists Casey Donovan, Amber Lawrence, Andrew Swift and Darlinghurst.

When Kaitlyn Thomas belts out ‘Pretty Little Thing’ with her gritty and commanding voice it’s hard not to listen. With her bold new sound and message of empowerment, Kaitlyn is poised to make a big impact on the Australian country music scene, and you can catch her live on the below dates.

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TOUR DATES

21st April – Mulwala Country Music Festival – Mulwala, NSW

3rd – 5th November – Molesworth Music Festival – Molesworth, VIC

17th – 19th November – Camp for Cancer – Darraweit Guim, VIC

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AMNPLIFY – DB