The funniest mistake I’ve made that stands out the most is when I very prematurely tried to play tambourine at a live event before finishing my beginner’s lessons.
Pop Culture
Kate Boytek: Authentic Storytelling Is the True Engine of Modern Country Music Success
Country singer-songwriter Kate Boytek shares her journey from a small West Virginia coal mining town to Nashville, offering invaluable lessons on navigating the music industry.
As a part of our series about Nashville’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kate Boytek.
Singer/songwriter Kate Boytek hit the stage for the first time at her local county fair talent show at the tender age of five. Singing opportunities were few and far between in Kate’s tiny hometown of Logan, West Virginia, nestled deep in the Appalachian coalfields. However, Kate sang at dozens of local charity events, directed her church choir, and eventually attracted the attention of WV native and legendary Grand Ole Opry and Bradley’s Barn audio engineer Vic Gabany. Boytek is pursuing her dream in Nashville and has appeared with country hitmakers Easton Corbin, LOCASH, Drew Parker, Tyler Farr, Eric Paslay, Trick Pony, Little Texas, and others. Kate’s songwriting style is both fresh and contemporary and yet has echoes of the classic singer-songwriters from the 1970s. Boytek’s upcoming debut album will include tracks written by Kate along with veteran songsmiths including Britton Cameron (Lonestar, Sister Hazel), Kim McLean (Loretta Lynn, Trisha Yearwood, and Tim McGraw), and Brian Carper (Aaron Lewis). With career guidance from veteran music executives Bernard Porter (Jason Aldean) and Burke Allen (AGT winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.), a treasure chest of first-class songs, and a personality that shines through like few others, Kate Boytek’s career, like the title of one of her new songs, is poised to go anywhere and we’ll be watching.
Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?
Thank you for having me! I grew up in a small coal mining town in Southern West Virginia called Logan County. My mom was a single mom and owned a small beauty shop where we spent most of our time off school as she was trying to make ends meet. We didn’t have a lot, and now that I’m an adult, I see how much we struggled financially; however, my mom gave my younger sister and me everything she could. I didn’t know we were poor, and it didn’t matter. We were happy regardless. Laughter and music circulated through our house daily. My mom has always sang and wrote songs, which played a massive role in my childhood. I remember singing karaoke with my mom in my grandpa’s garage, usually Reba, Wynonna, Trisha, and occasionally some Whitney Houston. Outside our “garage concerts,” I would sing in church with my grandma. In church, I realized how much music was a part of who I am.
Can you share a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was fourteen, I entered talent shows at our local theatre, The Coalfield Jamboree. Alongside the talent shows, church, and school choir, a genuine love for singing and music developed, and I knew in some way I always wanted it to be a part of my life. In my early 20s, I started pursuing a serious career as a singer.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Oh wow! That’s a great question. There have been many interesting, fun, happy, exciting, and in-between experiences with this career. The first one that comes to mind is signing my management and artist development deal. It was such a personal moment for me. I’ve been incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity and for my team.
Can you share with us an interesting story about living in Nashville?
I currently travel each month to Nashville, and I haven’t moved fully yet. I like to say I’m a part-time Nashvillian. It’s my home away from home. Within the next year, I plan to be there full time, and I can’t wait!
Can you share with us a few of the best parts of living in Nashville? We’d love to hear some specific examples or stories about that.
Nashville has quickly become one of my favorite cities. Aside from the traffic, what’s not to love? The people I’ve met, the fantastic local coffee shops and restaurants (because I’m a foodie), and the writer’s rounds I’ve been a part of, take the win for me on this one.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I’ve made that stands out the most is when I very prematurely tried to play tambourine at a live event before finishing my beginner’s lessons. To this day, I’m not sure why I felt confident enough to try it out halfway through my second lesson. I think I made it through one song before my guitar player came over and, in front of everyone, took the tambourine from me and tossed it into the crowd (gently). Apparently, I was very out of time and throwing things off, haha. My band has banned me from playing the tambourine now, haha.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Having people who support you in anything you do is so important. I have been incredibly blessed in this area. My support team is vast, from my daughters to my parents, grandparents, sister, cousins, Aunts and Uncles, my closest friends, and my music family. Aside from family and friends, there are many people I’ve met throughout my career that I now call my “music family,” and every single one of those people has helped me tremendously in my career. Their guidance and efforts have meant the world to me and helped me grow as an artist in many ways.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Lately, I’ve been working on an EP album and my first single to be released from that EP. I wish I had a more powerful word than excited to share how I feel about this… I would say “project,” but “story of my life in songs” feels more accurate. I’m so proud of each song and grateful to my co-writers, Britton Cameron and Kim McLean, for helping me bring the most authentic version of my story to you in lyrics. I am also in the process of working on a small Fall/Winter tour, which I’m ecstatic for!
