Katie DeMartini
Singer/songwriter Katie DeMartini revealed her latest single “mean to me” early June. Co-written with Victoria Marchlewski and produced by David Baker, the single explores how romantic relationships can alter the way we view ourselves.
With emotional vocals and poignant storytelling, DeMartini unveils a stunning record that warrants love and attention.
With more music on the way, DeMartini continues to deliver heartfelt records.
“mean to me” is out now !
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to a lot of music my dad loved, but also listening to a lot of pop music that was mainstream during that time. I remember the first time I heard “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac and it genuinely changed my perspective on music for good.
When did you know you could sing?
I honestly always knew i had the passion for singing. I absolutely adored singing in my room, singing in choir, or singing along to my favorite movies. I loved movie musicals and would sit in front of the screen and sing along as if I was apart of the movie. I really knew I could sing when my choir/music teachers would encourage me for solos or voice lessons when I was in elementary school.
At what point did you know music was more than just hobby? When did you know it was time for you to release your original music?
In high school I noticed a huge shift in my interests. I’ve always been obsessed with writing in any capacity. I’ve loved poetry and storytelling since I was a little girl but hadn’t really merged the two until high school. I was in musical theater throughout high school but never really felt I fit in. I started really taking songwriting seriously my sophomore year of high school and never looked back.
What did you learn about yourself (and as an artist) after releasing your very first single "Stupid" in 2022?
I learned to take my time with my music. I felt such a rush to finish and release this single because I was so excited for people to see what I had made, so i ended up with a product I didn’t wholeheartedly love. I’m still so proud of what i had accomplished at 17 but looking back, I feel if I had taken more time with it I would be more satisfied with the product in the long run.
"mean to me" is your latest single - what's the story/inspiration behind this single?
This single means so much to me. I wrote this during a time where I was feeling completely stuck. This song is truthfully about how romantic relationships have altered the way that I view myself. Every rejection or ending to a relationship led to a spiral of self doubt, comparison, and insecurity and that’s a feeling that I think many people my age and all ages experience at some point.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process behind this single? Who helped you create it?
I wrote this song with my friend Victoria Marchlewski. I had confided in her about the things I had been feeling and she began to play a simple picking pattern on guitar and the lyrics genuinely came quickly to us. This song is slightly inspired by one of my favorite songs “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac. When we finished writing this song she said something like “I think we just wrote the song that could change your career”. I hope this song one day reaches an audience of people who can relate and cope with my music.
What's your favorite lyric on "mean to me"?
“Wonder what he thought of me if he saw something in somebody nothing like me”
Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morrisette
Older - Lizzy Mcalpine
Stranger in the Alps - Phoebe Bridgers
This is What It Feels Like - Gracie Abrams
What does music make you feel?
Music makes me feel free. I’ve never been good at voicing how I feel on an everyday basis, but something about writing and singing about each complicated emotion truly makes me feel free.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
“Be a person who still tries”. I’ve failed time and time again but I live everyday trying to be a person who still tries. It’s so easy to give into frustration and self doubt especially in this industry, but I’m so driven and confident in the music that i’m making that I will keep trying and putting my all into everything that I do.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
I think a big life lesson I have learned is to not waste my time. I spent so much of my life worrying about minuscule things like my appearance, or boys, or school, and wasted my time instead of living in the moment and embracing the worries and the failures and imperfections of being a human being trying to figure things out along with everyone else.
In your opinion, what would make the world a BETTER place?
Kindness, Empathy, and Understanding will make the world a better place. The most beautiful thing about humanity is how different we all are from each other and I think if we take more time to celebrate what makes us unique instead of trying to fit everyone into a box, I think that will make our world a happier and more peaceful place.
What can we expect to hear/see next?
A big project I’ve been working on!!! I have been writing so much music i’m so incredibly proud of and i am getting ready to record this big project this July. I am so ridiculously proud of this project because most of these songs were written individually by me and it displays the immense growth over these past few years. I have taken a lot of inspiration from the classics and also mainstream artists today to create my own body of work and I am so incredibly excited to share it with the world this year!!!
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