Kat McDowell

Japan based musician Kat McDowell has started to create a stir in the Tokyo scene with her engaging guitar driven pop-rock and passionately delivered melodies.

Half Japanese and half European Kat was born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in West Auckland, New Zealand. Her lyric style reflects her upbringing with a unique blend of Japanese and English. Likewise her musical influence is broad ranging from bands like Incubus, Switchfoot, Angie Stone, Goo Goo dolls, Sting and Maroon5 to name a few.

Currently residing in Tokyo this singer songwriter launched her solo career by leaving the shores of New Zealand and touring the UK and Japan in 2005. She decided to settle in Japan working as a session vocalist and her voice has been heard over various TV commercials in Japan for companies like Kirin, Asahi, JR, Peach John, Uniqlo and Bridgestone tyres. She then went on to sign a contract with a record label in Japan late 2006 and has released her first mini album in Japan in May 2007.

Her cover version of a famous folk song “Nagoriyuki” first made famous by Iruka who was Kat’s inspiration in her early years. Is currently a big hit on the Japan airwaves as it’s the first time the song has been covered mixed with English lyrics. THe song was chosen in April 2007 by itunes Japan as song of the week and a limited edition LP version of the song sold out in two days and sent her to the top of the vinyl charts in Japan.

Kat wrote her first melody at the tender age of five when inspired by Japanese artist Iruka. She continued to develop her song writing at high school where she was often told off for writing lyrics instead of equations in her math book. However, the lyric writing practise paid off when, at 14, 16 and 17 years of age she took out the Auckland Smokefree Rockquest Lyric Competition. She also was a finalist in Export Gold’s Ignition Songwriting Competition in 2005 which resulted in her song ‘Fine line’ getting playlisted on Kiwi Fm.

She lives for performance and has had the opportunity to play over 500 shows to date in many venues in New Zealand, Japan and the UK including London’s prestigious venue the “Rock Garden” in Covent Garden, and playing support for Singer-songwriter Raul Midon for his Japan tour at the Shibuya-Ax and Tokyo International Forum. The biggest highlight so far was a spot at Summer Sonic Festival at Chiba Marine Stadium in August 2006 alongside artists like Nelly Furtado, Linkin Park, Metallica, Muse etc.