KATE BOND

NAT GREENER TALKS TO THE SOULFUL POP ARTIST ABOUT HER ENTICING BRAND OF FEISTY ‘FUCK YOU SOUL’

Founder and trailblazer of the sub genre ‘fuck you soul’, Kate Bond is a Yorkshire girl who found the North East as her home away from home. Taking musical influence from her punk rocker mum and jazz musician dad, her melodic upbringing sculpted an indulgent sound which seeps with mind-stroking tendencies of neo-soul soundscapes.

Having described her music as an “angsty exploration of women’s true desires”, Kate Bond was elected as one of BBC Introducing’s tips for 2022, and with the year drawing to a close she’s set to make waves with the much anticipated release of new track Divide & Rule, which is also the title song of her upcoming EP.

Her music is shaped by the relationships around her, and Kate explains the wholesome situation that incorporated the phrase ‘divide and rule’ into a song idea: “The tune was inspired by a ‘wine mum moment’ when watching emotive yet frustrating headlines unfold on the television.” Her mum shouted ‘it’s divide and rule’ at the news, cementing a feminist inspiration for Kate to build from.

An underlying political sentiment is nothing new for Kate Bond and her musical career. A founding member of North East Women in Soul Music (NEWISM) and regular representative for women in the industry, Kate Bond’s last release, We Just Want To Be Loved, was a moving homage to survivors of the rape culture in UK universities.

I’M HOPING TO MAKE A CONNECTION WITH DIVIDE & RULE

“I’m hoping to make a connection with Divide & Rule,” she explains, and it becomes evident there is another layer to her music. An easy-listening sound, her new track swells with sparkling synths and vintage reverbs, marrying old-school soul and modern pop in a unique partnership. Creating a community and safe space with her music, Kate emphasises her excitement for 2023 when talking about playing her new works to an audience: “I miss gigs. At the moment, I’m doing one a month… I used to gig all the time – too much if anything!”

Earlier this year Kate relocated from the North to inner city life in London. Despite the statement of a big move, she expressed it wasn’t without its troubles and described the early days of settling into a new environment and a job doing corporate admin as challenging, and feeling stifled by a lack of creativity. Totally unafraid to stride clear of the status quo, she broadened her horizons and settled into a new job in a music school – a much more fitting atmosphere for her talent!

While she may be prepared to show London what she’s got, she’s also keen to remind the North East of what we have missed, and she’s planning a return to Newcastle for Boiler Shop’s Smoove & Turrell Bros. Circus show on Saturday 17th and the Peevie Wonders’ Christmas Celebration at The Cluny on Tuesday 20th December.

Kate Bond releases Divide & Rule EP on 3rd February. She plays Boiler Shop, Newcastle on Saturday 17th and The Cluny on Tuesday 20th December. www.facebook.com/katebondmusic