Kate Wyatt Discusses Her Craft, Bandmates & New Record ‘Murmurations’

Unity is an underrated element of any band in any genre, but the Kate Wyatt Trio prove its importance on their new album Murmurations. Released today, Murmurations was inspired by Wyatt and her bandmates’ desire to operate as one well-oiled machine. Just as a flock of birds move in unison, twisting and turning in the same instant, Wyatt wanted her group to operate similarly, just in a musical sense. Her trio includes the highly regarded Montreal jazz musicians Adrian Vedady on bass and Louis-Vincent Hamel on drums. Throughout the album, the three demonstrate enormous chemistry together, in tune with each other and able to shift tones and styles seamlessly together.

Over the last several years, Kate Wyatt has become one of Canada’s most exciting young jazz musicians. Her debut album, Artifact, was featured on a number of year-end “best of” lists when it was released in 2022. On Murmurations, she was thrilled to be joined by both Vedady and Hamel. Not only did their playing and creativity complement her very well, but she was also able to learn a lot from them as musicians. Both Vedady and Hamel brought their own unique perspectives to the table. This really bolstered the songwriting process, making it more diverse and dynamic.

We are pleased to be joined by Wyatt today to discuss Murmurations, what it was like working with Vedady and Hamel, and more.

How would you describe your own music?

Kate Wyatt: “Weird? Well, not really. But I like to push the boundaries when I improvise. I like to mould and reshape harmonies and push and pull phrase lengths. And we’re all like that in this band. We kind of set each other off. It’s like this trip when we play together. We get into things that we never would have done as individuals… we take it way farther.

“But at the same time, we’re way more supported, and it’s like we can each go out on a limb because we know the other two have got our backs. In my writing, I’m inspired in my compositions by different elements of nature, and I like to really try to tell a story through the melodies and how they sit with the harmonies and how they sit rhythmically. Each tune really sets a mood, so there’s a lot of variety, but also I think you can always hear our quirkiness and sense of humour and intention when we play. Like a kind of overarching quality, even though each tune is different.”

What was the highlight of the last tour you went on?

“We toured British Columbia, Canada, in the early summer this year. It is so beautiful out there, ocean, mountains, forests, and I always find that time spent in nature to be so inspiring. The highlight of the tour was playing at this venue on a small island off the coast of Vancouver Island, it’s called the Yellowhouse Arts Centre, on Galiano Island. We played an evening gig, it was outside, and the set-up was like a natural amphitheatre in the forest. The stage is at the bottom of this bowl, with these super tall old-growth trees all around.

“While we were playing, the sun started to get low, and the birds all started singing, and it almost became a part of the music, like we were improvising off their sounds. By the time we finished, the sun had set and the sky was filled with stars. It was pretty magical! The people we played for were super appreciative. One guy even ran home to get us a record to give us as a gift. It was awesome!”

What is the story behind the name of the new record?

“A murmuration is a phenomenon where thousands of birds fly through the air, and then suddenly swoop and turn in all different directions. I remember first seeing this happen during a drive from Montreal to Toronto, probably about 20 years ago. I was totally mesmerized! The way they all move together, it seems almost like telepathy.

“At some point, it struck me that that kind of synchronization, where you’re reacting on a level deeper than intellectual, is exactly the state we try to get in as musicians when we improvise together. In my trio, we’ve played together so much, and we all share this kind of philosophy of being generous to the music, always trying to stay open and in the moment, sensitive to the other musicians and the music as a whole. So, I feel like we really embody the spirit of the murmuration.”

Is there anywhere you would like to go that you have not been?

“Yes, lots of places! I recently toured in China, which was an amazing experience. It was my first time in Asia. I pretty much loved everything about it. The food was excellent, the people were super open and friendly, and we felt really respected and appreciated by everyone we dealt with at all the venues. That experience was so positive that I’m really eager to visit more countries in Asia.

“I actually have a tour in Japan coming up in the spring that I’m really looking forward to, and in the future, I’d love the chance to visit some other countries like South Korea, Thailand, and Cambodia.”

Kate Wyatt Trio ‘Murmurations’ album artwork

What is the music scene like in Montreal these days?

