October 30th, 2025
Q&A with 2025 NewSong Finalist Katie Boeck
A 2023 Kerrville New Folk winner and two-time Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase finalist, Katie Boeck is gaining recognition as one of the standout voices in today’s independent folk scene. Her 2023 album Calico was named Best Singer-Songwriter Album of the Year by the Indie Acoustic Project and has garnered praise from outlets like Atwood Magazine, Folk N Rock, and Music Mecca, who called her work both “timeless” and “transcendent.”
Katie and seven other finalists will gather in Asheville on Thursday, December 11, to connect and perform at the 24th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, held at The Grey Eagle. Tickets are on sale here.
NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?
Katie Boeck: It was a pretty eclectic mix. Fleetwood Mac, Petty, Bruce Hornsby, Natalie Merchant, Peter, Paul and Mary, Jim Croce, Janis Ian, Joni Mitchell, Mariah, Celine. And then ’90s country radio during summers with my Dad.
What was your journey to music?
I always enjoyed singing and started taking voice lessons when I was 4. My dad enjoyed songwriting and always encouraged writing my own songs. Many nights were spent in family sing-alongs with my mom and step-dad in the “music room” playing guitar and piano and then listening to great records on loud speakers.
What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why?
I started writing songs when I was about 15. I remember writing a song called “Average Jane” — it felt honest, raw, and so cathartic.
What is your writing process like?
I typically start with a melody over a chord progression on piano or guitar and find a word or a phrase that feels really good to sing over the melody. This will lead me to a broader idea and I’ll flesh out the song from there. For me it feels sort of like a puzzle where once I get a general idea of what the song is about or the overall arc of it, I just start filling it in piece by piece, making refinements and edits along the way.
Share a musical adventure from this summer with us — an experience that really stood out for you.
I released a song called “Dust” that I got to record live to tape with Shane Leonard at his studio in Eau Claire, WI.
NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?
