Barely five months on from his last album, and just weeks after his latest single, it’s clear that Canadian-born Garrett Kato is in the midst of a purple patch. Now, this prolific streak is set to continue with new single “Never Be Us” arriving in anticipation of Kato’s new EP, Kumamoto.
Set to release on July 9th, Kato’s Kumamoto EP is in many ways a product of its time, with the Byron Bay-based artist hunkering down in his home studio to work on new music during a time of uncertainty. As Kato notes, the EP’s title is a nod to the city in southern Japan where his family’s bloodline began.
“Australia was on fire, and, soon after, a worldwide pandemic hit that changed the world for the foreseeable future,” he explains. “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.”
This theme of resilience and strength is palpable on the his newest single, with “Never Be Us” being inspired by a conversation had with his six-year-old daughter about the Black Lives Matter protests in America.
“She didn’t understand why people would treat others differently because of their skin colour or race and said, ‘that would never be us’,” he recalls.
Having released his Hemispheres album back in December of 2020, it didn’t take long for Garrett Kato to start delivering new music into the world. Sharing his single “Be” back in January, he followed it up with the release of “Firestarter” soon after, which was co-written with Australian singer-songwriter Ainslie Wills.
Kato also has a run of Australian tour dates scheduled for August, with full details available below.
Garrett Kato’s “Never Be Us” is available now, while his Kumamoto EP is set for release on July 9th.
Garrett Kato Australian tour dates
Thursday, August 5th
Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne, VIC
Friday, August 6th
The Great Club, Sydney, NSW
Friday, August 13th
O’Skulligans, Brisbane, QLD
Thursday, August 26th
The Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide, SA
Friday, August 27th
Sonar Room, Perth, WA
