Any musicophile knows that music can be one of the most profound and effective means to stay connected with themselves. Whether we are stressed, happy, nostalgic, sad, or anxious, most of us have songs or playlists to listen to at certain moments. If you are an artist, music is also a means to self-reflect and purge your emotions, achieving catharsis in the process.

Having been exposed to music from a very young age, Dallas-based artist Kaatii found the transformative power in music. While their mom would take them to the opera, their father would play songs from bands like Radiohead, Rush, and The Killers. By age 7, Kaatii would get their first guitar and their life would change forever

While Kaatii’s story might seem like that of many other music artists at first glance, this is not the case. To begin with, Kaatii is “only'' 16 years old upon the release of their debut EP out Oct 27, 2022 and has already been featured in major publications and radio stations. Despite their young age, Kaatii’s devotion to music has also led them to a different process: letting the music evolve from the flow of emotional openness and creativity, instead of the other way around.

For Kaatii, being open about themselves is a means to better connect with their fans while also allowing them to better enjoy the music. This introspective method leads to their self-discovery while documenting it, almost like a diary. As someone who has been in the process of finding themself for quite some time, this is extremely valuable.

Kaatii, who identifies as non-binary, is no stranger to the emotional baggage that comes with the struggle of accepting yourself and being accepted by others.  This, in addition to their challenges with mental health, are some of the reasons why they believe music is such a great outlet. In “COMBF”, Kaatii creates music about this personal healing and acceptance process, shying away from playing a “tragic” figure instead focused on the cathartic journey over the year and half during which the EP was created.

“The whole EP in my mind, is not necessarily healing from 0 to 100, it is healing more like from 50 to 75 or 80. I mean I am definitely not perfect, and I still have issues now, but I am a lot better off than I was at the beginning of the process,” says Kaatii. ”The EP documents that healing process if you listen from top to bottom. The order of the songs is really important. If you want to listen to the way I intended, as the creator, you should listen top to bottom, no shuffling.”

“Catharsis On My Bedroom Floor” starts with Dandelion Puff, a bitter yet beautiful song inspired by a panic attack; and ends with Orion, which is all about accepting themselves as a non-binary individual who struggles with mental health. Each track in between moves through specific emotions and experiences leading to a happier place. The EP was co-written with Grammy-award nominee Kara Connolly and produced by Andrew Heringer (Milo Greene, The Guest and the Host) with string arrangements from Jordan Lehning.

Kaatii’s debut EP is not only a masterpiece resulting from their work with world-class artists but also from deep passion, emotional vulnerability, and maturity from the young artist. The EP is sure to feel much longer despite being only 20 minutes long because of the depth of the lyrics and the story they share: a story anyone with similar experiences will connect with… And who hasn’t struggled with finding themselves?