With the recent release of a new song and video from her debut album, Alexandria singer-songwriter Katie Ditschun is eyeing 2020 as a breakout year for her contemporary style of jazz-pop music.
‘That Is That’ – the second single released from Ditchsun’s 2019 album ‘Spare Skirt’ – is a bit of a departure for the artist, with a stripped-down sound and featuring ukulele instead of her trademark piano as the main instrument. It is a style that took direction from the time when the song was first conceived.
“The song for me is the simplest way of saying that we need each other and there’s really nothing more to say about it – it’s so foundational to our human experience,” the artist says, noting the single release is timely given the current COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to feelings of isolation among Canadians. “We can’t live as isolated creatures, we can’t survive, we need other people.”
The video for ‘That Is That’ – also created entirely by Ditschun – is shot in stark black and white and features stick caricatures drawn by the singer and members of her family. Like the song itself, the video was aimed at making the message in the lyrics easy to comprehend.
“I had the idea of doing something that was as universal as possible, so that anyone watching it could appreciate it regardless of who they are and where they’re from,” Ditschun says of the video. “Stick figures are fun and quirky and we had a lot of fun doing the clips.”
The video for ‘That Is That’ can be viewed on YouTube Here
The new single release is just the latest in what has been a busy year so far for Ditschun, who signed with a new publicist in January and has been heavily promoting her music. It is a return to form for the budding recording artist, who notes she was unable to promote the album heavily last year, as the songwriting and recording process took a lot out of her. Ditschun was also going through a period of mourning, having lost her mother in 2018 just prior to entering the studio.
“The work and everything up to releasing (the album) I found really stressful,” commented the artist, who wrote and recorded all of the songs herself. “By the time it was released, I was spent.”
By January of this year Ditschun had begun to bounce back and signed with Toronto music correspondent Eric Alper – host of ThatEricAlper show on Sirius XM radio. The collaboration has helped Ditschun find a focus and energized her towards expanding the market for her music.
“When you’re a solo artist and your team is you and you’re also trying to do your day job, it can be too much,” noted Ditschun, who by day teaches music privately in her home studio. “I also have other jobs like gigging and I play church services every Sunday, so I was just completely overwhelmed trying to figure it all out while I was also juggling all my other jobs. I needed help and direction – I didn’t really know what steps I should be taking.”
Keeping very busy in 2020 since joining up with Alper, Ditschun also released a new original song just a couple of months ago. Written in April, the song ‘Her’ was recorded live with just Ditschun on piano and playing at a restaurant in Alexandria.
“I rented the Quirky Carrot for the evening and had people come out to be my audience and it was a lot of fun,” Ditschun says. “It was a really great experience – people wanted to come out and support me and it felt fantastic.”
Her live performance of ‘Her’ can be viewed on Ditschun’s YouTube channel Here
Ditschun’s 10-track album ‘Spare Skirt’ is available for purchase online in MP4 format through Itunes, Google Play Music and other music websites. The CD version can be found at several outlets in Alexandria and can also be ordered through Ditschun’s website Here
