Conversations with Katie Yeager

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Yeager.

Katie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
So much of who I am as an artist is tied to who I am as a fan. I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, and after becoming a die-hard Hannah Montana fan as a child, I knew I wanted to be a rock star. I then began songwriting in high school after becoming a One Direction fan and decided to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter.

I attended CU Denver’s singer/songwriter program and grew so much as a musician. I became a part of such a supportive community, learned about my interest in contemporary music academia, and met so many amazing collaborators there. For example, I met my Children of Divorce bandmates – Finn O’Sullivan and Genevieve Libien – at CU Denver. We bonded over how being fans shaped us as musicians (hence our band name is inspired by Harry Styles and Taylor Swift).

I also recorded my first EP “Adeline” while at CU Denver. I’m now working on continuing to perform, write, and record (the singer/songwriter holy trilogy) in the Denver area.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It can sometimes be difficult to envision a life in the arts if you don’t have anyone in your life who is in that field. The path is very unclear, and there are a million different ways to go where you want to go. I had a period as a child in between my Hannah Montana dreams and my One Direction inspiration where I figured it was unrealistic to want to be a musician.

I know it sounds strange to go from a 10-year-old who thinks being a musician is an impractical career choice to an 18-year-old who decided to study music in college, but it can be scary to leap if you don’t know where you’re going to land. That’s why I’m so grateful for my time at CU Denver and why I’m so passionate about helping younger musicians find the same path that CU showed me.

You honestly can do it. And you can do it your way; there’s no one right answer. Just surround yourself with people who are doing the damn thing and do the damn thing yourself. That’s what I would tell my younger self, and that’s what I’d tell any person who loves music but is unsure of how to go about it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a singer/songwriter. I write, record, and perform original music as well as covers. I work as a solo artist and also with my trio, Children of Divorce. I’m also passionate about contemporary music scholarship and hope to become a professor someday. I have a podcast about George Harrison called “Apple Scruffs” and I have an EP released called “Adeline.” I write a lot from the perspective of a fan, and I think that helps me both stand out from others and find my people.

I appreciate the reciprocity of music – the ability to be a fan and an artist, to be someone who takes and someone who gives. I’m proud of how choosing music has shaped me as an artist and as a person. I’m my most authentic self when I’m working as a musician, and that’s helped me form such strong and lasting connections with others who chose music, too.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We now live in a time where no one needs to permit you to make music. Major labels are still certainly big players in the game, but you don’t need them to record an album or go on tour. You also can be as self-sufficient as you, please. You can be your producer, your writer, your manager… if that’s what you want. There are also so many “and”s in music. Most people are not just one thing, and I think that’s exciting. You get to try on different hats and have multiple income streams.

However, I think we might see more and more people trying to collaborate as much as they can. I felt like the pandemic made me excited to work with other artists rather than staying holed up in my room alone making music. Technology helps us be more and more independent, but it doesn’t replace that human element that so many of us crave in collaboration.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katieyeagermusic.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieyeagermusic.x/?hl=en
• Other: https://linktr.ee/katieyeagermusic

Image Credits
Kaitlyn McDaniel, Pedro Urbina, Sydney Yllanes, Misha Kline, and Isabella Kappel