IN CONVERSATION WITH KAT PENKIN: ‘GOOD WOMAN’ & AUTHENTIC STORYTELLING

As a musician, you’re known for your raw honesty and relatable storytelling. Where does that courage come from?

I've never really thought of it as ‘courage’ so much; I think it’s always just been more important to do a story justice. If I'm going to write about something that really happened to me and is important to me, I want it to be the truth (tangled up in sarcasm and rude anecdotes).

The scary thing for me about releasing raw and real stories isn't about them being heard - it’s the fear that they won’t be.

What is your motivation for making music, and how has that evolved over the years?

I’ve always been in a musical family; it’s always been the only thing I was partially good at and really cared about. When you do something you love - singing, writing, performing - you get a rush from it that you don't get from doing anything else.

So, I wanted to chase that, which led me to move from Australia to the UK at 20, leaving my family behind to pursue music with no real idea of how or where to start. I started out in Brighton and was really inspired by all the buskers around me singing soul, R&B, and rock, which exposed me to music in a way I hadn’t been before. A lot of my earlier sound is quite soulful, and I think that’s really representative of the music I was listening to and my surroundings in Brighton. But I’m a pop girl through and through at heart, which has now evolved into a pop/80s mix that feels the most authentic to date.

I grew up listening to ABBA most days of my childhood - I idolised them then and still do now. And it’s really because of artists like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, who have blended nuances of the 70s/80s pop eras into modern pop, that I was able to make the EP I have with so much confidence. For the first time, I could take the artists I loved and adored as a young girl and work them into the modern pop era I’m in.

What inspired the concept behind your EP, Good Woman, and what themes does it explore?

I wouldn't say there’s a ‘running theme’ story-wise in my EP Good Woman, which I know you’re probably not supposed to say. It’s probably supposed to be a thought-out concept, but the truth is, I wrote, created, and said what I wanted to on the day we did it.

I pull inspiration from all aspects of my life, past and present, and I roll with what inspires me at the time. Production-wise, I knew I wanted to make an 80s pop EP, so that was always a recurring inspiration. But lyrically, each song has its own story - they’re not set chronologically and play on completely different themes.

Joe, can you tell us about the spark that drove the EP’s beginnings?

It all started when Kat and I did a session together before even writing the first track, Best You’ll Ever Get. After that, we were both eager to get back in the studio.

About a week before our next session, we met up for coffee because Kat had this vision for an EP, and we wanted to map out the inspirations, direction, and overall vibe. We talked a lot about artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Madonna, and ABBA - not just in terms of sound but also in song writing, production choices, melodies, and song structures. We clicked instantly and had a clear idea of where we wanted to take the project sonically.

Once we had that foundation, we got into the studio with our songwriter friend, Jared, and started piecing together the first song - Best You’ll Ever Get. That track really set the tone for everything that followed.

Your EP features tracks like Best You’ll Ever Get and You Go To Work. Can you share the story behind one of these songs and the message you wanted to convey?

You Go To Work is a very special song to me because it’s my first-ever love song. Every time I listen to it, without fail, it takes me back to the feeling I had when I was falling in love for the first time, which I think is beautiful.

The lyrics play on the (not so) mundane moments of falling for someone - them leaving you their key for the first time so you can sleep in, bumming around their house waiting for them to come home, hanging out with their flatmates, meeting their parents. All these little moments, all these little things that happen when something becomes something more, and that makes my heart warm. I hope everyone feels that when they listen.

How has moving from Australia to the UK shaped you as an artist?

Moving from Australia to the UK didn’t so much shape me as an artist at the time, as I wasn’t one yet. I had hopes and dreams of being one, which is why I moved, but no real direction.

When I moved to the UK, it was like - I got to be a new version of myself. I got to be ‘Kat Penkin, the singer’ and reinvent the person I was - the person I hoped to be. So, I think it’s more about how it shaped me as an individual, and how the individual I became was able to shape the artist I’ve become.

The person I was before I moved wouldn’t have had the courage to go up to buskers on Brighton Beach and ask if I could sing a song with them. She wouldn’t have had the courage to post singing videos and start a band. She didn’t have the tools to figure out how to make and release music or navigate a very difficult industry she was at the very bottom of. There’s a lot to be said about fight or flight, and although I had no idea what to do, and I was on the other side of the world from my family and friends, I just figured it out.

How does having a rapidly expanding fanbase influence your creative process?

To be honest, I don’t really see it as a ‘rapidly growing fanbase’. I’ve been releasing music for 4/5 years, and I wish I was a lot further along in my journey, as I’m sure a lot of artists do. So, I just do what I’ve always tried to do - make feelings authentic and true to me, create the music I or my younger self would love, and work my hardest.

My goal is always to reach as many people as possible with my music. Knowing that there are already people on this journey with me, listening to my music and taking an interest, is very special, and I’m very grateful for them.

What do you like most about working with Audio Network?

Working with Audio Network, especially as an independent artist, has been a wonderful experience. I've been wearing many hats for the last 4/5 years, and having Audio Network there has meant I’m able to focus on just making music - and, most importantly, making high-quality music.

Being in a non-recoupable deal has taken the biggest pressure off myself and most independent artists, which is financial. With their amazing team, I’ve been able to create a body of work that doesn’t cut any corners and has the best of the best in production, mixing, and mastering. It’s a luxury I haven’t experienced before, and it’s made a remarkable difference in the quality of music I get to share with my fans.

What constitutes success for you as an artist? Can you tell us about any specific goals you have?

Success is always subjective, and in this industry, there’s always someone doing better than you. But for me, success is when my music truly connects with people. Whether it’s getting recognised in public or receiving messages from listeners about how a song helped them, those moments feel like success.

Of course, I’d love to headline Glastonbury and buy my dad his dream car too!

If you could see your music featured in any type of film or TV show, what kind of project would be the perfect fit for your sound?

I’d love to see Good Woman in a romcom or UGH in a revenge montage scene. A Netflix breakthrough moment like Lizzo’s Truth Hurts would be a dream!

What would be your dream sync?

I think anything Netflix would be super cool, or any headphone brand that I love and use!