Q&A: Katya Mansell
Katya Mansell (she/they) is a Glasgow based singer/songwriter, an exciting indie pop artist playing catchy melodies entwined with bright chords and experimental rhythms. Influenced by Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver and Death Cab for Cutie, Katya creates heart-wrenchingly beautiful songs with clever musicality.
Katya spent a year and a half studying the craft with songwriters such as Rob Wells (Arianna Grande/Justin Bieber), Charlie Grant (Ed Sheeran/Melanie C) and Luc Floreani (Sam Smith/Amy Winehouse) and is releasing new music in 2024 starting with single ‘Promised You Love’, after being announced as a semi-finalist for the prestigious International Songwriting Competition and winner of the Paolo Nutini Scholarship.
Your latest release 'Promised You Love' is a queer love song, can you tell us how the track came together and the inspiration for the love song?
Sure! I wanted to write a cute wee queer love song that speaks to some of the nuances of relationships. This one talks about the stage of dating someone who’s a bit more guarded. I think there’s this heteronormative idea that we’re supposed to give people these ultimatums, like “it’s now or never”. Actually, that was some of the feedback I got when I first wrote it, that I should make it a more like “I’m not going to wait forever.”! But that kind of cemented the message of my song for me because I just thought I would give someone all the space in the world if they needed it, and that’s the point of the song! So yeah, I don’t believe it’s very consensual to push people into something they’re not ready for, and I wanted the lyrics to be really grounded in consent, to highlight the beauty of creating a safe space and building trust with a partner. After it was written, I reached out to an artist/producer called Peter Hatch, who was up for producing it for me. I really loved what he did, and we’ve been collaborating ever since!
Which Scottish acts are you enjoying listening to at the moment? And who do you think could become the next big thing in Scotland/the UK/internationally?
Oh, I’m enjoying the music coming out of Scotland so much right now! I’m a big fan of Becky Sikasa. She released a song called ‘Hard to Love’ which is absolutely stunning. I’m also loving Zoe Graham’s new stuff - her song ‘Evelin’ is so, so good! And everything The Joy Hotel are doing is class! They all have the potential to go global, I think! And that’s just skimming the surface, there are so many incredible artists and musicians in Scotland right now.
Do you have any advice for upcoming artists in Scotland, what would you tell your younger self to help her navigate the industry?
I would tell younger artists and my younger self to make the music that you want to hear. The music industry runs on songs, so write the best songs you can! And collaborate. It’s a really beautiful way to connect with other creatives, and it feels really magical when you truly connect with others in the writing room and make something you wouldn’t have made on your own. You don’t have to be great at everything either – if you’re a great lyricist, why not work with a really great producer and another songwriter who can write a beautiful melody? You’re going to learn and develop more working this way, and build really close friendships along the way. And finish your songs! Not every song will be perfect and that’s ok! Just keep writing the songs you love and people will hear them when the time is right!
Tell us your three desert island albums.
OK, my first choice would be boygenius’ self titled EP! I love that record and honestly admire Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker so much. To have a spotlight on women making such gorgeous music, and also being unashamedly queer, is just awesome. I grew up in a time (showing my age!) where it really wasn’t the norm to hear experiences of LGBTQI community in music, much less the sapphic experience. I think for young people, this doesn’t seem so out of the ordinary, but it really does feel amazing to see, and to feel like my music also has a place in the industry. Back to your question though, another album I would take are Threads by Now, Now, as well as Collapse List by Novo Amor!
If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?
I really love what Victoria Canal is making, it feels so vulnerable and sweet! I think we’d write something really lovely together. But yeah, I’m always up for collaborating, whether that’s for something I’ll release as a solo artist, or for other artists’ own projects - give me a shout if you fancy writing together!
And finally, what can we expect to see from Katya Mansell throughout the rest of 2024?
Well, I’ve got a couple more singles that I’ll be releasing this year, and I’m currently writing and producing my debut album! I just went over to Berlin to write with one of my collaborators, Charlie Grant. We also wrote a song with producer Ivo Vollering, which was just so special. That’s maybe one of the most vulnerable songs I’ve ever written. Looking forward to you hearing that one when it’s released next year! And I’ve got some gigs coming – I’m playing Broadcast in Glasgow on June 29th, an Endless Summer gig at the Hug and Pint on July 17th then Leith Depot in Edinburgh on 25th July!
Follow Katya here.
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