Kat Hamilton Shares New Single 'Ohio'

Kat Hamilton on "Ohio:"

I wrote "Ohio" immediately after I received an email from an ex asking me to "never come back to Ohio...". I read it, cried for half an hour, and then wrote the first verse and chorus. On the surface, "Ohio" is about an angry ex. But it's more about my tendency to blame myself during conflict. I see myself as "the hurter". No matter how I'm treated or what happened, everything is still my fault. My upcoming album "Recovery Songs" is about confronting shame, blame, trauma and anger to find healing. "Ohio" is one of the songs where I grapple with the shame and blame part of my journey. Sure, there's someone in Ohio who isn't my biggest fan. We are all the villain in someone else's story. The only thing you can control is whether or not you lose yourself in that narrative. It's way easier to tell someone else F*** you, then it is to tell yourself "I got you."

Earlier this year, Hamilton released official singles "Medicine Line" and "Amnesia," out now on all platforms, and will be sharing more pre-release singles ahead of October's release. Following her five-year run as front woman of Manic Pixi, Hamilton has shifted gears to focus on creating this intimate, solo record, which tells stories of her personal struggles and experiences, and resilience. Recovery Songs is out October 30th.

Kat Hamilton is a singer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. Growing up in the Bay Area, the musician has hopped from city to city, leaving her mark in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Hamilton cleverly crafts an intimate blend of rock, pop, Americana and emo, establishing an entirely new genre.

Hamilton's career has the trajectory of a chameleon; lending her talents to pop-punk, emo, r&b, hip-hop, pop and country. She is no stranger to reinventing herself. In 2017, Hamilton ended her five-year run as the front woman of popular east-coast pop punkers, Manic Pixi, before shifting her focus to her upcoming solo album. Hamilton confides, "I was really lost, I had just gotten out of a recovery center and these songs became my way of coping".

Hence Recovery Songs was born, a nine-track album narrating resilience and depicting real life experiences of her struggle with addiction and overcoming trauma. The songstress reveals, "The music was inspired by being knocked down and getting back up. Going to the darkest places in yourself and in life and managing to make it through. I went through hell and found a way to be okay, but I like to think that this work can resonate with people who aren't in the recovery process. Anyone who's ever struggled could relate to this music". Sonically the album uses non-organic sounds and textured instrumentation to cultivate a specific and authentic atmosphere.

Produced by Allee Futterer (The Astronots), engineered by Vira Biramji (Father John Misty), mixed by Ryan Gilligan (Kevin Garrett, Solange) and mastered by Joe La Porta, the album which was written in chronological order, takes listeners on a journey from start to finish. 'Ohio' showcases twangy country guitars and imaginative storytelling lyrics, showing off Hamilton's impressive vocal range. 'Empty Room' features a steady building rhythm, determined guitars and passionate vocals. Whereas 'Amnesia' takes a softer, gentler approach, creating an emotion-fueled track and giving us an insight into the songwriter's most intimate moments.

Listen to "Ohio" here:

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