This month I've spoken with one of Trance's most well known, and admired female vocalists and songwriters - please put your hands together and give a big DT warm welcome to the lovely, Katie Marne...

Lou
Katie, welcome!  Please can you give our Discover Trance listeners an insight into how you got into the industry? and what keeps you driven to work as part of this massive machine with constant changes and new sounds?...

Katie
Well, I started as a session singer... It was a good learning curve to get a look inside the music world as I was dealing with producers and songwriters on a regular basis.  Then I set up my own band and we did a handful of London gigs.  I got approached after one of the gigs by a major publisher and I was able to do music full time.  I was doing songs that were not in the dance genre then, so a publisher was able to help me get my songs covered by other artists both in the UK and abroad.  My opinion is that if you are in the dance scene a publisher, it's not necessary.  I would advise to just get the track out to anyone and

everyone that you can on white label and keep on until you get some airplay, even as little as one play will get the labels jumping around to sign you.

Lou
The old 'If at first you don't succeed' mantra... I suppose that some tracks come around at the 'wrong' time... and don't fit into current themes and sounds maybe?  but I can see why 'Drifting Away' with Lange would have got the labels jumping around! - a beautiful track full of haunting trancey-ness...  Tell us what was your inspiration to write this?

Katie
This song was written with my friend Danny.  We had just hooked up on a new writing venture and we wrote 'Drifting Away'.  The inspiration came from driving back home late one night, from Ministry of Sound after a long evening and I thought I'd put classical on the radio to chill me out and then I just started singing!  I got in and rang Danny and we more or less wrote the whole song over the phone at 3am in the morning... We couldn't stop singing it, the hook was so deep in my mind it was hard to write much more.  Lou, its just one of those magical moments when you hear the finished product and you know... You just know... I'm doing a new track with Marcella Detroit that 'Toolroom' have signed, and that's another time when you feel it's special...  Watch this space... It's called 'Under Pressure' and we have remixes on the go at the moment...

Lou
That sounds amazing, you heard it here first! Get on the lookout for 'Under Pressure'!  I love it when I hear an amazing track and it just gets frozen into my head, and I can't stop playing it on repeat!  Which leads me nicely into asking, what single track you could have playing on repeat forever...

Katie
If its a dance single then there is but one, which is Mylo - 'Dr Pressure' - I love his production and it takes me back to a very happy time in my life... Big time... :)

Lou
I have a few of those, as well!. Love those kinds of tracks... the ones that make you remember where you were, and what you were doing at that moment... and it's so special that a piece of music can do that... Wow... Anyway, I digress, as I do.

Katie, I know that you offer a vocal coaching service... How does it feel to help someone realise their dream of becoming a vocalist? and what tips would you offer anyone looking to work in this part of the music industry?

Katie
Singer tips, ok... no dairy products as it's bad for the throat, and the BIG thing is, DON'T try to sound like anyone else... We all have our own sound, and once you let go and just sing, and not be too technical you will find your true voice... The rest is just tweaking it here and there really...

Lou
Hey guys, see?!... Sounds like there is hope for me yet, eh?!  We'll see... And what do you prefer doing in the industry? Writing, singing or producing? and why?

Katie
I LOVE recording other singers, I absolutely love it.  If I can get someone behind the mic with a good voice and a lot of passion I'm as happy as I can be........... I'm doing a lot with Robbie Rivera that's coming up, and I've used some new unknown artists as well...

Lou
Sounds great! We have a few nice mic voices here at DT, don't you know?!... ;) I heard a snippet of 'Your Mistake' on your website, it sounds very dark and a very 'me' track...  I love hearing new people on the scene... they tend to always be so fresh... Speaking of working with other artists/producers, I recently interviewed Sean Tyas for Discover Trance - and he also remixed your track 'Giving up, Giving in' with Talla2xlc.  Can you tell us what it was like to work with him?  and is there anything else in the pipeline to work with him in the future?

Katie
Sean Tyas is great. What a remix he did!... Yes, we have a few things that we are talking about, but we are both really busy 'cos I'm doing a lot of new tracks, and I'm also off to the Canary Islands to finish my album...

Lou 
The Canaries?!... Have you got room in your suitcase for a small stowaway?! ;) I was just about to ask about your own album that I know you've been working hard on...  Are there any snippets of what kinds of sounds we can expect to hear? or who's working on this with you?... (We like the goss here at DT, you see)

Katie
Well, my album is in the style of Portishead/Morcheeba, and I am so lucky to have the most brilliant musicians playing on it.  All of the songs are very personal to me and reflect on my life, so people will get to know maybe the deep side to me...

Lou
So a 'chilly-outty' kinda sound?  Been years since I've listened to either of those artists, but I did like some of their stuff a fair few years ago, so will keep my eyes peeled for it, as it sounds right up my street :) Now... This is a purely selfish 'Lou' question, as I love Judge Jules. What was it like to work with him on the tracks that you've worked on together? ('No Ordinary Day' and 'The Night You Kept Me Warm')

Katie
Jules is a really genuinely nice guy.  He knows exactly what he wants from a track, so it's very easy to work with him.  I respect his personality as much as his work as a dj and producer, as he is a big family man and it's really refreshing to see that, especially in this industry.  His wife and children are very important to his life.

Editor David adds (not so nice when i was being sick on him) 

Lou
I love his stuff, I really do, and he played a brilliant set at the Global Gathering festival that I went to in Stratford-upon-Avon the other weekend... I get the mickey taken out of me for having him in my 'Top 5' but there you go, guys... A NICE dj. Now Katieee.... If you were to go out on a night out with 'the girls', what kinds of music do you dance the craziest to?   What makes you let your hair down?

Katie 
:) Electro and Trance... merge them together and that's even better!... :) I used to be a podium dancer so I love to dance :)

Lou
Brilliant! Sounds we'd get on just fine!!  Is a night out at Godskitchen on the cards then, my dear?!. Final question from me now... What exciting developments have you got planned for brand 'Katie Marne' over the next 12 months, and what are you most looking forward to?

Katie 
Mostly working on my album, and working with as many new people as possible.......... and I'd also like to thank you for asking me to join you for this interview, Lou :)

Lou
You are most welcome, the pleasure is all mine :) ...and there you have it, my new dancing partner, right there!

To keep up to date with all things Katie, check out www.katiemarne.com or www.myspace.com/katiemarneofficial