Kate Reuter's debut album "Affairs of the Heart" is an acoustic album that tells the intimate tale of self-discovery, passion, and love with angelic vocals, enchanting harmonies, and graceful guitar-playing delivered in a soothing indie style. A brief note about Kate: Kate is an emerging folk/pop singer-songwriter who debuted in 2012 with “Affairs of the Heart”, a love and relationship-inspired album that explores a myriad of emotions through melodic vocals, graceful guitar-playing, and intimate lyrics delivered with a soothing indie style. Although she has been singing since childhood, she found real solace in music during a period of emotional struggle and discovery in her twenties. During that time, the stripping away of material things gave way to an intense desire and affinity for songwriting, and helped her cope with adversity in her life. “Affairs of the Heart” is the product of that transformative personal journey and tells the tale of self-discovery, passion, and love. She currently resides in FL with her husband and two young daughters, where she continues her musical pursuits. COMPLETE BIO: Kate Reuter (pronounced ROO - der), is an emerging folk/pop singer-songwriter from Florida. She is a mother of two girls, a wife, a miscarriage survivor, and a cancer survivor. Kate debuted in 2012 with the album “Affairs of the Heart”, a love and relationship-inspired album that explores a myriad of emotions through melodic vocals, graceful guitar-playing, and intimate lyrics delivered with a soothing indie style. Although music was a memorable part of her childhood, she reached a crossroads in her twenties that brought it from the backdrop to center stage. Picking up a guitar for the first time at age 26, she set out to change her course and “Affairs of the Heart” was born. At 21, she graduated college with a Marketing degree and was headed for success in the corporate world. She obtained a lucrative position in the pharmaceutical industry and was that well-dressed, smiling ‘pharma rep’ you see driving a nice car to doctors’ offices all over town. It looked like she had it all. However, there was an emptiness inside of her soul. While she had a nice house, a good job, and the love of people around her, there was a nagging feeling that something was missing, something big, and she was determined to figure it out. She quit her job, sold her stuff, and began to peel away the layers of her identity to expose the void. After a tumultuous journey of soul-searching, she discovered the missing piece to her life through music. She had always loved singing as a form of expression, but it was mainly as a hobby. However, that year, the profound impact it had on her healing changed her outlook, and how she viewed her hobby. The fusion of lyrics and melody provided clarity, and songwriting became her vessel for self-expression. She spent all of her free time learning about songwriting and listening to other musicians craft their own stories through live music. She absorbed every ounce of musicianship that she could, and started overlaying guitar chords and melodies with the writings in her personal journal. She bought her first guitar (a ‘Taylor’, which now shares the name with her first-born daughter), and shortly thereafter wrote the song ‘Joy’, which tells the story of this self-discovery. “Joy” along with six other original songs comprise her debut album, “Affairs of the Heart” (Hideaway Recording Studios 2012), which “feels like a high quality, live performance” and leaves you “with everything you need to fall in (or out of) love all over again” (Backline Music Group). Kate’s work that year earned her the honor of runner-up for “Best Local Singer-Songwriter” (Creative Loafing ‘Best of the Bay 2012’) and the opportunity to join songwriter Justin Young (bandmate and fiance of Colbie Caillat) on a Tampa concert stage for the song duet “Puzzle Pieces” during his tour with Trevor Hall and Anuhea. One year after the release of “Affairs of the Heart”, Kate was diagnosed with Melanoma while pregnant with her first daughter. It was at this point that she decided to take a break from music and focus on her health and her family. While it was a difficult decision to step back from her passion, it was also the right choice for Kate. Despite that life-changing diagnosis, she gave birth to a healthy girl in 2013, and a second daughter in 2015. She remains cancer-free now over three years later. While her family is extremely important to Kate, the call of her passion has been getting louder, and she has exciting plans for her musical pursuits in 2017 with new songs in development and recording time in the studio underway. More information about Kate Reuter can be found at http://www.KateReuter.com. PRESS/REVIEWS: “Kate Reuter’s debut album Affairs of the Heart is a perfect blend of acoustic coffee house and indie influences. With her sultry voice, Kate pulls out the emotional stops with songs about love, dreams, and