The Reno music scene has many late bloomers, musicians who started when they were well out of their teen years. Kat Heart is one of those locals who began playing guitar and writing songs in her late 20s—and it took a significant life change to begin her musical life.
Heart, now 41, was born in South Lake Tahoe and lived in Gardnerville for most of her youth. After living in Lima, Ohio, for a decade, she returned to Gardnerville in 2012 after a divorce. She also decided to teach herself guitar and write songs as part of this major crossroads in her life.
“The day I left Ohio, I bought a used black Yamaha acoustic for $100,” Heart said. “I jumped on a plane to visit my family (in Gardnerville) and sort my life out, and I went to the open mic at Genoa Bar (and Saloon), and that was the first time I played guitar and sang for people. I never knew that I had a voice or that anyone would want to listen to it. I used to say, ‘I can sing on key, but you don’t want to hear it.’”
Oh, how wrong Heart was. She slayed that first open-mic slot and kept going from there, eventually establishing herself as a force in the Reno-Tahoe singer/songwriter scene. She said she’s written about 300 songs in those 12-plus years and can perform a two- to three-hour show.
“Not every song is a keeper, but music has always been a therapeutic thing for me,” Heart said. “It was how I coped with my emotions, and I got a lot off my chest. A couple of songs I’ve written are more like a story or maybe where my life was, just inspiration and not fact, but the vast majority are genuine to my life. … A lot of the music comes from a place of healing and communication, trying to make the world a better place and not giving in to the darkness.
“I take the time to talk at every show about community, because that’s what it’s all about. I don’t book any corporate gigs, because I want to support the places that really support the community.”
Heart classifies her music as indie, although she has earned a steady following of local blues fans thanks to her powerful yet nuanced rock voice. There’s plenty of range in what she can play, though.
“I have songs that are heavy to super-super light, more like jazz or folk,” she said.
She started playing her diverse songs with a band, called Feral Heart, in June 2024, with a pretty big debut: opening for roots-American singer/songwriter Grace Potter at the Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch. In the current Feral Heart lineup, Heart sings and plays guitar and is joined by Arthur Kerr on second guitar, Guy Hartshorn on tenor sax, Jasmine Cooper on bass and Luke Knudsen on drums.
Heart’s music is barely on Spotify, not just for political reasons, but because she said their terms and conditions take too many artistic rights from musicians. She is on other streaming services and has her own YouTube channel with audio and video of her solo and Feral Heart material. This includes two full-length albums, an EP and several singles.
She and the band have decisive plans to record more songs. First, there is work in December with local video company Coyote Creative to record live material that will be released in January. Heart also said a full studio recording of Feral Heart material is in the cards, in the new year after that video shoot. It’s an ambitious schedule, but Heart said she couldn’t resist the “universal kismet” of this all coming together.
“I’ve been working toward a lot of these things for a long time,” she said. “I have all of my dream players now. Arthur, I’ve known for a long time; he’s a very good friend of mine. I consider him a brother. And Jasmine is my dream bassist, but we never lined up properly to play together until now.”
It’s also a great time to record, as Heart is less busy onstage in the winter months. She reeled off the list of regular gigs she has during the summer months: She hosts three blues jams a month, performs a week-long residency in Tahoe, plays twice a month in Carson City, and grabs other Feral Heart gigs as they come up.
Heart is also busy with her four children: Annie, 23; Alex, 19; Autumn, 18; and Alyssa,15. She also had guardianship of two other children before they were adults, Hunter, 19, and Matthew, 18. It’s not a surprise that most of her children are musically inclined.
“Alex has been on tour with me before and is a hell of a bass player,” Heart said. “My oldest daughter knows most band instruments and is mostly a flute player, though she’s not doing that now. Autumn has a beautiful voice and plays the ukelele. Alyssa is learning drums, guitar and sax, and Hunter is the lead singer in his own indie rock band.”
Heart said she’s proud her children have all found the same love of music that she embodies. “My thing would be to get all of them to play with me at the same time,” she said.
Kat Heart will co-host First Tuesday Open Mic at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 10 Torr Distilling and Brewing, 490 Mill St. in Reno. She’s also scheduled to play during jams with the Reno Blues Society at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14 and 28, at Lead Dog Brewing, 415 E. Fourth St., in Reno. A duo version of Feral Heart is slated to play on Friday, Dec. 19, at The Fox Restaurant and Brewery, 124 Wonder St., in Reno. Learn more at www.katheart.net.
Awesome Kat ….. Told you your a superstar … Ya pretty much always have been from what ive seen….. Congratulations