Meet CATTY, the ‘lesbian Welsh witch’ who opened for Stevie Nicks in London
CATTY bagged a gig opening for Stevie Nicks after sending Instagram DMs (CATTY)
The weather in London last Friday (12 July) was serving exactly what we would expect from the great British summertime: grey, overcast with the perpetual threat of rain.
But while most of us longed for a break in the clouds, the mood was perfect for up-and-coming pop-rock singer-songwriter Catty who declared it was “so Stevie” and “giving witchy vibes”.
The Stevie she was referring to is the legendary singer-songwriter Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks, who headlined BST Hyde Park – and for whom and Catty opened for on the Rainbow Stage, alongside acts such as Nina Nesbitt and Brandi Carlile.
As “the biggest Stevie fan for the longest time”, Catty, who still works as a waitress to fund her music career, was determined, when the legend’s show was announced, that she would be on the bill too – even if that meant using a rather usual method.
“I was like: ‘This cannot go on without me, that is my hero’,” Catty told PinkNews.
She and her manager proceeded to email everyone they could to try to make the gig happen, but without any success.
“No one replied, it was humbling, so humbling,” Catty said. “But then we found the booking agent on Instagram and I just dropped her a voice note and said: ‘I am the biggest Stevie fan, I’m a waitress, I’m fully vaccinated, I’m well-behaved’. I literally sold myself like a dog.”
But selling herself like a dog – a description the singer has since joked about putting on a t-shirt – worked perfectly and just a week on from her first headline show she was opening for Nicks.
Not surprisingly, that left her feeling “so nervous that I couldn’t speak” prior to the gig but “as soon as I hear my first song I’m like: ‘Ok, let’s go’.”
It helped that the crowd was “so incredibly nice”, she admitted.
“I’m so aware that I’m a new artist and why would anyone know who I am, right now? So, I love the feeling of trying to win people over. I really enjoy that.”
Born and raised in rural Wales, Catty’s musical taste has never strayed very far from “what my dad played in the car”, including The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Donna Summer and, of course, Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks.
This has certainly influenced her music because while she was in pop band for long time, Catty feels her production is “always going to be rock because I love guitars and I love classic rock”.
She went on to say: “But also, I’m such a pop writer, so it’s always going to be pop-rock, which is great because pop-rock is having such a moment. Even when it’s not having its moment, I’m still going to be like, ‘Bring it back’.”
Her music, if she had to define it in three words, is: “Lesbian Welsh witch” or – jokingly – “trying too hard”.
Speaking about having “a moment” right now, PinkNews had to ask her about the “lesbian renaissance“, which is sweeping pop culture right now.
“100 per cent. I think we’re absolutely having it,” she said.
“I will say, I feel we’re having it in other places. The US is doing so well – we’ve got Chappell [Roan], Reneé [Rapp], Kehlani – so incredible, lesbian renaissance-ing. But here? Come on, we’re a little bit behind.”
Catty’s next headline show is at Lafyette, in North London, on 4 November. You can get tickets here.
