Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with K-9 Cat

K-9 Cat is a lo-fi indie-rock project rooted in imperfection, blending fuzzy textures and unfiltered songwriting to create music that values honesty over polish. Based in the Azores, I offer a raw, intimate alternative to algorithm-driven modern music.

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

My earliest meaningful memory connected to music goes back to high school, at a time when I was actually planning to join the U.S. military. A friend of mine had an electric guitar sitting in his garage and let me mess around with it one afternoon. I didn’t know what I was doing, but something about holding that guitar and making noise with it completely grabbed me.

That moment quietly changed everything. I started spending more time around instruments, writing songs, and imagining a different kind of future. I ended up putting my plans to join the military on hold and decided to give music a real chance instead. It took a long time for things to fall into place, and the path wasn’t always clear, but looking back now, I’m incredibly grateful I followed that instinct. Choosing music shaped my life in ways I never could have predicted, and it all started in a garage with a borrowed guitar.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

My passion for creating music really took hold once I found some basic footing on guitar and learned a few cover songs I loved. That confidence pushed me to start pulling together friends for early projects, where we’d sit around and throw ideas at each other, experimenting with how our original songs might sound, shaping melodies, and trading different lyric lines until something clicked.

When we landed on an idea that felt especially interesting, it created this jolt of excitement that was hard to describe and even harder to let go of. That feeling became something I wanted to keep chasing. I discovered that I was strongest at finding a song’s core: the chord structures, melodies, and lyrics. At the same time, I learned that fully realizing those ideas wasn’t something I wanted to do alone.

Because of that, collaboration became essential to my process. I’ve always relied heavily on talented songwriters and collaborators; especially my longtime friend and producer, James Sims of Pinehouse Sound & Design. He really helps expand those early ideas and bring songs to their final form. That shared creative process is a huge part of what keeps my passion for making music alive.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

K-9 Cat began as more of a reaction than a carefully planned project. When I moved to Nashville in 2018, I found myself surrounded by a culture built on precision and perfectly engineered songs. While I respected that craft, it pushed me in the opposite direction creatively. I wanted a space where songs could exist without being over-polished or shaped to meet expectations. K-9 Cat became that outlet, a personal reinvention where I could let long-simmering ideas breathe and embrace imperfection as part of the process.

That identity became even clearer after relocating to the Azores in 2021. The isolation, the volcanic landscapes, and the rawness of the environment reinforced the idea that my music didn’t need to fit into a scene to be valid. It just needed to be honest. Since then, K-9 Cat has continued to evolve as a project rooted in authenticity, connection, and making music on my own terms.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

I’d describe it as lo-fi indie rock with rough edges left intentionally intact. It leans on fuzzy guitars, imperfect textures, and melodic songwriting, with an emphasis on feeling over precision. The songs aren’t trying to be loud or flashy—they’re meant to be lived in. If you like music that values honesty, atmosphere, and emotion over polish, K-9 Cat will probably make sense to you.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

One of the biggest lessons that completely changed how I make music was realizing that chasing mainstream success was actually pulling me further away from what I loved about creating in the first place. For a long time, I wrote songs with an imagined audience in mind. I tried to predict what most people would like, smoothing out rough edges, and polishing things until they felt safe and presentable.

At some point, I let that go. I started writing songs that I genuinely liked, even if they felt imperfect or unfinished by conventional standards. Instead of sanding down the rough parts, I began leaning into them and leaving in the grit, the flaws, and the moments that felt most human. Ironically, that shift made the music feel more alive and more connected. Once I stopped trying to please everyone, the songs finally started sounding honest, and that honesty changed everything about how I create.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

At the core of my creative process is collaboration. Most of my songs start in a very simple way: just me and an acoustic guitar. That’s where I work out the heart of a song: the melody, basic structure, and lyrics. Once I have something that feels solid and can stand on its own in a solo, live acoustic setting, I know the foundation is there.

From there, I typically will pass the torch to my longtime friend, producer, and co-founder of our former indie-rock band Captains Of April, James Sims of Pinehouse Sound & Design. That collaboration is easily the most essential part of this project. James records, produces, co-writes, and helps expand those initial ideas into something far more fully realized. He has an incredible ability to hear potential in a rough sketch and bring it to a completely new level without losing the song’s original spirit.

More recently, I’ve also begun collaborating with Azorean folk artist João Félix (Felix The First). Working with him has added a new layer to my process. Bouncing ideas back and forth, experimenting with different textures, and putting together a few fun new releases planned for the coming year. At the end of the day, the tools matter, but the people I work with are what truly shape the music.

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t immediately mention Felix The First and his recently released lo-fi folk album ‘In the Heat of the Sun’. I’ve had it on near-constant repeat since it came out earlier this year. It was recorded entirely on a small cassette tape recorder in his office, which gives the record so much personality and warmth. That raw recording approach pairs beautifully with his intricate guitar work and deeply thoughtful lyrics. It feels intimate, lived-in, and incredibly sincere.

