Kat Flint
Encyclopedia
Kat Flint is a Scottish
singer-songwriter
born in Barbados
and raised in Aberdeen
. Her first album, Dirty Birds was released in 2008.
to study, where she joined the city's acoustic scene and formed the band Gingergreen. She was an original member of the Edinburgh Sound Collective and also spent six months singing and playing percussion with folk group Scuff. In 2004 she moved to London.
Of her lyrics, she says, "I write lyrics about junkyard prostitutes, life in the fearsome crowd and the fact that your lover is 72.8% water. I was told once that I'm pretty good on guitar 'for a girl'. I wasn't sure if that was a compliment. I am an active campaigner against teenage angst and histrionics in music. I quite like train journeys because they're one of the rare occasions when I can just sit and think."
. Kat followed up with her first full-length album, Dirty Birds, the recording of which was funded by fan donations collected via Myspace
. The album was released in September 2008 by London label Albino Recordings. Four of the 12 songs on the album - "Ohio", "Anticlimax", "The Blinking" and "Fearsome Crowd" - were reworked versions of songs from The Secret Boys Club. Her first single, "Go Faster Stripes", which utilises various household objects in its recording, was released in December 2007, also on Albino Recordings. The second single from the album, "Christopher, You Are a Soldier Now", was inspired by her brother's near-enlistment in the British armed forces, he now owns a bar in Edinburgh called Bond No9 . Both single and album have received critical acclaim from popular and mainstream critics, notably Steve Lamacq
of the BBC
, who has called Kat "a great singer-songwriter".
- Nicholas Hirst (guitar; accordion; percussion) and Kathleen McKie (cello) - and her former bandmate Andrew Thompson (bass; vocals; percussion). Nathaniel Mumford of Albino Recordings also occasionally guests on trumpet.
Go Faster Stripes (Single) (2007) - Albino Recordings
Christopher, You're a Soldier Now (Single) (2008) - Albino Recordings
Dirty Birds (2008) - Albino Recordings
. These stand at the entrance to the Isis Education Centre in Hyde Park, London
, a nature & conservation centre for inner-city children . The pieces were inspired by William Roscoe
's 1802 poem The Butterfly's Ball, and the Grasshopper's Feast, and were carved by chainsaw carver Dan Cordell.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
born in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and raised in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
. Her first album, Dirty Birds was released in 2008.
Biography
Kat Flint was born in Barbados and raised in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. At the age of 18 she moved to EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to study, where she joined the city's acoustic scene and formed the band Gingergreen. She was an original member of the Edinburgh Sound Collective and also spent six months singing and playing percussion with folk group Scuff. In 2004 she moved to London.
Of her lyrics, she says, "I write lyrics about junkyard prostitutes, life in the fearsome crowd and the fact that your lover is 72.8% water. I was told once that I'm pretty good on guitar 'for a girl'. I wasn't sure if that was a compliment. I am an active campaigner against teenage angst and histrionics in music. I quite like train journeys because they're one of the rare occasions when I can just sit and think."
Gingergreen
From 2000-2004 Kat Flint was vocalist, guitarist and songwriter with Edinburgh acoustic group Gingergreen, which also featured Andrew Thompson (songwriting; vocals; guitar; percussion) and Robin Mogendorff (bass). The group gigged extensively around Edinburgh and were voted the city's favourite acoustic act in the 2004 Edinburgh Acoustic Idols Awards.. In 2004 the band home-recorded an album that is as-yet unreleased .Solo Work
In 2005 Flint started uploading home-recorded demos to Myspace and posted out free CD copies of the tracks to anyone who requested them. In 2006 she signed to the independent label Naz Recordings, who released her debut EP The Secret Boy's Club EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. Kat followed up with her first full-length album, Dirty Birds, the recording of which was funded by fan donations collected via Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. The album was released in September 2008 by London label Albino Recordings. Four of the 12 songs on the album - "Ohio", "Anticlimax", "The Blinking" and "Fearsome Crowd" - were reworked versions of songs from The Secret Boys Club. Her first single, "Go Faster Stripes", which utilises various household objects in its recording, was released in December 2007, also on Albino Recordings. The second single from the album, "Christopher, You Are a Soldier Now", was inspired by her brother's near-enlistment in the British armed forces, he now owns a bar in Edinburgh called Bond No9 . Both single and album have received critical acclaim from popular and mainstream critics, notably Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, who has called Kat "a great singer-songwriter".
Shipwreckers
In 2009, Kat Flint formed the band Shipwreckers for live shows, featuring two members of London indie/rock band RevereRevere
-People:*Anne Revere, U.S. film actress of the 1940s*Ben Revere, American Baseball Player in the Minnesota Twins organization*Joseph W. Revere, Union general in the American Civil War*Lawrence Revere, U.S. author and professional gambler*Paul Revere, U.S...
- Nicholas Hirst (guitar; accordion; percussion) and Kathleen McKie (cello) - and her former bandmate Andrew Thompson (bass; vocals; percussion). Nathaniel Mumford of Albino Recordings also occasionally guests on trumpet.
Discography
The Secret Boy's Club (EP) (2006) - Naz Recordings- Fearsome Crowd
- Ohio
- Headrush
- London Lullaby
- Anticlimax
- The Blinking
Go Faster Stripes (Single) (2007) - Albino Recordings
- Go Faster Stripes
- Joseph
Christopher, You're a Soldier Now (Single) (2008) - Albino Recordings
- Christopher, You're a Soldier Now
- Shadow Boxing
Dirty Birds (2008) - Albino Recordings
- Go Faster Stripes
- Ohio
- Anticlimax
- Lazybones
- Christopher, You're a Soldier Now
- The Blinking
- Saddest Blue Dress
- Birthday
- Fearsome Crowd
- Shotgun Wedding
- Candyfloss Branches
- Dirty Birds
Non-musical projects
In 2010 Kat Flint took a step back from music to pursue illustration and design. Her work has been featured in a number of blogs and exhibitions . In 2011 she designed a pair of totem pole sculptures for London's Royal Parks FoundationRoyal Parks Foundation
The Royal Parks Foundation is a registered charity established in 1993 whose purpose is the protection and preservation of London’s Royal Parks. The charity’s patron is Charles, Prince of Wales.-Deckchair Dreams:...
. These stand at the entrance to the Isis Education Centre in Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, a nature & conservation centre for inner-city children . The pieces were inspired by William Roscoe
William Roscoe
William Roscoe , was an English historian and miscellaneous writer.-Life:He was born in Liverpool, where his father, a market gardener, kept a public house called the Bowling Green at Mount Pleasant. Roscoe left school at the age of twelve, having learned all that his schoolmaster could teach...
's 1802 poem The Butterfly's Ball, and the Grasshopper's Feast, and were carved by chainsaw carver Dan Cordell.