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started,” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Five things I wish someone would’ve told me. Number one — Trust the process. I have had to learn not to micromanage over the years. I look back now at the unnecessary worry that I could’ve saved myself if I had let go and allowed things to flow. I wish I had known to trust that everything would go how it needed to as long as I pushed forward and trusted the process.
Number two — Be in the moment. I’m impatient by nature, which can cause missed opportunities for genuinely being able to appreciate the journey. I wish someone would’ve said live in each moment and take it all in. Fortunately, it’s never too late to do that, so I’m taking advantage of being in the moment now.
Number three — Always be kind. There are moments in this career, as I’m sure there are in all others, where you can feel defeated or find yourself in situations where someone says something hurtful, etc., even when you feel down and out or feel as though someone hurt your feelings or wronged you in some way, always be kind. It’s never worth being rude or judgemental; in the end, you’ll never regret showing kindness in a situation.
Number four — Be grateful. Be grateful; so many people are chasing this dream. Be thankful for everything you’re given, from the tiniest opportunity to the biggest. It’s all so unique, and many people wish and hope to receive the same opportunities. Be grateful for the experience, and be thankful to everyone who takes the time to comment, post, and see you- everything is a gift. Don’t take one moment for granted.
Number five — Allow yourself to grow. It’s ok if you started singing one way and feel yourself shifting to a more authentic version of yourself, don’t be afraid to go there. I fought against it for a bit because I was scared it wouldn’t be what people wanted to hear, wouldn’t “make the cut,” wouldn’t be what people were used to. Let that fear go. It’s much scarier to pretend to be something you’re not and spend your life like that. Allow who you are to shine through and be a vessel for the music. The pieces will fall where they need to and with whoever needs them. This shouldn’t be about you, me, or anything other than the music coming through to heal and help others. You and me- we are the vessels. So grow into whatever feels the most real. That way, the music can reflect that for everyone else.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I’ve always heard people say that if you love what you do, it isn’t work, and if it isn’t, you can’t get burnt out on it. Find something about what you do that you love. Shift towards that and go for it.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I love this question. I would start the “be a blessing movement.” You don’t have to have any exceptional talent or be anyone in particular to participate- you wake up and say: How can I be a blessing to the people around me today? Then you do that. Everyone you meet- bless them in some way. Please give them a smile, a hug, a meal, a laugh, an opportunity, a gift. Anyone you can share your light too, share. Anything you can do to bless others, do it. Not in a self-sacrificing way. This isn’t about you not taking care of yourself because that is equally important. It is about learning to be unselfish and loving others as you love yourself.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Do not hold back your love, joy, and vitality. Only what you give becomes your quality.”
For a long time, I didn’t give the best of myself to the people around me. I was selfish and not the best person I could’ve been. Please don’t do that. It’s pointless and non-beneficial. I also held back parts of myself. For whatever reason, I was scared to show aspects of my personality, fear of judgment, I guess. Don’t do that, be yourself. I’m a loving person, so now I express that through my music and by trying to bless others however I can, as I spoke about before. I’m happy, so I roll with that entirely in every way I feel led to. I work on myself daily to be a better version of who I was the day before. That’s one of my favorite quotes, and I try to live my life by it in every way I can.
Is there a person in the world or the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
There are so many! In my line of work, though, definitely Kenny Chesney. His music feels so peaceful to me, and I feel very connected to it, so I would be unbelievably honored to share a moment with him and ask him about his work process. Also, to thank him for sharing his incredible talent.
How can our readers follow you online?
All the socials, of course, haha! I also have a website and a contact form for y’all to fill out to receive free monthly newsletters about anything and everything I have coming up! I also send a personal message along with whatever affirmation I’m practicing that month so that we can connect personally.
TikTok @kateboytek
This was very meaningful. Thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Thank you so much for having me. I truly appreciate the opportunity! — Kate Boytek
MS
Written by
Ming S. Zhao
Editor & Journalist · Authority MagazineMing S. Zhao is a senior columnist at Authority Magazine covering Pop Culture and Business, conducting primary-source Q&A interviews with founders, executives, and industry leaders.
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