passion. The well-produced cd (Hideaway Recording Studios) feels like a high-quality, live performance. Well-arranged songs with articulate acoustic guitar picking and strumming leave you with everything you need to fall in (or out of) love all over again.” -Keith Koehler, CFO Backline Music Group (July 25, 2012) Full Artist Interview by Muzime (July 22, 2012): Kate Reuter is an artist with a story that fuels her musical passions. Stripping down material things and starting again was the brink of her soul-searching and her music career. Her new album, Affairs of the Heart, describes all kinds of love that people can easily connect with and groove to. Anna: What is your name? Kate: Kate Reuter, but my given name is Katie. Anna: What instruments do you play? Kate: Acoustic guitar. I played piano for a few years as a kid, but not now. Anna: Where are you from? Kate: Originally from Dunedin, FL. I am currently in St. Petersburg, FL. My family moved to NJ when I was 9. I was raised mostly up there, and then I moved back down to Florida to finish college at the University of Tampa. Anna: How long have you been playing/singing/performing? Kate: Not that long. I started playing guitar and songwriting in 2007. I pretty much discovered music when I went through major life changes. I left a high-paying job that I was not happy in, and left a relationship I was in at the time and also let go of a lot of things that I owned in my life, like my house. I stripped down all these layers of stuff that weren’t really making me happy. Something was missing, and I was determined to find out what that was. I did some soul-searching in 2007. I also met some interesting people during that time; many of who were musicians. They re-introduced me to music and to songwriting and guitar playing. I started exploring music when I went through that period of my life and I was singing at open-mic nights. At one point I picked up a guitar and a friend started teaching me. Shortly after that I wrote my first song, Joy, which is on my album now. It describes the turmoil I was going through but highlights the self-discovery that came out of that. Anna: How often do you practice? Kate: In a period right now where I am inspired and motivated to grow as an artist. I have committed to myself to pick up the guitar every single day for at least a couple of hours. I’ve not had any long-term formal coaching in singing or guitar, so I pretty much taught myself or learned from other musicians. I’m ready to take it to the next level. I am so inspired right now. Anna: What is your favorite thing to write about? Kate: Life experiences, relationships and love. My album is primarily about falling in or out of love, and about self-love, too. I generally write about things I’m experiencing, like in 2007. Anna: Tell me about your musical aspirations. Kate: I did not have any formal aspirations until recently, when I decided to pursue music full-time at the beginning of 2012. I left my corporate job in February and began working on my album. The album is out so now so I’m ready to grow and refine my direction as an artist. Anna: Have you always been a solo artist? Kate: I primarily perform solo, however, I am also looking into some additional options. I’ve been looking at a duo with a friend named Luke Andrews. He and I recently started collaborating a few months ago and have played a few shows together. I love harmony. That is my favorite thing to do musically. That, I’ve been doing since I was a little kid. Anna: What is your new album called? Kate: Affairs of the Heart. It’s another way of describing love, which is what the album primarily represents. Anna: When was it released? Kate: Affairs of the Heart will be officially released to the public for purchase next Friday, July 27th and will be celebrated with a CD release party that evening at Hideaway Café & Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, FL. Anna: Did you have any problems that you had to deal with while making your album? How did you overcome it? Kate: (starts with a chuckle) Not being so hard on myself in the studio. I am somewhat of a perfectionist. I had to learn to be able to be easier on myself and produce something ‘real’ and natural for me. Anna: How long did it take you to complete your new album? Kate: Since I started working on it full time - about six months. I started in February and it was complete and sent off in July. The first 2 songs I ever recorded I did back in 2009. That was as far as I got because of my day job getting in the way. I re-recorded some of the original recordings. Anna: What upcoming shows do you have? Kate: The CD release party is the springboard for what’s to come. I do have a couple things in the works that may be prior to the party. I plan on playing a couple promotional CD parties in St. Pete and wherever else. I hope my promotion around the cd release will help fuel the energy around my work and lead to even more opportunities. Anna: