Katera — All Posts — The Jasper Project

Join us as we celebrate all the artists honored in the spring 2022 issue of Jasper Magazine for the official release event at 5:30 on Thursday, June 9th at the Black Rooster’s beautiful rooftop bar.

Among the artists we’ll be celebrating are cover artist Lindsay Radford (written by Kristine Hartvigsen) and centerfold Michael Krajewski (which was shot by Brad Martin in the Black Rooster itself!)

In a jam-packed 64 pages you’ll find another piece by Kristine Hartvigsen on Mike Miller’s new novel, The Hip Shot, as well as excerpts from Jane Zenger and Angelo Geter’s new books of poetry from Muddy Ford Press.

Music editor Kevin Oliver put together a detailed section of new music called “10 to Watch” featuring new work from Saul Seibert, Katera, Desiree Richardson, Tam the Vibe, Rex Darling, Space Force, Admiral Radio, Hillmouse, Candy Coffins, and Lang Owen, with contributing writing from Kyle Petersen and Emily Moffitt.

Stephanie Allen writes about Josetra Baxter and Tamara Finkbeiner’s Walking on Water Productions and their new series Secrets in Plain Sight, with photography by Bree Burchfield.

And we highlight Columbia artist Quincy Pugh as well as feature Will South’s interview with Tyrone Geter all the way from Gambia.

USC filmmaker Carleen Maur helps us understand more about the art of experimental filmmaking.

Emily Moffitt profiles visual artists Rebecca Horne, Lucy Bailey, and designer Diko Pekdemir-Lewis.

Ed Madden curates poetry from Juan David Cruz-Duarte and Terri McCord.

Christina Xan details the incredible success of Cooper Rust and her non-profit organization, Artists for Africa.

Cindi Boiter profiles SC Arts Commission executive director David Platts, with photography by Brodie Porterfield, and writes about the new public art, Motherhood by Nora Valdez, with exquisite photography by Stephen Chesley.

*Motherhood* by Nora Valdez, phot by Stephen Chesley

And finally, we memorialize two pillars of the Columbia arts community, Mary Bentz Gilkerson and Wim Roefs, whose loss this spring we are still reeling from.

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We look forward to seeing you Thursday night.

The event is free and Black Rooster’s regular rooftop bar will be serving drinks and food. Come by for happy hour and grab a drink, a magazine, and a hug from your favorite folks. Or plan on staying a while and grabbing dinner or snacks.

Thanks to restauranteur extraordinaire Kristian Niemi for hosting us.

We can’t wait to see you and show off these exceptional artists who call Columbia, SC home!

By Kyle Petersen

Although Fear Doesn’t Live Here is technically Columbia R&B singer/songwriter Katera’s debut album, she’s long been one of the most intriguing voices in our music scene. Many of the songs on this record have been available online and in her set list for years, so there’s a way in which this record feels like a culmination of sorts, the conclusive exclamation point on the gradually building recognition of Katera as one of the great artistic talents in our city.

A gospel-trained singer who taught herself guitar in order to burnish her performance and songwriting talents, Katera presents herself as a true student of both the pop-rock and R&B traditions, excelling at brisk, lithely constructed tunes. The lead-in intro “Hate Me Now” has her confidently riding a hook-filled, loping beat that builds gracefully into the sumptuous R&B groove of “Refund (I Don’t Love You),” a pocket-heavy performance which in turn is framed against the throbbing acoustic pop-rock strums and triumphant chorus of “DNA.”

That opening salvo establishes both the songwriting range and the polished studio techniques that Fear utilizes. As a guitarist and arranger, Katera leans towards punched-up versions of the warm tones of neo-soul and the casually athletic vocal multi-tracks of early 2000s contemporary R&B. It’s a potent blend, and one that could carry the record of a lesser songwriter, really.

But Katera excels as a songwriter first and foremost, with a distinct sense of character and charisma that, in addition to her technical skills, really fosters her album’s identity. Tracks like “Single” and “No Phone Calls” present a humbly confident twist on women’s empowerment anthems, toying with the romantic themes of the genre while offering a distinct perspective. This is perhaps most evident on “Rush,” the pulsating centerpiece of the record which gracefully pulls back against a breathless melody and giddy chord progression as Katera and featured rapper H3RO articulate the desire to slow down a relationship as a couple feels tempted to succumb to urgent longing.

There are lighter and more playful moments here too (“Superhero” and “In Love with the DJ”), but it is her distinctive spin on R&B romance that makes Katera’s first album such a triumph. Most debut records are usually about the promise of the artist, but this one is truly more a demonstration of a fully realized vision.

Happy Hour Release Party for Jasper Magazine Spring 2022 - Thursday, June 9th at Black Rooster Rooftop Bar

THE BEAT - Review: Katera - Fear Doesn’t Live Here