We speak to KAP aka Katie Anderson Price, winner of the Future Sound of Nottingham award

How did you get into making music?
I grew up in a very musical family. My older brother used to play in bands and is an amazing guitarist. I’m always so angry at him because he just doesn’t play in more. I’m always saying, ‘Bro, join the band!’

I actually started off singing in a wedding band. I went across the UK and Spain and was doing gigs like that. I started to think that I wanted to record and write my own things. It was after my first heart-break – that’s what got me into songwriting. I went to a vocal coach, doing vocal training and working on writing songs. And then I ended up starting my recording career in Bristol.

How did that come about?
I was kind of known as a dancer back in the day! I did dance at college and I did a couple of music videos. There was one time when the artist’s music video didn’t come out, but their manager saw a video of me singing and invited me down to Bristol to get me in a room with some producers. So I thought, ‘Why not, it’s a long way but let’s take the plunge.’ I took the first song I ever wrote and made it into a full song with production… I was working with other musicians, singers and songwriters, and kind of getting to know what the industry was all about.

But you did return to Nottingham of course…
Yes, after Covid I came back to Nottingham and started recording at Deeper Than Roots studios in Hockley with a guy called Kevin Thomson, aka Origin One. He’s an amazing producer. I started recording there and also working with Gaz Frost, who also goes by Congi. I’d definitely say it was he who brought me out of my shell and gave me confidence to make my sound my own.

You’ve had quite a journey since then! Tell us a bit more about that…
I started writing more of my own songs and that’s then when I released my first single and got my first BBC Introducing play. It was being at the studios that really honed me as a creative. It was nice working with other people, and they also did everything to build me up and give me trust and faith in the process that I was doing.

I started doing gigs around Nottingham, trying to get myself out and about, and sing as much as I could. And, I started to learn how to actually write a song properly. I was writing songs, but felt like I wasn’t putting enough effort and time into thinking: “OK, every line, I want it to mean something, and I want it to have a message that gets across to people.”

You released your debut EP, The Pieces, in March. What were you trying to say to people through that record?
A lot of people say that I’ve done a lot for my age and been through a lot of things. As a woman in the industry, there’s a lot of things that happen, especially when you’re younger and naïve to things and people around you. I just wanted to share the story that I’ve been through in hopes that it might help other people, or inspire other people to believe in themselves – even if it’s not in a musical sense.

How would you define your sound and message now?
It’s R&B with a bit of a UK-garage fusion, I’d say. There’s a song from my EP called Taste which is a bit of a mixture of both. The drums take influence from garage, but the melodies are influenced by R&B. I grew up listening to all sorts of music, from The Who and Foo Fighters, to Beyoncé, so I like to fuse things and try to make my own sound.

I like a heartbreak song, and a love song. There are a lot of things I write about that might sound like a romantic interest, but a lot of the music I write is about my upbringing and my family, and the experiences I’ve been through there. I like to write so that people can relate to it in different ways, whether it’s a romantic relationship or a sibling relationship… One thing I’ve learnt from life is relationships can be hard at times but you can always pull through in the end. I like to tell that story.

What part has Nottingham played in shaping you as an artist?
There are so many incredible artists, singers, bands – everyone’s got their own journey and story to tell, but everyone supports each other. Everyone wants each other to win. I’ve met so many different types of people… they helped me navigate life, in a way, and navigate the music industry within Nottingham. 

Your gig at Rock City for Dot To Dot came about through winning the Future Sound Of Nottingham competition. How did that feel?
It was my song One in a Million that I entered into the competition. I started writing that song a couple of years ago, about my partner that I’m with now. I kept it to myself and then one day I decided to show it to Gaz at Deeper Than Roots. He’s heard the best and worst takes in the studio, and he said, ‘This is a really good song. You can feel that’s your sound.’

Then when it got played on BBC Radio 1xtra, I thought, ‘OK, maybe this time it could work for Future Sound Of Nottingham!’ I was at work, it was a bad day, really stressful, and then I got this notification that said I’d won. I love music, and no matter if I get played on Radio 1 or not, it’s a big aspect of my life – kind of like therapy for me. But as soon as I saw I got the win it reaffirmed for me: ‘Just keep going, keep doing what you’re doing and doing what you love, and it will pay off.’

What was your approach to the Rock City gig?
A lot of it was about mental prep too: I kept envisioning myself stepping on the stage, and how I was going to calm my nerves so I could do the best performance. It was the biggest show I’d done, and a lifelong dream. I’ve been to Rock City since I was a kid, and to know that I would actually be playing there… you really can do anything if you put your mind to it and work hard. I say stay consistent – you don’t have to do something every day and burn yourself out – but the consistency of having time to perfect your craft but also having downtime. Don’t be hard on yourself, but take the time you need.

Listen to KAP via Spotify.

@itskapkap