Have you had a hard time getting your music listened to? How did you overcome it? Kate: I have been pleasantly surprised by the support I’ve received from the musician community and friends and family, which has been wonderful. It’s too early to tell what type of response I will get from the album. I guess I am about to find out how difficult it may be. Anna: How often do you perform? Kate: Averaging two to three times a month. The big thing for me is that it’s most important to me that I pursue this with a focus on my original music. I am careful to not fall into the routine of playing cover gigs at bars 4 times a week because I don‘t want to get jaded about the industry or bitter, either. It feels most right to me to do fewer performances and focus on the promotion of my original music. Anna: How would you describe your sound/genre? Kate: Most people tell me that I remind them of other artists like Jewel or Colbie Caillat. In terms of the genre, I am definitely acoustic; maybe pop-folk would be the best way to describe it. Anna: Do you have a record deal or are you on a label? Kate: I am currently unsigned. The producer I worked with was John Kelly. He did the album with me in the studio, but I have no record label or management company at this time. Anna: Do you have any heroes or people who encouraged you a lot along the way? Kate: In the last few years and since I started pursuing this, my husband, Paul, has been amazing in his support of my music. Also, there were lots of musicians and friends that guided me along the way and who encouraged me to pick up the guitar or to sing more. Anna: Describe the image you try to project. Kate: It’s hard to answer that, especially when it comes to performing live. Performing can be so intense that it’s impossible to project something that I am not. In face-to-face interactions, I generally come across as personable, friendly, somewhat introverted, but I’d say what I’ve discovered about myself in this whole process of pursuing music is that I have strong undercurrent of creativity and passion for music. I believe that comes out in my songwriting and on stage. I’m a little bit shy so being on stage is difficult for me. One of my biggest challenges is performing live. Anna: Describe the best performance you’ve ever given. Kate: This past weekend I sang in front of my largest audience. I was with Justin Young singing Colbie Caillat’s part of Justin’s duet Puzzle Pieces when he opened for Trevor Hall. That was a great feeling, not only because the audience was so supportive, but also because I was sharing the stage with musicians that inspire me. It was honor to be invited as a guest to sing the duet with Justin. Anna: How did the crowd’s feedback feel? Kate: Wonderful. I had friends cheering me on. When I got off stage the number of new fans who came up to me and complimented me was unexpected. The support was astounding. Anna: Do you ever get nervous to perform? Kate: Every time. The people that come with me to every show, they know it, my hands shake and my heart beats fast every time. It’s stage fright. It’s my biggest hurdle. Sometimes it doesn’t go away until I’m off the stage, but I’m trying to manage it better. If you let it consume you, you won’t perform optimally. Getting stage experience is important, as well as having some awareness and managing it. Anna: What makes you want to make music? Kate: Life changes in 2007 inspired me to translate my thoughts and emotions into self-expression through songwriting. What makes me want to continue doing it is the response I get from listeners and fans. Hearing feedback from listeners that they’ve connected to one of my songs or seeing emotion in someone’s eyes when listening to me is powerful. To see that people relate to what I write about and the music I produce, that is so gratifying. Anna: How do you write your songs? Kate: Typically, the lyrics come first. I think because at this stage I’ve been more of a writer for majority of my life than a guitar player. The lyrics and melody come first, and then I do guitar to follow. Anna: How do you stand out in the music world? Kate: I’m so new I’m trying to figure that out. I’m ready to grow as an artist. I’m really interested in finding my own artistic direction at this point. This album is a starting point, it’s only the beginning. I’m interested to see how my musicianship evolves. I do have a musician friend/mentor who has said to me “Whatever IT is, Kate, you’ve got IT.” He’s talking about the quality that fans appreciate and that will help me be successful as an artist. Anna: What is the best thing about being a musician? Kate: Seeing how people connect to my music. Also, an exciting pursuit right now is collaborating with other musicians and co-writing songs. Anna: The worst thing? Kate: Having writer’s block, wanting to write more but not being able to just get it out. The lyrics or music isn’t coming. Being creatively stuck. - Anna July 22, 2012