Honky Tonk country music has another conservator: Kathryn Legendre. I had the opportunity to check out her stop at Fort Worth’s Magnolia Motor Lounge. Her 4 person full-band ensemble gave an intimate performance to those lucky enough to make it out during a weeknight.
The San Antonio-based artist demonstrated her beautiful, sweet, and southern voice as she serenaded her supporters whilst her powerful presence conquered the venue. Kathryn’s passion for music was evident both throughout the performance and during the interview.
In this interview with Texas Country Tour, Kathryn Legendre shares her insights on her full-time job in the music industry apart from her performance career, gives us a glimpse into the business side of touring, and opens up about her passion for protecting country music. Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Can you tell us about yourself?
That is a very broad question. It's funny because I feel like I have struggled with this question in a musical sense. You read about a bunch of artists and everyone's got a story. Everyone's got a background like “I'm from here, I've been through this, I lost this”, something that just kind of makes their background a bit more interesting. I feel like I don't have that. I'm just a person who is admittedly very protective of country music. I grew up loving it, singing it, and eventually playing it.
What means most to me now is writing it. It wasn't necessarily something I learned how to do but I just kind of evolved into it. I just kind of feel like I'm just an average person who took that passion and found a way to make it a reality.
I did have a lot of help from people around me. My guitar player, who is actually my husband now, played a lot in that. I feel like I'm a songwriter with a honky tonk habit.
You're starting a relatively long tour for yourself right now with your full band, how do you feel about that tour coming up?
I'm so glad that it's with my band because I feel so much more comfortable performing with them. I feel like I can be more like myself and portray my music in the way that I really want it to be with my full band, as opposed to solo. This is the first run of hopefully many for me. Every single place that I'm playing, tonight included, it's the first time I've played it.
So that is exciting, but definitely, nerves come with that because I want to be able to live up to the standard that I have in my head. I want to balance the things that the road brings. Whether it be fatigue, drinking, and just getting to places on time. No matter what, it's going to be a learning experience that I'm totally here for.
Other than music, what do you do in your free time?
What is free time?
*Laughter*
That would be my first question! I do also work a full-time job. Thankfully, it’s in the music industry where I’m spending most of my time behind the scenes.
If I am not working or playing music, I really enjoy being outdoors. Whether it is on my porch, drinking coffee, hiking in a national park, or whatever, I really need to be outdoors. It’s my inspiration but it's also, no pun intended, very grounding for me. It's just where I kind of get my Zen.
Speaking of behind the scenes, what's it like behind the scenes in regards to the business side of your music?
It is a lot. I'm learning, especially at this point where I am in my music career, but I am finding that I'm in this interesting position in my career where I'm still doing everything that is forward-facing, behind the scenes, and writing the songs, and everything else.
I'm not quite at a point yet where I can have other people help me in terms of a manager or someone to help with booking tours. That's the goal. That's the next natural step for me. It is a lot. I do have a band, but technically it comes down to me and it definitely feels like a one-woman show in some ways. That is nothing I can't handle.
What are you hoping to add to the country music genre?
Okay. So originally when you brought that up at the beginning and I was kind of thinking on it, I thought I wanted that answer to be about the female perspectives or just more women in general.
But I think that the reason why I do this now is for me. I think what would be best for me and honestly for anyone who would listen, is bringing myself and what I have. I would say specifically, it's probably my lyrics because that's what I enjoy the most. I get the biggest adrenaline rush out of writing a song that I feel proud of as opposed to walking off stage and thinking, “Yeah, that was a good show!”
It's just different for me. I think that bringing myself to the table that is “country music” is what I truly want to do.
Kathryn Legendre is one of the most passionate people I’ve met on my journey so far because of her love and protection of country music in Texas. When listening to Kathryn perform her song titled “One Long Sad Song” live with her band, it felt like I was transcended into heaven for 4.5 minutes because it’s in my personal top 5 songs ever and it was so beautifully performed. In my humble opinion, Legendre is THE Honky Tonk Queen of Texas. Please check out her music below!
You can connect with Kathryn Legendre on social media with the handle @Legendre on both Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to visit her website to see her next performance dates and purchase her merchandise on the online store.