‘THE door has been swung open in a way that I never dreamed it would be.”
That’s Katie Gregson-MacLeod’s reaction to a viral TikTok moment that has transformed her musical career.
The Scottish singer exploded on the social media platform after her song Complex racked up 100,000 views overnight. And even more impressive – it is now sitting at seven million on the app, with another three million listens on Spotify.
The Inverness musician told the Sunday National “the craziness hasn’t stopped” since she pressed publish on the video platform.
But it’s not just social media users who’ve been hooked on the song. She soon found top record label representatives queuing up outside the coffee shop where she’s been working over the summer.
The Edinburgh University history student was later signed by Columbia Records, which represents big names such as Harry Styles and Beyonce, and she is currently in London for what she says is “a big secret” but “something very cool”.
The 21-year-old may be a new face to many but she’s been gigging for years. The singer-songwriter was recently recognised by the BBC as one of 25 musicians to look out for.
Her roots in the Highlands serve her storytelling prowess well, as she told the Sunday National. For Gregson-MacLeod, connecting music with her hometown has always had a significant impact.
“It’s really cheesy but music has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she says, speaking from a London recording studio.
“I was always just writing and performing and being obnoxious as a child. It’s an intrinsic part of my growing up and my music – my family are big music lovers. I always thought I was going to have a career in music in some capacity just because it was always what I wanted to do.
“When I was 16-17, I started taking more serious steps towards that. I’d gig around Inverness pubs and then, when I went to Edinburgh, I was trying to get any support slot possible.
“I wrote the song a few days before the video and I just recorded a wee clip of the chorus. I didn’t really think much of it. I just put it up on a Thursday night without much thought and then woke up on the Friday morning and it was at 100,000 views.”
When it felt like the whole music industry came to Inverness, it was not just the artist who was swept off her feet.
“We had about eight or nine record labels over that week flying up to meet us, including Columbia which is the one I signed with.
“There were two or three labels when I walked into Perk [the coffee shop in Inverness where she works] to say hi to everyone. It was very funny and very surreal, I think for not only me but everyone in Perk because they’ve been following the journey.”
Gregson-MacLeod wrote the song in its entirety one evening after running into her ex.
“I had bumped into my ex a few days before and it sent me into this mad, reflective, emotional state.”
Wanting to express her feelings, she began to put pen to paper and she is very glad she did after a vulnerable experience became a relatable hit for many worldwide.
“It was a very cathartic write for me. It obviously reflects upon relationships and relationship patterns.”
Resignation, realisation and letting yourself believe you have agency in a relationship all play a central role in the lyricism of the hit, she explains.
“At the core, it’s about having been with someone where you’re giving a lot more to them than they are to you.
“The chorus is purposefully rattling off some cliches. I’m talking about roles that you feel you are adopting. The line about being a good wife and the cool girl – these are all purposeful cliché. It’s supposed to be that moment of realising you’re fulfilling a cliché and you’ve fallen into a role without realising it.
“I think it had to be honest and raw. It wasn’t a super conscious write.
“It poured out without too much overthinking.”
Gregson-MacLeod lists Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Phoebe Bridgers and Elliott Smith as some of her influences, which are apparent within her poignant lyrics and trembling vocals.
But her Scottish roots are also important.
“Being from the Highlands, I think folk music is so important, and it’s probably an intrinsic part of my music,” she explains. “It’s so much about storytelling and music in its rawest form and lyrics. That’s really influenced me and always will.”
THE Scot hopes TikTok will help open doors to smaller artists and help level the playing field for women.
“I think TikTok and social media have inevitably transformed the industry and the way that artists navigate it, for better or for worse. It is the tool of the moment and you can’t really ignore the weight that it clearly has.”
Gregson-MacLeod also believes Scottish alternative music is in a prime position to take full advantage of social media.
“There are so many amazing artists coming out of Scotland and social media is a great way of projecting what is an amazing scene here to people so far away.”
Before the viral video, the singer-songwriter routinely toured around Scotland and posted online, singing regular covers and original material. She plans on still doing all of that, just with a few more eyes and a few more ears on her material.
“The door has been swung open in a way that I never dreamed it would be. I’m just excited to see what can be made of this. The demo is just the start. It’s turning a moment online into a bigger career move. It’s not just a moment online, this is a career that started well before this and hopefully will now be amplified.”
