Kate Mostad: FRAGMENTS OF LANGUAGE
“Ever since I was young, I’ve been captured by the way that music can bring to the surface all sorts of emotions and vulnerabilities.”
2022 Artist-in-Residence at Flathead Lake Biological Station
Kate presenting her songs and music at the Flathead Lake Biological Station
How was your experience as an Open AIR Artist-in-Residence?
I had a wonderful time during my artist residency at the Flathead Lake Biological Station. It felt so amazing to have the space to explore my music-making in a new context and gain a deeper appreciation for the work that the researchers and staff do up there. As someone who has grown up visiting Flathead Lake, and has chosen to live in proximity to it as an adult, I am just incredibly grateful for the opportunity to connect with the people who work so hard to make sure that this vital part of our ecosystem stays protected.
Kate plays her guitar in her cabin at the Flathead Lake Bio Station
What was your research process during this time?
I’d planned to write and record a full EP during my residency, so my research process began right away when I arrived. I took plenty of time to explore the campus, and engage with activities that the FLBS staff included us artists in. Each activity was a new perspective into the larger context of the whole biological network. The more I got to dive into the knowledge that I was immersed in, the more inspired I became. Throughout my month at the station, I collected fragments of language that represented concepts and ideas I’d been exploring. Eventually, these fragments became the lyrics for my songs.
Kate hiking during her residency
What are you up to now (post Open AIR)?
Since finishing my residency with Open AIR, I’ve been working on writing and recording a few new tracks and continuing to develop my style. I’ve also put the finishing touches on the EP I created during my residency and released it to the world! It can be heard on my Soundcloud page:
Kate presenting her songs and music at the Flathead Lake Biological Station
Can you talk about the difference between being a maker/director of your own work and being a viewer?
One thing I love about music is the diversity of experiences that you get depending on how the artist presents their work. A song sounds much different played live in front of an audience than it does after it has been recorded, produced, and reworked many hours in a studio. As listeners of music, we often forget about all the messiness that happens behind the scenes, as well as the magic. The process of writing a song sometimes takes weeks, from the initial concept to the finished track, the many hours of sitting down to a sound you’ve already replayed too many times, trying to get it just right. When it’s finished, it might be a few minutes in length, and I think the short format of songs is why the way we hear them makes such a difference in our experience of them.
Image taken by Kate during her residency
Walk us through the choices you make in a single piece.
I typically begin writing any song by diddling on the guitar. Usually, I’ll have a certain array of chords, a specific mood or feeling, or just some vague concept of lyrics that I want to start with. After several hours of playing through different chords, I try to come up with a loose progression that I can start attaching a melody and lyrics into. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will record instrument tracks, building the song up by experimenting with different instruments and effects. Lastly, I write out my lyrics and record and rerecord my vocal tracks until I’m happy with what I’ve got.
Kate chilling in her cabin at the Flathead Lake Bio Station
What keeps you returning to this subject, body of work?
Ever since I was young, I’ve been captured by the way that music can bring to the surface all sorts of emotions and vulnerabilities. I was lucky to have access to music lessons at an early age,and the support to pursue my interest in learning new instruments. After deciding to quit taking formal piano lessons, I taught myself acoustic guitar in my bedroom at age sixteen, and wrote a pretty sappy love song that I was really proud of. This opened up a whole new world for me, beyond the classical piano music I was used to, and helped to demonstrate to me that music was about self-expression, not perfection or complexity. I continue to write songs today because it helps me understand and process the world around me, and allows me to move through emotions and say what I need to say.
Kate and her instruments at the Flathead Lake Bio Station
Any new projects in the works?
Right now I am in the middle of writing and recording three new songs for a winter EP that I hope to release in late February/early March. Since completing my residency, I’ve picked up a new instrument (banjo!) and am staying busy learning how to play it. I’ve also been collaborating with other musicians and seeking out opportunities to practice my live performing.
Image taken by Kate during her residency
Like to hear more from Kate? Visit her SoundCloud www.soundcloud.com/katels
