Get to Know: The Singer, Classic Beauty, and Triple Threat Kate Nauta

Contrary to what most people believe, it is never too late to do what makes you happy in life. With that said, there is no better person to prove this than the stunningly beautiful and extremely talented actress, wife, and friend, Kate Nauta. Despite the fact that she has a very successful modeling and acting career under her belt, Kate has never abandoned one of her biggest passions – singing – and the world should be incredibly thankful that she didn't.

Since she was young, Kate has loved music. She grew up singing and performing with her family in Oregon, which she recalls as being some of the best years in her life, and at 18 moved to New York City to pursue her dreams. After a successful start in fashion, Kate was hand-picked to star in Transporter 2 which also put her music on the board with 2 songs featured on the soundtrack. 

Having had the personal pleasure of hearing her sing live (with videos of her performance still giving me chills), Kate's incredible voice will finally receive the praise it deserves. This incredibly fearless and timeless talent is a force to be reckoned with and we cannot wait for the all success that is to come as she releases her first album, produced by Kelly Winrich of the esteemed band, Delta Spirit. 

Read on to get the update on the woman who is about to take the music world by storm and special thanks to Kate for sitting down with us!

PLUS be sure to listen to the playlist she curated especially for The Tidalist found HERE. Also! Be sure to listen to her on Spotify!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like living in Oregon? 

I was born in Salem, Oregon and raised in a small town outside of it about 20 minutes north called Woodburn. I’m the youngest of 4. I’m the only one who left home at the ripe age of 18. I opted out of college and moved to NYC to model and pursue music. My childhood was amazing. I grew up in the great outdoors - 4 wheeling, dirt biking, hay bail climbing in the summers, camping, water skiing. We had a ski boat so spent every waking day out on the river in the summers. I’m very close to my family and have always been a homebody so leaving at 18 was a huge step for me. I’d get homesick every time I’d have to get on the plane. All these years later, I still cry leaving them.

Has music always played an integral part in your life? If so, what was your first memory of really connecting with music?

My parents loved music so it was always playing in our house. We listened to a lot of Lionel Ritchie, Little Richard, KT Oslin, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen. We would do talent shows for my parents and their friends, lip syncing and choreographing dance routines. My brothers would play a tennis racket for guitars and my sister and I would be the lead singers. It was hilarious! My first memory singing was when I was 7 years old. I was obsessed with the Little Mermaid and all things Ariel, especially her singing. I’d sing all of her songs at the top of my lungs. My siblings wanted to kill me! My parents bought me a karaoke machine when I was 8. I’d play cassette tapes of my favorite artists and record myself singing over the top of them with my mic, and have my own radio show all going on at the same time. I still have cassette tapes of those recordings!

Who would you say is your biggest musical inspiration and why?

I have a few but Sade is at the top. I love that she’s worked with the same band since the beginning of it all. I love that she can come out with a record every 10 years and slay it every time. I love that she keeps her life private and doesn’t feed off of the spotlight. I love her voice, her music, the message in her music and just everything about her. If I could have a career like anyone’s, it would be hers.

What would you say your biggest achievement has been thus far as a singer/songwriter?

Working with Lenny Kravitz was a big one and singing Killing Me Softly with Wyclef. Lenny helped shaped me into the artist I am today. I met him when I was 20. We’ve worked together a lot through the years. I’ll never forget the first time I sent him my song “Photograph”, and him calling me back singing it on my voicemail! He was my first fan. Truly. I’m really thankful for him.

If we hijacked your Spotify, what songs would we most likely hear?

Right now I’m listening to The Rolling Stones, Miss you, Bill Withers, Ain’t No Sunshine, Sinead O'Conner and Prince's version of Nothing Compares to You, Rihanna’s Love on the Brain and Sunny by Bobby Hebb. I’m getting ready for a few shows this month and learning some new covers.

You are also an actress, do you see any similarities between singing and acting? If so, how does one compliment the other?

Being an actress I get to be someone else, yet bring parts of my real life into it. Singing on stage or being in the studio, I’m completely and utterly me. Two different things however both acting and singing require vulnerability. Getting down to the real and raw. I remember prepping for a film where I played a scientist but the entire film was up being about my brother who was a meth addict for 20 years. You would never know it, but it helped me go the places I needed to for that character and make it personal. With music, I am able to write about it, literally. I have a song that I did with Lenny called, “Nothing.” It’s about my brother’s addiction and how it affected my relationship with him.

Finally, what are you most excited for in the future? Any exciting news and updates for fans?

I’m recording my album right now, Love, Loss and Recovery. I am so excited to share it with the world! I recently lost my brother to brain cancer. He was a year and a half older than me. The last conversation I had with him before he passed was him making me promise over and over and over again that I’d continue doing my music. He said that people needed to hear it. After that, I had a fire in me that I’ve never had before. He left me with the greatest gift. Then the doors just opened and here I am a few months later recording my album. The crazy thing is, grieving him, I’ve never felt closer to him and closer to heaven than when I’m in the studio. He’s with me. I can feel him in all of it. I’ve been working on music it seems all my life but this is the first time I’ll be releasing a full length album all on my own. This album takes you on a journey of my life, the ups and downs, the experiences I’ve had. My prayer is that as an audience you’d feel like I’m telling your story too, not just my own and that you’re touched to your core.