Overview

Hello world! My name is Katt Holiday and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Makanda, Illinois.

I wasn’t born into an overly musical family, but music was pretty much always around. Some of my earliest sense memories involve being in the middle row seat of my mom’s grey Chevy Astro van looking out the window for miles, listening to r&b and oldies stations and the honky-tonk & 60’s rock my parents loved.  Equally as formative are memories of riding shotgun in my older brother’s truck listening to Primus, White Zombie or Black Sabbath.  This might sound cheesy to some people but I think my love of music started even before that. I genuinely feel like music (and the desire to be around and be a part of it) is something I have had since birth.

At three and four years old, I was having my mom build me “guitars” with kleenex box bodies, toilet paper roll necks, and rubber band strings.  That detail probably sounds like it was made up for a biopic or something, but it’s totally true.  By the time I was seven years old big sister had convinced my parents I needed a “real guitar” - so that year our Christmas Tree had an inexpensive “encore” brand acoustic under it.  By age 12 or 13th I had started my noisy garage band with some buddies, in highschool we started playing local shows and I started writing my own material - and by then there was pretty much no turning back for me. 

I have been in so many different bands and projects in so many different styles since then, it’s honestly hard to keep track of them all - but what is EASY to pinpoint is the fact that music has been my constant companion, my coping mechanism, my favorite thing to do, in all seriousness the reason I am here.  I have been making my way solely as a musician for some time, but I have come to a place in my life as an artist where the logical move is to go one step beyond and take it to the next level : a truly sustainable, lasting career.  Help me and the Plaid Dog crew put the building blocks in place!

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my first ever, professionally produced studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded album with Carter Sanders in Boston, MA. Mike is a seasoned Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Carter and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life. 

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Abandon Ship” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Abandon Ship” on my own, to create an album of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Carter and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I've put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

The success of this campaign would genuinely mean so much to me, it’s kinda hard to even put it into words - but I know that professional recordings of these new songs will be an invaluable resource to help further define my life as an artist and open new doors and opportunities for professional and personal growth.

While there is an aspect of a songwriter’s life that is necessarily solitary – music and the enjoyment and performance thereof is a collective experience.  From a young age my family gave me access and perspective on different types of music, fostering a sort of omnivorous musical and artistic appetite.  Beyond the nuclear family, on a broader community level, I live in Southern Illinois - which still feels a little like a “hidden gem” of a music/arts scene - I have known so many friends and collaborators here, played in so many projects, seen and heard countless types of music and art over the years - and been allowed to grow organically.  Without my community, without all of this connection, I would not be the artist and person I am today.  It’s been a journey, and not always an easy one - but totally worth it.  At this point there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.  I feel ready and confident enough to grow even further in building a lasting musical career. 

I hope this project creates opportunities to expand my circle of friends, collaborators, and professional contacts - but equally I hope it breeds further connection both within my existing network and community.  The single itself is already something I am proud of because of the work that we’ve done and how it’s turned out.  The whole campaign turning out to be a success would go that much further toward connecting with other people - potential venues, promoters, booking & talent agencies, and, of course, friends, fam, and people who dig what I do (or soon will!) 

So honestly, funding this project with your support would help me build real success - not only professionally but also simultaneously on a human level, and a deeper, more spiritual level as well.  Music for me is life, and a wise woman said “where there’s life, there’s hope”.

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share this page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.