I’d also encourage people to keep an eye on Jonathan Afonso, who recently released his first song on mainstream streaming platforms, ‘Unspoken Words’. It’s a stunning blend of guitar and atmosphere that really takes you on a journey, and there’s more on the way. And Jason Rubero just released a new single called ‘Ghost Notes’ after nearly three years of inactivity. It’s well worth the wait. I’m lucky to call all three of these incredibly talented and diverse indie artists my friends, and I’m genuinely excited to see where their music goes next.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

My personal experiences have shaped my music in a pretty direct way. I’ve moved around a lot, both geographically and creatively, and each place and phase of my life has left its mark on how I write and think about music. Being part of a wide range of projects across different styles taught me how many ways there are to approach a song, and working with so many talented and diverse people pushed me to stay curious and open rather than locked into one sound or identity.

Those collaborations also showed me the value of perspective—how other people hear, feel, and interpret music differently. That has influenced not just how my songs sound, but how I view creativity as something shared rather than solitary.

Starting a family added another layer entirely. Having that kind of steady, overwhelming support grounded me and gave me the confidence to take creative risks without feeling like everything was on the line. It shifted my definition of success away from constant movement or recognition and toward meaning, balance, and connection.

Finally, finding roots in places I never imagined I’d end up, both physically and artistically, has had a huge impact on my vision. Those unexpected homes gave me space to slow down, reflect, and create more honestly. All of those experiences combined have shaped a musical identity that’s less about fitting into one box and more about telling a story that feels true to where I’ve been and where I am now.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

More than anything, I hope listeners feel a sense of connection and permission. Permission to be imperfect, to slow down, and to sit with things that don’t always have clean edges or easy answers. A lot of my music comes from embracing the parts of ourselves that are a little rough or unresolved, and I hope that honesty comes through.

If there’s a message behind the songs, it’s that you don’t have to fit into a mold to be valid, creatively or personally. I’d love for someone to hear my music and feel less alone, or to recognize a feeling they didn’t quite have words for yet. Even if it only resonates with a small group of people, that shared understanding means more to me than broad appeal.

 What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

The most important lesson music has taught me is patience. Both with the process and with myself. For a long time, I thought progress was supposed to be fast and obvious, and that “success” meant reaching some clearly defined milestone. Music showed me that growth is rarely linear and that the most meaningful moments often come quietly, over time.

It also taught me the value of honesty. The more I tried to force songs into what I thought they should be, the less they connected. When I learned to trust my instincts, embrace imperfections, and let things unfold naturally, the music became more fulfilling and more true. Ultimately, music taught me that staying curious, open, and patient is far more important than chasing any single outcome.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

A dream venue for me would actually be somewhere unconventional. Places that are often overlooked or not immediately thought of as traditional music spaces are cool. I’m drawn to environments that already have a story of their own, like old community halls, converted warehouses, unused theaters, outdoor spaces shaped by the landscape, or even places where music isn’t the main attraction until it suddenly is.

Those kinds of venues tend to invite more intentional listening and create a different kind of connection between the artist and the audience. The setting becomes part of the experience, and the performance feels less like a product and more like a shared moment.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

If I could collaborate with any artist, I’d love to work with Neil Young. His ability to balance raw, unpolished emotion with unforgettable melodies has always resonated with me. There’s a sense of honesty and imperfection in his work that feels fearless. It’s’ something I try to capture in my own music.

Collaborating with someone like Neil Young would be incredible because he doesn’t just write songs; he creates worlds that feel lived-in and real. I’d love to explore that kind of storytelling and texture in a project, where the music can be both intimate and expansive, imperfect yet profoundly moving.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)

https://bio.site/k9cat has links where my music, videos, & social media can be found.
– https://www.instagram.com/k.9cat/
– https://www.facebook.com/k9cat

– https://www.youtube.com/@k-9cat/videos

– https://open.spotify.com/artist/6P8UQ54szY9r9n7otuYJ2M

– https://soundcloud.com/k-9cat

– https://k-9cat.bandcamp.com/

– https://music.apple.com/us/artist/k-9-cat/1458476788

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

Looking toward the future, my dream for the next chapter of my musical journey is to release new music that continues to expand the sound of K-9 Cat while also reaching audiences beyond the Azores. I’m excited to share two new singles in 2026: “Champagne Revival” and “Epilogue,” as well as a lo-fi acoustic EP I’m calling “Terceira Tops,” which reimagines some of my songs in a different light.

Alongside these releases, I hope to book more performances outside of the Azores, connecting with listeners in new cities and venues across Europe and beyond. At the same time, the Azores will always remain my creative home base. A place that keeps my music grounded in authenticity. This next chapter is about balancing growth and exploration with the raw, personal approach that has always defined K-9 Cat. I want to bring the music to the people who might genuinely appreciate it, without sanding down the rough edges or changing what makes it what it is.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

I hope listeners will discover the value of giving something different a chance by taking a moment to step outside the predictable or mainstream and really engage with music that isn’t designed for algorithms or charts. K-9 Cat is about offering a sound that’s raw, imperfect, and honest, and I hope it encourages people to explore beyond the top 10 pop songs that get all the attention.

Ideally, listeners might find themselves surprised by what resonates with them and realize that there’s a whole world of music out there that’s exciting, emotional, and meaningful if you’re willing to lean in and listen.

If you want here you can add a representative Youtube video to insert below the interview 🙂

K-9 Cat – J.O.Y. (Joke’s On You) – acoustic – live in Ribeirinha