Introducing The Emerging Pop-Punk Superstar… SOUNDR

If you’re looking for a new alt-rock/pop-punk artist to listen then look no further SOUNDR is for you. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, the young talent – also known as Katherine Thomas – fell in love with music at an early age. Her childhood was filled with an array of artists and genres that included Queen, AC/DC, Shania Twain and Avril Lavigne. Throughout high school, her love for music evolved and the songstress soon found herself creating her own material. In 2016, the young talent officially debuted onto the scene with her single ‘Beside You’ with Rameses B. Over the years, she continued to work with renowned electronic producers like MitiS, Steam Punk and more.

Fast forward to 2021 and SOUNDR has released three solo tracks that have expertly crafted her unique sound. Her latest single ‘Dumb Dumb’ is a testament to her talent and showcases her dynamic lyrical skills. Although the song discusses relationship issues, it’s more than just a breakup song. Alongside its romantic background, the singer-songwriter empowers music listeners to fight for themselves and their happiness in any life situation. With her new single making the rounds, her upcoming EP release and growing fan base, SOUNDR is showing no signs of slowing down. We were able to chat with alternative pop maverick about everything from her musical awakening, her single ‘Dumb Dumb’ and so much more. Read the full interview below.

Heya SOUNDR! Thank you for sitting down with us! 

Thanks so much for having me! 

We are officially at the end of summer (can you believe it?) How has this year been treating you? 

I can’t believe it!  It feels like this year has flown by in just a few seconds! 

It’s been an interesting year. So much growth… Both as an artist and a human. I wrote so many songs and worked with loads of really talented people. And in my personal life, I really dove into healing and being vulnerable with myself and others. It’s been a very productive year.

Congratulations on dropping your brand new single ‘DUMB DUMB’, absolutely fantastic! Can you take us through the creative process for the record production? 

Thank you! It was a lot of fun to create. I knew I wanted to go back to my roots and write a pop-punk track. I had a pretty solid idea of where I wanted to go lyrically, and my producer Stetson took my ideas/direction and ran with it. The instrumental is perfect – it really matches and enhances the energy of the vocals. In writing the vocals for DUMB DUMB, I wanted to write a more anthemic song, something people could sing along to, ya know? Everyone has been in similar situations like the one I talk about, and it just feels good when you find that one song that matches what you’re going through, and you can drive around singing along at the top of your lungs. I loved going back to singing/performing in this genre. Pop-punk is where I initially fell in love with writing and performing. So creating DUMB DUMB felt like coming home. 

The track is also such an anthem to self-love and empowerment. Was there a specific moment that inspired the creation of the single? 

Several moments/stories were the inspiration behind it – It took me a lot of years to grow into the place of self-love and acceptance that I’m in now… And I still am growing in that regard every day! But because I struggled so much to love myself previously, I found myself in some really difficult situations where I was very mistreated or hurt because I had a hard time moving on from things that weren’t right for me. I think we all have to unlearn thought patterns and behaviours that are ingrained in us as children. If we don’t have real self-love and a healthy love of others modelled for us early on, it creates problems as a teen and adult. So I guess this song is about that – finally learning that you’re worth being treated and loved right, and moving on from things that hurt you. Which is very empowering! 

We have got to talk about the track’s accompanying video. First of all, were you able to keep the giant teddy bear? Second! What type of theme or goal did you have for the visual? 

Yep! The Teddy Bear lives with me now. It just might keep making appearances. 😉

I knew I wanted the video to be playful. The giant bear was actually the first part of the concept I had in mind. I wanted to allude to the subject matter of the song without outright showing it – which is where the scenes of me interacting with the bear come into play. I also knew I wanted the video to feel removed from the everyday normal world visually – Dreamscapes (the location we shot at) was so great for that. It felt like we were shooting in this fantasy world. Which was perfect. It was a lot of fun to create. I’ve always loved being in a band and going back to that felt very natural. I’m confident there will be more full-band videos in my future. 

I would love to take it back a bit to your music origins. When would you say was your musical awakening? 

Very interesting question! Do you mean when did I start enjoying music or when did I know I wanted music to be my career?

I fell in love with the music world really young. My dad was very into 80s rock. So I grew up listening to lots of Boston, Queen, AC/DC, Aerosmith, etc. and my Mom loved a lot of different styles of music – Avril Lavigne, Shania Twain, Nickelback, etc. We were always listening to music whatever we were doing as a family. So I think the love for it was ingrained very early. 

I knew I wanted music to be my career in my teens. But even before that, as early as kindergarten I loved singing. I just don’t think the concept of music being a career sunk in until later. In high school, I got a taste of performing live shows and the writing/recording process and fell in love. I had been writing on my own for a few years, recording demos on my iPhone of just me and my guitar and posting to SoundCloud for practically no one to hear. But when I started spending time with some kids at my school that were in a punk band, it kind of jump-started my desire to really learn how to share the worlds I saw in my head with the world. Really since probably sophomore year of high school I’ve been dead set on this path. 

Growing up, was there a specific artist or record that spoke to your soul creativity?

I always loved listening to the bands my parents loved growing up. But I don’t think I was really deeply moved and inspired by a record or artist until I started listening to The Spill Canvas and The Used.  Those are my two all-time favourite bands. I still listen to them often. But as a teenager starting to figure out how I wanted to write, how I wanted to portray my stories, those bands were highly influential. I love how blatantly they wrote about things. Even delicate or sensitive subject matters, they just said it in a blunt but beautiful way. I wanted to do that. I wanted to tell the painful stories I had in a beautiful way. To learn how to transform it into something meaningful.

Since debuting in 2017, how has SOUNDR changed as an artist? 

Oh my gosh… so much! Vocally I have grown a lot. I’ve been pushing myself and was ‘coached’ by some really awesome artists. I have found a new confidence in my voice as well as more technical ability. My songwriting has also grown drastically. I think writing for my own project actually brought out a lot of that. I was able to say exactly what I wanted to say, which was encouraging when it comes to being able to technically sing. I also would definitely say the move away from exclusively doing EDM toplines was a big (but necessary) change. I’ve always been more inclined towards alternative music so creating in that genre now feels so great. 

But the biggest change has come with my growth as a human being. I am confident in my path and the process of creating. I don’t have this almost desperate desire for success that I had when I was younger. I love creating. And however long it takes to reach my goals, I’m at peace with it. It’s all about the journey. 

Looking ahead, can fans expect an EP or album from you soon? 

Yes! So soon. 🙂 The end of this month actually! It’s kind of nerve-racking how soon that is… I’m excited and nervous and proud and a lot of things all at once. Which is exactly how I think I should feel releasing a larger collection of songs. 

It is a poignant EP for me. It moves through a lot of the emotions I experienced over the past year and before. It’s also comprised of several genres. I hadn’t originally set out to write an EP… But after creating so many songs, it felt like a natural move to release some of them as a collection. I think it’s a great representation of me as a human being and an artist. There are also some moments that are very unexpected of me, which I thoroughly love. I’m excited for it to be out into the world’s hands. 

How would you describe the project in five words or less?

Vulnerable, clever, fierce, introspective, duality 

Make sure to tune into Soundr’s latest single ‘DUMB DUMB’ below and listen to it here.