“Montreal has a great, vibrant music scene. Especially when I first moved here, it was this amazing artist city. Rents were super cheap, and there were lots of music venues and art spaces. Nowadays, the cost of living has definitely gone up, like everywhere else, but we’re still a lot better off than most of the big cities in Canada. There are lots of venues to play jazz at, and we have North America’s largest jazz festival. We also have an organization called the Conseil des arts de Montréal, which means the Montreal arts council in English, which funds independent artists and runs a program called the CAM en tournée.

“So, all around the island of Montreal, there are these beautiful venues called the Maisons de la culture de Montréal (which means culture houses) where they put on dance shows, theatre shows, and music concerts, stuff like that. The CAM en tournée basically sets up a tour of these venues for the chosen artists. You get funded through the arts council, so you’re really well-paid, and it’s really like doing a national tour, but without having to take a plane anywhere, and you can sleep in your own bed at night. It’s pretty awesome!”

Do you receive a lot of support from your local scene and fans in general?

“Yes, I’ve been really lucky. Over the years, I’ve developed a good fan base here in Montreal. I think it helps that I’m a teacher as well. So I make connections with amateur musicians and students all the time, and these are the people who love to come out to jazz shows and buy recordings. I’ve also got a couple of regular concert series that I’m a part of here in Montreal. I collaborate with my husband (and bass player) on a series called Quiet Quieter, which is an intimate house concert series that our friend hosts at her amazing downtown penthouse apartment. It’s called Quiet Quieter because it’s always drum-free. It’s really cool because any time one of our musician friends from out of town comes to Montreal, we have them join us for a show there.

“We also play every Wednesday night at this dive bar called Brasserie Beaubien, and it’s the same thing; we have a different guest every week. It’s a totally different vibe, though. We play from 8 pm to 10 pm, usually pretty high-energy jazz. Then by the time we finish, the place is filled with young people there for the cheap drinks and the pool table. It’s so great! Anyway, each of these series has a pretty long list of regular fans. It’s really cool to see that list grow all the time.”

What’s next for you?

“I have some tours coming up in Ontario and Alberta where we’ll be playing music from the new album. Then I’ll be in Italy for a couple of weeks! I have some great shows coming up in Montreal, too.

“But besides that, I have another project that I’m working on with the wonderful vocalist Sienna Dahlen, as well as Adrian Vedady, the bass player from my piano trio. We have some music ready to go, and we’re planning on releasing an album at some point in 2026. So that will take up a lot of my time for sure, all the organizing and grant writing and everything. I’m really excited about it, though! I’ve been wanting to collaborate with Sienna for a long time!”

For those not familiar with your band, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

“We’re a jazz piano trio based out of Montreal, Canada. I play piano, and I’m joined by Adrian Vedady on the bass and Louis-Vincent Hamel on the drums. They’re both phenomenal, first-call musicians. The cool thing about this trio is that we all compose music for the group. And we also workshop all our music together. So it’s not just like I bring in a composition and tell Adrian and Louis how they should play it. I’ll bring in a sketch and we’ll try out different things on it, and we reach the final version together.

“So, even though we’re all composing our own tunes, the final product has a really cohesive group sound. We’re also all really in the same headspace about music, all about listening to each other and trying to complement what the other musicians are playing. I love playing with these guys, they’re such sensitive musicians!”

Tell us about your experience going it alone as an artist. How hard is it to get your music distributed, promoted, shared, etc?

“I don’t think anyone but another independent artist understands how much work it is. I organize everything from the recording session to the mixing and mastering, to the distribution, and promotion. And I set up all my own tours and write all my own grants. It’s like a full-time job, pretty much. And the skill set involved in networking and meeting promoters is completely different from the skill set needed to write a grant or route a tour with all the little logistical details.

“And, like, none of that is even what I actually do, which is write and play music! It’s crazy! But, you know, as much as I get overwhelmed with the work sometimes, I also like having control of those elements. No one is going to push my music as much as I do, because I’m completely invested in it. It’s all I want to do!”

Share one thing about your band that has never before been revealed.

“We can sit on the beach for hours, finding cool rocks. We have done this. Several times. Ocean beaches and river beaches. Rock curation… It’s kind of our secondary trait. We probably don’t do it as well as we play music, but we’re pretty, pretty good.”