Kat Graham gets revenge!
How the newly single global icon is taking on her upcoming album, next films, and the world. Singer/songwriter/actor and author and humanitarian Kat Graham is busier than ever these days. She’s readying the release of her latest EP “In loving memory…the Revenge EP”, releasing her first book ever on November 14th titled “Seasons of You” a guided journal that follows your nature. We’re so excited to chat with Kat about her latest EP, her acting roles, and what’s next for the rising star. Read our featured Interview below! Pre-order “Seasons of You” here.
Featured Interview:
TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW SINGLE, WHERE DID INSPIRATION FOR THIS SONG COME FROM?
I wanted to create a new era in my music journey that felt a bit more of a dark pop vibe. I wanted to do something that felt a little bit more along the lines of Toro Gato, but also was representative of my own personal journey in love and where I was currently at.
It’s also part of an EP that feels a bit more international than what I have done before. Revenge is the U.S. record, but I also have inspiration from Afrobeat Brazilian pop and French music to Middle Eastern and wanted to create something that felt really international.
YOU ARE A SCREAM QUEEN FROM VAMPIRE DIARIES TO NOW A NEW HORROR FILM. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT ON THIS ONE?
Well, I haven’t released too many details regarding this particular film, but I am really excited to announce the title. It is called Red Mask, and I am beyond excited because I haven’t actually done a horror film ever, especially one that is a psychological thriller. I wanted to do something that felt really smart and clever. I felt that the pressures to really deliver in terms of a horror thriller in regards to my journey is especially difficult because I’m coming from The Vampire Diaries. So there’s a lot of pressure around that entire genre for me. So Ritesh, who is the director, really kind of put together a really great, visually compelling thing film for me to be a part of. So I’m super excited. It is not what you expect. The people are not who you expect. The villains are not who you expect. It’s absolutely a psychological horror thriller.
WHAT IS “SEASONS OF YOU” AND WILL THIS BE YOUR FIRST TIME AS AN AUTHOR?
So Seasons is a book, a wellness journal specifically that I am releasing with Penguin, Random House, Clarkston, and Potter.
And it is coming out on November 14th. Technically, yes. It is my first time as a solo author. I did release an Oracle deck that included an accompanied book with Modern Nirvana, my former wellness company, and Jennifer Sordini with Chronicle books last year, which is a really special thing for people to check out. Seasons is going to be taking people through the different seasons of their life, whether you’ve just experienced a loss or you are experiencing the most empowerment you’ve ever felt.
It’s going to help you navigate the different moments, and the different chapters in your life, and help you make the most out of all of your experiences.
HOW MUCH HAVE YOU EVOLVED SINCE YOUR LAST EP AS YOU GEAR UP TO DROP THE NEW ONE THIS MONTH?
I would say that I’ve evolved based on the music that I’ve been listening to. The last EP was very much getting all of the pop records, some from my past and some that I’ve been wanting to release, and devoting it to the LGBTQ community to raise awareness and money for GLAAD. This new EP is more about bringing the world together through different sounds sonically.
WHAT INSPIRED THE TITLE OF THIS EP?
The album title is called In Loving Memory, and the idea of picking this specific title for this album is celebrating and being grateful for actually the losses in your life and reflecting in a kind of cheeky way about all of the heartbreak and everything that has led you to this moment where you’re in your power. So in Loving Memory is kind of like R.I.P.
Every heartbreak, every breakup, every time you got fucked over, every time somebody disrespected you, any time you’ve been abused, any time somebody said you weren’t good enough, any time somebody said you weren’t worth it, any time that you’ve been just beaten up on emotionally, physically, mentally, just to be able to look back on that and say, you know what? I am grateful for that experience because it made me stronger. It made me who I am. And now I’m a beast and now I’m a monster. So in loving memory to everyone who fucked me over R.I.P.
WHAT DO YOU WANT FANS TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EP?
I always want my fans to find their empowerment through the music and to know that you can be you can look at your love life or your work life or your school life, or anything that’s happening in your life with a sense of power that the things that break you down don’t have to keep you down.
WHO ARE YOUR HEROES?
Well, I’m really inspired by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry and Quincy Jones and all of these incredible producer or writer-directors, these iconic black figures throughout history and also in terms of female artists, the Dorothy Dandridge, the Josephine Bakers, the Eartha Kitt. Those are my greatest inspirations in terms of being an artist, in terms of my personal life.
IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE WHO WOULD IT BE?
If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
My answer to that would be Prince.
I knew him while he was alive, and there are so many things for us to catch up on. So if I had the opportunity to see him one more time, I would take it.
WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE SCENT?
My signature scent is Serge. Luteal santal masculine. It’s a French scent. It’s very niche.
HOW IS YOUR CREATIVITY DISRUPTING THE CULTURE?
I would say that my creativity is not disrupting any culture. I would say that my choices are in terms of the projects I release and what I choose to attach myself to disrupt the culture or the continuation of thoughts. I try and break apart any sort of theories or patterns in regard to tokenism and marginalization. I try and make sure that I’m taking roles and releasing music that shifts the ideas of what it means to be a black woman or what it means to be a part of a marginalized community and really showcase how multidimensional we all are.
WHAT IS YOUR BEAUTY RITUAL?
I take off my makeup before bed with an aveeno wipe. I put some vitamin C serum on my face. I usually don’t wear a lot of makeup, but when I do, I love Fenty. I love L’Oreal. I love to do your makeup.
WHAT BEAUTY BRAND IS YOUR SPECIAL WEAPON?
Right now I’m using Benefit’s eyebrow pencil, and that for me has been my special weapon because it stays on forever.
3 THINGS WE WILL FIND IN YOUR PURSE?
Well, I live in Atlanta, so I have pink pepper spray in there. I have the keys to my Bronco. I have my organizer. So those three things are for sure.
“I Don’t Believe We’ve Met” IS YOUR DIRECTORIAL DEBUT TELL US ABOUT THIS PROJECT, WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU THIS YEAR?
I haven’t announced it yet, but I do have one other film that I have just finished filming with, one of my favorite, probably my favorite producer next to Quincy Jones of all time. So I’m super excited about that. And we are basically starting the tour. We are kicking off in Saint Louis for a festival and we are continuing on through 2024.
So doing touring is going to be what’s next for me this year and then also my film with Time Studio’s Time magazine called Witness, which is going to be released on MSNBC Films, which focuses on the migration, the international migration crisis. So that is going to be one of my next films.
Doing more work with UNHCR, doing more work with GLAAD, and I’m a new trustee within the Recording Academy.
So there’s a lot of advocacy and support from musicians and music rights that I’m going to be doing. And then obviously my season’s book and promoting the EP. So definitely have my plate full and I’m so excited that I get to share it with Galore first.
Team Credits:
Talent: Kat Graham @katgraham
Kat Graham Executive Director: Alessio Filippelli @ale_ssiofilippelli
Photography and Editing: Santiago Traverso @travers_photos
Galore Art Director: Perrin Johnson @editsbyperry
Editor-in-chief: Prince Chenoa @princechenoastudio
