When one thinks of a ‘pop star’, their mind inevitably goes to catchy melodies and zeitgeist-defining aesthetics. But what about good songwriting? The ability to capture a feeling or moment that so many people have experienced but struggled to put into words is often underappreciated. But it’s here that Perth-born, London-based singer-songwriter Kat Penkin’s new Good Woman EP sits a cut above the rest.
With lyrics describing staying in a lover’s bed as they head off to work, or tasting the “low-hanging fruit” of a partner you know you’re better than, Penkin’s tracks have all the cinematic qualities of a coming-of-age flick. There’s humour, tragedy and triumph all packaged into Joe Warriner’s seductively simple bedroom pop production.
“Songwriting is probably the biggest part of who I am as an artist,” 27-year-old Penkin tells Dazed. “When I write, I just want to tell a clear story – something that transports people – and have it be fun and clever.”
Case in point: this latest EP unpacks the notion of a ‘good woman’, attempting to find stable ground amid ideas of womanhood that have been both externally and internally imposed on her. “If a man called me a ‘good woman,’ I think I’d absolutely lose it – put him in his place and call him a misogynist,” Penkin says. “But calling myself that, and using the song to reassure myself that I am a ‘good woman’ felt really thought-provoking and sad. A lot of my songs lean into empowerment and strength, but I’d be doing myself and anyone listening a disservice to pretend that’s how I feel all the time. I have moments of feeling completely inadequate – not ‘good’ enough in my womanhood or what I’ve been conditioned to believe a ‘good woman’ should be.”
This personal connection to storytelling has long underpinned Penkin’s music. Last year, she released “15”, a heartbreaking chronicle of her experiences with an eating disorder as a teenager. While certainly not the first song to explore the topic, as someone who has personally undergone similar struggles, Penkin’s vulnerability on the track captured a reality for me and my family in a way that no other song had. In lyrics like “I just wanted to fit in, now I can’t fit anything,” Penkin navigates the line between painful directness and artistic abstraction with the deftness of all the pop greats.
Below, as her new EP Good Woman releases today, Kat Penkin sits down with Dazed to unpack her complex experience of womanhood, good songwriting and how becoming a pop star helped her escape the trauma of her past.
I really love your lyricism. How do you approach songwriting?
Kat Penkin: A lot of my inspiration comes from silly sayings or random phrases that I’ll hear and expand into something deeper. “UGH” actually started when I was listening to a podcast and heard the phrase ‘low-hanging fruit’ – I’d never heard it before!
But I also pull a lot from my own life, especially when I want to write something more serious or meaningful. I work in a restaurant, and one day this couple came in and broke up in the corner of the wine bar for, like, three hours while I awkwardly polished glasses nearby. That moment inspired the lyric in “Good Woman”: “Now we’re just that couple in the corner, who don’t know what the hell they’re fighting over.”
I like how you’re so honest about the struggles of being an artist today. Do you think it’s important to share the grind as well as the highlights?
Kat Penkin: Yeah, I think it’s really important to be honest about your circumstances – and the reality is, this is just my reality. I work three 14-hour shifts a week in a restaurant to financially support myself and my music, and the other four days I’m either in sessions or trying to be a ‘content creator’, filming and editing for social media to promote my work.
It’s definitely a physically and mentally exhausting balancing act – another full-time job, essentially – and it leaves very little time for much else. But that’s what you have to do to make even a small dent in this industry if you don’t have financial backing or major label support. It’s not where I wish I was at in my career, but I’m also not ashamed. I work really hard to keep making music I care about. And I think it helps other independent artists to see someone being real about the hustle. We’re all in the same boat.
Your music oscillates between ‘bad b’ pop anthems and super vulnerable storytelling. How would you describe your style?
Kat Penkin: I’ve always stayed in a pretty identifiable ‘pop’ bubble, but with this EP, I was really intentional about exploring new styles. When I was a little girl, I used to get my dad to put on a VCR of ABBA’s Greatest Hits. I’ve always been mesmerised by their sound and lyricism, but I never really explored that kind of production or writing, probably from a lack of confidence.
For this project, I even tried to rewire the way I sing. I think I used to focus on sounding ‘pretty’ or ‘perfect,’ probably because that’s what modern pop leans toward. But with this EP, I just wanted to sound as real as possible – like me. I’m still very much in the pop world, but I hope this era feels rawer and more honest, because it’s the truest I’ve ever felt in my music.
It isn’t on this EP, but I just wanted to say, as someone who grew up with similar experiences, “15” is quite a special song to me. Did it feel cathartic sharing your story?
Kat Penkin: “15” was a really difficult song to write – not just because I was telling my story, but also sharing something deeply personal to my family. I wasn’t sure how they’d react. In fact, I’m not even sure if they’ve all watched the music video, it’s super confronting. Some of the language in the argument scenes was taken directly from real fights, so it was definitely a vulnerable experience.
I never expected the reaction it got. It was bittersweet seeing how many people, especially young girls, connected to the song and had similar experiences. For the first time in my career, I felt like my music was making an impact. It’s been an honour to have my story received so gracefully and to create a space where people feel safe sharing their experiences with an illness that’s so often misunderstood.
Did the pop star model always appeal to you growing up?
Kat Penkin: I honestly can’t remember a time when I wanted to be something different. I’ve always loved singing and being on stage – and truthfully, I’ve never been very good at anything else! I grew up watching people like Miley Cyrus and all these Disney stars who had music careers as teenagers, and I was so jealous. I remember thinking, ‘I can do that! I want to do that!’
Unfortunately, when I got really unwell in my early teens, a lot of those dreams kind of disappeared. It wasn’t until my early 20s, when I was healthy again, that I reconnected with music. But when it came back, it came back hard – like I had to make up for lost time. I think that’s why pop has always felt so special to me. It’s what I loved as a little girl, it’s where my passion dropped off, and it’s also where it picked back up after one of the hardest times in my life.
I think I used to focus on sounding ‘pretty’ or ‘perfect,’ probably because that’s what modern pop leans toward. But with this EP, I just wanted to sound as real as possible
You first moved to the UK from Australia to pursue music, right? That must have been quite a big change.
Kat Penkin: Absolutely. It all ties into my recovery journey from my ED. I left school at 15 and never completed high school. I did a few courses here and there as I started to recover, but I never really found my footing again after leaving my friends and that version of my life behind. Around 19 or 20, as I started to truly come out the other side, I felt this overwhelming urge to leave Perth, where I grew up, and just start fresh. I wanted to be someone new. I didn’t want to be looked at as the ‘unwell’ girl anymore – I wanted to be the singer I knew I could be.
My brother was living in London at the time and asked if I wanted to sublet his flat for a few months, so I did. I started in London, then moved down to Brighton and was completely inspired by the buskers and musicians there – it was a kind of scene I’d never experienced before. I just started saying, ‘Hi, I’m Kat, I’m a singer.’ I’d ask to jump in with buskers, go to open mics, write songs in my room, and post them online. That’s really where my journey started.
Who would be your dream collab?
Kat Penkin: I’m obsessed with Remi Wolf’s lyricism – it’s like a stream of consciousness that somehow flows and works, and she throws in all these wild B-parts where the vibe completely shifts. And her vocal choices are just otherworldly. I’d love to write with her, support her on tour, just learn from her.
I’m also really inspired by Chappell Roan. Her writing and melodies are so nostalgic but still feel like something you’ve never heard before. If I ever get the chance to create with her, I’d die a very happy (good) woman.
Good Woman is out now
