Garrett Kato Pays Tribute To Japanese Heritage With New EP ‘Kumamoto’ Out Now
July 9, 2021 BY Nettwerk
Take A Deep Dive Into Kumamoto With American Songwriter’s Exclusive Track By Track: HERE
“If this is your introduction to Garrett Kato, you will need to be prepared for a unique blend of folk-pop that delivers reflective musings on love, life and vices.” — American Songwriter
On his new EP Kumamoto, singer, songwriter and producer Garrett Kato pays tribute to his Japanese heritage with a powerful look at triumph and trauma, past and present. Written during the turmoil of 2020 and recorded in his home studio in Byron Bay, the songs were a way of coping with an uncertain future. The EP title, Kumamoto, is a nod to the city where the Kato bloodline began in southern Japan.
“Australia was on fire, and, soon after, a worldwide pandemic hit that changed the world for the foreseeable future,” says Garrett. “I began thinking of what generations before us went through, about my grandparents; victims of internment camps of World War II. How strong people can be, despite overwhelming odds.”
LISTEN TO KUMAMOTO HERE: https://garrettkato.ffm.to/kumamoto
Garrett kicked off 2021 with the single “Be,” which was written, produced and mixed by Garrett at his home studio in Byron Bay at a time when the world had just begun to feel the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. He followed it up with “Firestarter,” co-written with Australian singer-songwriter Ainslie Wills, and “Never Be Us,” which came from a poignant conversation Garrett had with his six-year-old daughter about the Black Lives Matter protests in America. Most recently, he released “Delusional,” which was co-written by Aussie singer/songwriter (and doctor) Sophie Payten (aka Gordi) and born out of a conversation about Covid-19 conspiracy theories and misinformation causing hysteria around the globe.
Known for his reflective musings on love, life and vices, singer-songwriter and platinum-award winning producer Garrett’s unique style of folk-pop is catching fire around the globe. A string of powerful releases, including sophomore album hemispheres, has seen him perform sold-out shows alongside Damien Rice and Ziggy Alberts and amass over 75 million worldwide streams.
Australian tastemaker triple j dubbed Garrett as the “producer and musician behind some of the most prominent sounds coming out the Byron Bay’s booming buskers scene,” and rightly so; Kumamoto was self-produced by Garrett at his home studio, where he has also worked with a string of artists including Julia Stone, Pete Murray, Tones and I, Kyle Lionhart, Riley Pearce, Pierce
