Local Spins spotlights the compelling singer-songwriter who plays SpeakEZ Lounge next week, plus debuts tracks from 10 other Michigan artists, including Lee Emi, Jill Jack, The Skies Revolt, Ma Reilly & more.
Katie Greene: Creating music that falls within a ‘Venn diagram between pop, country and folk.’ (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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Katie Greene has always embraced her Michigan roots, even as she dove into songwriting collaborations and the business of music after relocating to Nashville.
“I feel so influenced by my time in Michigan in many ways,” said Greene, who grew up as Katie Pederson in Saline, Michigan, and later earned a master’s degree in speech language pathology at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.
“The scene here is so tight-knit and so supportive, and I think I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from the scenery of Michigan in a lot of my writing. If I’m really trying to write new material, I’ll go to Lake Michigan and just gain inspiration from the beauty or be able to be more grounded in that space.”
Greene: Embracing the scenery and ‘tight-knit and supportive’ vibe in Michigan. (Courtesy Photo)
So, not surprisingly, Greene – who’s also a member of the Michigan-bred Americana trio The Rebel Eves – recently moved back to her home state, taking up residence in Traverse City while releasing new singles for an upcoming, full-length solo album.
“The girls (in The Rebel Eves) are here. We’ve never been in the same state before together and so that was a huge part of it,” she said of the move. “But I also fell in love and just had to follow my heart.”
Greene also is following her heart when it comes to her inviting indie-pop music which “focuses more heavily on piano pop” and leans more toward “solo reflective songs” versus the “collective reflective empowerment” tracks unfurled by The Rebel Eves.
Inspired by artists such as Sarah Bareilles, Florence & The Machine, Joy Williams, Taking Back Sunday and Motion City Soundtrack, Greene suggested her music falls “in the middle of a Venn diagram between pop, country and folk. I play piano as my main instrument, but have recently started playing acoustic guitar, which has really influenced my writing a lot. … A friend of mine described my music as ‘songs to get you in your feels’ and I think regardless of genre, that’s pretty correct.”
A classically trained pianist, Greene also studied opera at Butler University while honing her “keyboard chops at various piano bars across the Midwest.”
For her recent singles and upcoming record, “Emerald,” co-produced by Nashville’s Phil Barnes, Greene has employed “more synths and pop-style drums” and “sonic textures.” (Check out the video of a live performance of “Spring” from the upcoming album.)
VIDEO: “Spring (Live),” Katie Greene
PLAYING SPEAKEZ LOUNGE ON WEDNESDAY & RELEASING THE ALBUM IN 2027
West Michigan fans will get a chance to hear those new songs during her performance at Grand Rapids’ SpeakEZ Lounge on Oct. 21 as part of the Local Spins Wednesdays concert series. She’ll be accompanied by drummer Vance Okraszewski, with fellow indie singer-songwriter Kara Cole opening the 7:30 p.m. show as part of a trio. (Greene also will play a house show in Kalamazoo on Oct. 30.)
Cole, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., grew up in “a musical family of bluegrass and country” and moved to Nashville in 2025, releasing her album, “In the Garden,” in August — a collection of “emotional journeys” covering “heartbreak, redemption, perseverence, sobriety, lovers,” she told Local Spins. (Cole also plays an opening set at Mulligan’s Pub in Grand Rapids on Friday, Oct. 16 and Casey’s Tavern in Ann Arbor on Thursday, Oct. 22.)
“I’m going to play some of the new songs off of the record in an acoustic setting and have some fun,” Cole said of the SpeakEZ show. “I’m excited to play Grand Rapids and join Katie. She is such a talent.”
Greene, meanwhile, will release another single, “What’s in a Day,” on Jan. 1, with more singles to follow and the full-length album released in May or June of 2027.
Kara Cole (Courtesy Photo)
Even before its official release, “What’s in a Day” has earned some impressive plaudits: The song took first place in the recent Great American Song Contest.
“I’m stoked for the year ahead,” Greene said. “My hope is to play a lot more full band shows around Michigan and throughout the Midwest … in addition to my touring schedule with The Rebel Eves.
“I make candles as part of my merch, so I’m excited to be able to sell those to support the rest of the physical part of pressing the record to CD and vinyl, and I’m also working on starting a Patreon to grow the community around these songs and write more around what people want to hear.”
This week’s edition of the Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase radio show featured the debut of “What’s in a Day,” as well as Greene’s most recent single, “Match the Effort.” The show also spotlighted tracks by these Michigan artists: Jill Jack, Lee Emi, The Skies Revolt, Nick Caster, Ma Reilly, Urphme, James Filkins & Steve Wake, Pretoria, Vespa and Normal Mode. Listen to the interview and full radio show below.
The Michigan Music Showcase airs at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org, and on Interlochen Public Radio at 7 p.m. Saturdays. Check out previous show podcasts online here.
PODCAST: Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase (10/16/26)
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