INTERVIEW: Queerness, Christianity, and Catharsis with Katie Pruitt
10/25 @ Levon Helms Studio, Woodstock
Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
“A lot of the songs on Mantras were kind of a practice in me learning how to be kinder to myself — how to be a better friend and collaborator to myself.”
Katie Pruitt brings her unique blend of country, indie-folk, and americana stylings to upstate NY on the last stop of her “Time Wasn’t Wasted” tour this Saturday, October 25 at Levon Helms Studio. Following the release of her critically acclaimed debut album, Expectations, Pruitt has reached new heights in her recent sophomore record, Mantras, artfully sewing together a narrative of navigating heartbreak, detangling the paradoxical riddle of faith, and rediscovering identity.
Mantras, and the following deluxe release, Pruitt says, gives the listener a “deeper dive into [her] internal world.” I had the privilege of diving even deeper with Pruitt about Mantras (Deluxe), her soul bearing lyricism, and the connection she’s made with her audience along this tour.
Pruitt explains that writing Mantras was a more arduous process than Expectations was. Pun intended, this second album came with the staggering weight of external expectations, and what was next for the singer-songwriter. She took those expectations, tuned them out and listened to her own voice. And you can hear that voice loud and clear on Mantras.
“I learned how to dissociate from the pressure of it,” she tells me, “and make things that make myself proud.”
Listening to Pruitt’s music, learning about her songwriting process, hearing about her experiences on the road – it all leads me back to the same word: catharsis. The catharsis that comes from finally approaching the festering feeling you’ve been pushing down, and writing a song about it. The catharsis that happens when you hear your favorite artist perform that song live – and you suddenly feel a little less alone. Or the catharsis you feel discovering within these lyrics that you don’t just share a struggle, but also an intense hope for the future.
“Getting to play a lot of these super personal songs live – that feel personal to my life – and then have people connect with them and share in that experience with me, has been a really healing thing.”
It was fascinating to learn how she was able to write (and have the courage to release) such deeply personal songs. She acknowledged that the themes in this album were “heavy hitters,” but that she felt moved by these big feelings into action. “The more conversations I have about something, the more I realize I need to write a song about it,” Pruitt tells me.
Naturally, I had to ask her about the conversations surrounding my favorite song on the album: “White Lies, White Jesus and You” with S.G. Goodman, a fellow southern progressive folk rebel. It is essentially a “protest song,” Pruitt explains. She saw the way certain people in some sects of Christianity used their religion (and a few mistranslated Bible verses) to justify alienating queer people. The absurdity of a “white Jesus” was likened to the absurdity of preaching “love thy neighbor” whilst practicing prejudice under the guise of religious doctrine.
She sings: “Passing people on the street with picket signs / Warning me of my impending doom / If God’s the one deciding if I make it in / What gives them the power to assume?”
Pruitt says this song was written with the purpose of “defending the parts of the bible that people should be focusing on – like loving your neighbor.” She explains how powerful it was for her to watch this song evolve in the increasingly scary times we live in, and find new relevance in 2025. In one line she writes, “You talk about salvation like a birth right…” – not intending to elude to the recent mounting fears in immigrant communities and rampant ICE raids – yet it still applies. Pruitt finds a way to channel a communal vulnerability and a simultaneous communal perseverance through her lyricism. It is remarkable.
Part of what makes Mantras (Deluxe), and undoubtedly her tour, so special is the refined voice that shines through these songs, and the raw, emotional spirit woven throughout the record. After speaking with her, this makes perfect sense. Katie Pruitt wrote Mantras for Katie Pruitt. We just have the privilege of tagging along on this beautiful, soul bearing journey.
I can’t think of a better backdrop for this intimate piece of music and end to her tour, than the very special – and very intimate – Levon Helms Studio. This will certainly be a night Katie Pruitt and her fans never forget.
Tickets for Katie Pruitt at Levon Helm Studio on Saturday 10/25 can be found at https://levonhelm.com/shows/2025/10-25/katie-pruitt