Kat McDowell

A typical show consists of me performing original songs and beachy upbeat cover songs (Like Vance Joy, Jason Mraz etc..).

I can perform up to three 45 minute sets.

I play guitar/ ukulele and sing during shows and my husband Masaki plays Cajon, Ukulele Bass, Ukulele and sings harmony. Because we rotate many instruments we have a pretty full sound for two people and can play a lot of high energy upbeat numbers too.

Born in Tokyo and raised in New Zealand, Kat has always loved music. While drawing inspiration from artists like Foo Fighters and Jason Mraz, Kat's Ocean Pop sound is definitely her own. She mixes acoustic guitar-led melodies with emotionally transparent lyrics, delivered in a blend of Japanese and English.

She returned to Japan after school and signed with Sony and Avex in 2007. Her partnership with them yielded several mini-albums, her first full album, and a limited vinyl edition of Nagoriyuki, which went to #1 on Japan's Vinyl Charts and sold out in two days.

Outside of the studio, Kat has been recognized for her performances in high-profile TV ads. Additionally, she has also performed over 1000 live shows, both throughout Japan and internationally and has shared the stage with bands like Switchfoot and Colbie Caillat.

Kat writes about humanity and life. Songs like "Dianna," inspired by a little girl who was born in a trash dump in Nicaragua, to "A little rain" which was written driving through a typhoon on tour in Japan, to "3.11" which was written as a way to deal with the wounds from the Tsunami which ravaged Japan in 2011.

Since becoming an independent artist in 2010, Kat has continued to release new albums and tour Japan and the world. Kat changed her home base from Tokyo to LA in 2013 to face a completely new challenge, touring the US and expand her horizons, and 2014 saw the release of a brand new album "Rise Above" about overcoming life’s challenges.

2015 has already kicked off to be a promising year, Kat was a top 5 finalist in the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter competition out of 14,000 submissions and in the Spring she will be touring Japan and the US.

When Kat’s not singing for a princess in Japan, girls in a safe house in Nicaragua, or at a college in Oregon, she’s in the studio recording, or baking cookies, or playing ukulele at the beach!

Additional Booking Notes
-Sound and Audio Engineer provided are preferred (but I can also bring my own sound system if necessary and if budgets allows for that extra expense).
-Adequate Lighting
-Adequate Space/Stage of at least 8X8 space.