Singer and songstress Katy McAllister has impressed fans all over the world with her lively vocals and meaningful songs. Her fans love her so much, they funded her debut album!
Like many other aspiring musicians, Katy moved from Denver, Colorado, to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue her dreams. It seems those dreams are coming true!
Her social pages are full of thankful words from fans who have been inspired by her music.
“It’s amazing to hear that my words have affected even just one person, and even more amazing to hear that I’ve actually been able to change a lift by writing out my feelings,” Katy said. “I hope that instead of people thinking my songs are depressing, they can take something more away, like that somebody else out there goes through the same things and feels the same way and they’re not alone in that.”
Songwriting doesn’t have rules, according to Katy. It’s a process that’s constantly changing.
“Usually the lyrics come first and the music comes later,” Katy explained. “Sometimes it all comes at once.”
Katy said that sometimes, a cell phone can be the perfect songwriting tool.
“If I hear an inspiring word or topic or think of a phrase, I’ll text it to myself and go back once I’m at the piano.”
Katy’s mother taught her and all of her sisters how to play the piano, and her father was in a country band in Dallas called “The Silver Dollar Band” before Katy and her sisters were born.
“She’s an amazing pianist,” Katy said of her mother. As for her father, “He’s been writing, playing and singing his whole life. He’s an absolutely amazing fiddle player.”
Katy started her musical life when she was three or four when she learned how to play the piano. She’s been singing all of her life, and was in choir for 10 years.
“[I] started songwriting when I was 15 after my first big ‘heartbreak’,” Katy said.
Despite all she’s achieved, she wouldn’t say that she’s gotten a “big break.”
“I think that every artist knows that you never stop pursuing a goal or striving for something more,” she said. “To me, it’s impossible to reach an ultimate goal in music. There’s always the next big thing you could be doing and working harder on, more you could be writing.”
Singer-songwriter/record producer Tyler Ward introduced Katy to the world of YouTube world and showed her the ropes. She said his help helped her gain fans and followers, but there’s always more she can achieve.
“I have continued to work hard to make it to the next step,” Katy said.
Last year, Katy started a Kickstarter initiative to fund her first album.
“The first Kickstarter I saw was Alex Goot’s,” she said. “At first I wasn’t okay with just asking people for money. Then I watched his and he explained the process well enough for me to realize, hey this is a great idea and you’re not just asking people for money, you’re giving rewards back.”
Katy considered the month a stressful time, but she surpassed her $15,000 goal within a month.
“I was so relieved when I reached the goal but either way, I’m grateful to have enough people in my life and enough supporters to reach that goal,” she said. “I’m happy to even be able to make a single dime doing what I love to do.”
The album she made with the Kickstarter funds was called “Take Me Away.”
“I’ve gotten great feedback from “Take My Away” and very positive messages!” Katy said. “I’ve been working on some of those songs for years so I’m happy to finally be able to share them with the world.”
What would be Katy’s dream collaboration?
“That’s a tough question, there are way too many people out there to choose from,” Katy responded. “Kacey Musgraves is an amazing songwriter, I would love to write with her. Also, I was just introduced to Steve Moakler in Nashville and watched him play at a writer’s round. I loved his writing style and his voice, I would love to write with him.”
Katy has come a long way from just singing covers on YouTube. In her future, she promised “Lots and lots of new music, maybe even someone else singing a song of mine on the radio one day!”
Curious to hear Katy McAllister’s music? Check her out on: