Check out the upbeat new single from Run Katie Run, a song that bursts with energy and joy. Singer Kate Coleman has a fine voice for country and roots rock, elevated by the excellent musicianship of her bandmates. With a strong rhythm and an excellent fusion of banjo and electric guitar and bass, ‘I’ve Been Called Worse’ grabs our attention and holds it right the way through. It’s all driven by an catchy melody and infectious performances. Halfway through ‘I’ve Been Called Worse’, there’s an outstanding guitar solo from Corey Coleman before the instruments fall away, leaving just the beat, and the band sing together, displaying their great vocal harmonies and camaraderie. This is a really effective, memorable moment.
It’s a song with a great message and attitude, shrugging off other’s criticisms and just carrying on regardless. Kate Coleman, the band’s lead singer, says of the song: “‘I’ve Been Called Worse’ was written by myself and two other Georgia songwriters – Kira Annalise and Hailey Fletcher – at my kitchen table. All three of us have been in this situation in one form or another; you’re playing a show, you think you’re looking cool as hell and absolutely killin’ it, and then you can see from the stage someone making catty remarks about you. As twenty-somethings we took it personally, got defensive and – let’s be honest – super insecure. But as thirty-somethings, we simply don’t care anymore. So go sit back down, there’s no need to apologize for your rude girlfriend – I’ve been called worse by a whole lot better.”
Director Hart Jacquez has put together a great, good-humoured video that perfectly captures the song and the band’s sense of fun. Those dance scenes will have viewers smiling and wanting to join in. Get ready to dance. Coleman explains: “We knew we wanted to make a music video for ‘I’ve Been Called Worse,’ but none of us knew what we wanted it to be. I met with a very professional, well-regarded videographer who had great experience. We brainstormed a storyline, locations, scenes, and the budget, and settled on a pretty good idea for a video. He was very nice, and he did absolutely nothing wrong, but, regardless, I walked away feeling uneasy. As I started digging deeper to figure out why I was feeling this way, the thought crossed my mind, ‘We’re musicians, not actors,’ and with that, I trusted my gut and pulled the plug on the entire operation. A month or two later, we were at Media Production Studios in Atlanta to take new album and press photos for ‘Cowboy Boots with Fishnet Tights’. During the photo shoot, we had SO MUCH FUN, and we ended up dancing like maniacs in front of the camera, and that’s when it hit me…this is the music video! We had my sister, Kaylee Baty (teacher and choreographer at Alicats Dance & More), choreograph a line-dance to ‘I’ve Been Called Worse’ and teach it to us on camera; mistakes, goofiness, and all! I knew this would capture our friendship: fun, silly, laughing a lot, and a willingness to try new things. Hart Jacquez, our Director / Cinematographer, was the one who suggested we also bring our instruments and perform the song; I’m very happy we did that because I think it perfectly captured what we look like when you see us in concert. I’m so happy with how this turned out. There’s no storyline. Just five best friends enjoying whatever time we get to spend with each other…That’s Run Katie Run in a nutshell.” Indeed, the video does really sum up the band’s approach. See the exclusive Q&A below for more details about the song and video.
The quintet came together as a band when The Colemans duo joined forces with Highbeams after an open-mic night in Georgia that led to a strong friendship. Coleman explains: “It’s not lost on me how grateful I have to be for this group. You hear such tragic stories about bands not working out because they just can’t interpersonally get it together, and I am so unbelievably grateful for these guys. We are friends first and a band second, and I think that’s why it keeps staying good because that’s more important than anything.” Certainly, that sense of warm camaraderie and the joy in playing together is at the heart of the band’s music; it’s genuine and endearing. The single is from the upcoming album ‘Cowboy Boots with Fishnet Tights’, which is due out on 28th April 2023 and follows up the 2018 album ‘Past’ and the 2021 EP ‘Running on Love’. Enjoy the album when it comes but start here – dancing along to ‘I’ve Been Called Worse’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8KhOZubH3E
Exclusive Q&A with Kate Coleman, lead singer of Run Katie Run for Americana UK:
This song is really great. What inspired it?
Two things: Dolly Parton, and Hailey Fletcher’s (one of the co-writers) love for wearing fishnets with jean shorts.
A number of your songs have a bit of sass to them, and this song is no exception. Is that something that you actively strive to weave into your songs, or is it a byproduct of the personalities making and writing the music?
Definitely a byproduct; I think that’s just my sense of humour! I lean on humour when something makes me angry; my most sassy songs tend to be driven by something that ticked me off, ha ha.
This song was also the first single you released from your forthcoming album. What about it made you choose it as the first single?
It was the song all five of us walked away going, “That’s stuck in my head!” There are a lot of songs on the album that we thought were really catchy, but this one edged out the others by an inch or two; we just followed our guts!
We’re here today to watch your video for the first time. Whose idea was the video treatment? Who shot and directed the video for you? What is the premise of it?
I guess the idea was mine, but Hart Jacquez (Director and Cinematographer) was equally responsible for the treatment, in my opinion. We had our photo shoot in the same space a couple months earlier, and at the time, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do for a music video. While we were taking photos, the guys started dancing in front of the camera, and we got the best photos from there; that’s when I knew I wanted to capture them dancing and being silly. I thought it would be funny and entertaining, and I was right, ha ha ha.
I had my sister, Kaylee Baty, choreograph and teach us a line-dance on camera, and it was a total blast. Hart suggested we also perform the song, and I’m so glad we did both. There really isn’t a story – it’s just 5 friends, being extremely goofy, and having a blast. I’m especially in love with the end – there are a couple of surprises that make me laugh every time!
It really does look like you and the rest of the band had a lot of fun filming this. Can you give us a glimpse behind-the-scenes and possibly share any funny or fun stories from the shoot?
Hart was really amazing and not making the setting too stuffy or uptight. He kept saying, “I just want you to be yourselves and have fun.” As a result, we kept having all of these beautifully hilarious ideas, like singing a cappella behind the drum kit, switching instruments, free-style dancing at certain parts of the song. I think those moments are what make the video so fun and vibrant. My favorite part was Ian, our drummer, “playing lead guitar’” – he can’t play a single lick on a string instrument so watching him pretend was freaking hilarious!
What is your favourite thing or moment from the video?
So, we had a lot of great endings by the end of the day… let’s just say we found a way to use more than one. Another favorite part for me is when Stephen, our bassist, does a star jump right on the word “cheap” around 2:30; I went back and watched that probably 10 times in a row when Hart first sent it to me, ha ha ha.
Your album comes out later this week. What else is on tap for Run Katie Run?
Now that the album’s done, we’re hitting the road and playing as much as possible. We have shows in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Florida, South Carolina, and of course, Georgia. We have some amazing new show opportunities coming this year, and we just can’t wait to hit the stage and share this album with fans and friends!
