We’re looking forward to introducing you to Katie Buxton. Check out our conversation below.
Katie, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Currently I’m spending a few months on a farm animal sanctuary in New South Wales, Australia so I’m surrounded by so much cool stuff, like kangaroos, wombats, and rescued baby lambs bouncing around outside my window. It’s honestly heaven!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Katie, I’m an alt pop singer/songwriter with a passion for personal growth, and I think that shines through in my music. I would describe my lyrics as honest and confronting, while simultaneously being hopeful and optimistic, and paired with infectious melodies. My last album was a heartbreak album, but the music I have coming out is fun, super catchy, and uplifting.
I’m grew up on the east coast, went to college for music in Nashville, and have gotten to tour around the U.S., playing festivals and opening for some awesome artists like John Paul White of the Civil Wars and Nicholas Petricca of Walk the Moon.
A few years ago I went viral for singing to farm animals. I had started playing music for some farm animals that I was caring for at a sanctuary, and discovered that some of them loved music! Some of their reactions were incredible. I started sharing videos of those moments and they touched so many people, and for a lot it made them see animals in a completely new light, too. I think it helped a lot of people realize how similar they are to us.
The videos reached millions of people, including big names I’d known since childhood. I landed a feature on The Dodo which was so awesome, and the videos were how a lot of my audience found me.
This past January, I released my sophomore album “Do You Ever Think of Me?” and am now gearing up to release a bunch of new music that I’m so excited about. It feels free, fun, colorful and catchy; one of the songs was one that went viral in a farm animal video years ago! There’s one about being a b*tch and embracing it, another about feeling ready for love the next time it comes, and another about doing what I want and flying across the world.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a weirdo! And I still am at the core of course. As a kid I could be loud and wild, but also very quiet and introspective. It was painful because I felt so misunderstood by everyone around me, especially adults. I remember always feeling like what I was wasn’t good enough. Being told to be quiet, but then being told I was too quiet. I think I just felt a lot freer and less self-conscious before the burden of opinions started weighing on me.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Ironically enough the fear of being seen has probably been the fear of mine that’s dominated the most! As a performing artist, I long to be seen and heard, but it’s also been one of my greatest challenges to find comfort within that. I’ve had to conquer a lot of stage fright, social anxiety, and self-criticism, and I’ve come such a long way but it’s a journey. Being perceived in my authentic self feels so uncomfortable sometimes, and it’s taken a ton of therapy and healing work to work through it. And I’m still figuring it out!
My goal in life is to feel safe enough to be my fullest self, without hesitation, in view of whoever’s around me. I’m highly inspired by people who embody that, and people who naturally thrive in the spotlight. It’s why I gravitate towards extroverts, because I love being around people who bring out that side of me and embrace it! Being an artist is such a weird thing when you have a fear of being perceived (or judged, I should say) because it really forces you to confront that. It’s like being pulled in two opposing directions, and trying to find harmony between both.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
A huge foundational truth for me is valuing honesty in all aspects of life – with myself, with other people, and being of high integrity. As a songwriter, it’s the place I write from always, just lyrics that are very real and raw and sometimes cutting. As a person, everything is sort of centered around honesty and truth in my life, like communication, striving to be honest with my desires, how I treat people, and general ethics. Being authentic in all aspects.
Another truth for me is growth, like actively pursuing it and knowing that every experience we have is an opportunity to grow into a more evolved version of ourselves. I definitely seek it out and think about it a lot, and at this point it’s just a way of being that’s ingrained into my soul.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Something I understand deeply is the practice of meeting pain head-on; that the way to peace and fulfillment isn’t running away from discomfort, but rather looking right at it, holding hands with it. I still experience discomfort in life all the time, but one skill I’ve honed is listening to what it has to tell me so that it doesn’t control me. I think when you run from something, you’re actually being controlled by that thing. When you keep something in the dark, it ends up heavily influencing your thoughts and actions.
For me, facing my discomfort looks like big things – for example, overcoming stage fright early in my career by saying “yes” to every show opportunity, even though nothing scared me more at the time than getting up on stage solo. I knew I had to do what terrified me to get to the other side, and I did. Or taking a chance and sending my dad a letter, telling him he had a daughter he didn’t know about (me!), and surrendering to the outcome..
But it also looks like quieter things, like noticing the moments I feel insecure – sitting with the part of me that hurts, fully feeling the extent of the pain, and soothing it however it wants to be soothed. There’s a blissful sense of freedom you unlock each time you’re able to transmute your own discomfort and let it go. When you can do that, you can do anything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katiebuxton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiebux
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatieBuxtonMusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Dicyk8W33_EIlALFVZd2Q
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@katiebux
Image Credits
Margo Renate, Candice Rose, Kylie Rebecca
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