Katie Dauson Turns Self-Doubt into Motion on the Driven New Single “Get Ready”

Katie Dauson has never been an artist content with neat categories. Across her work, she has consistently blurred the boundaries between rock and roll, folk, blues, and rockabilly, treating genre less as a rulebook and more as a palette. Her latest single, Get Ready, continues this trajectory, arriving not as a stylistic experiment, but as a confident statement of artistic momentum.

At its core, Get Ready is a song driven by movement. The rhythm guitar establishes a propulsive foundation, while the harmonica weaves in with a raw, expressive urgency that recalls classic blues traditions. Inspired by Junior Wells and James Cotton, Dauson’s harmonica playing feels integral rather than decorative — an extension of the song’s emotional voice.

The track’s energy is unmistakable, but it is underpinned by intention. Drawing inspiration from 70s rock and roll and rockabilly, Dauson channels the spirit of that era without succumbing to imitation. The influence of Bob Seger is particularly apparent, not only in the harmonica-led arrangement, but in the song’s sense of grit and forward drive.

Lyrically, Get Ready explores the friction between self-doubt and ambition. Rather than framing doubt as a weakness, Dauson treats it as a provocation — something that demands response and action. The song challenges detractors directly, but without bitterness, offering instead a call to rise, improve, and move forward together.

Vocally, Dauson delivers with controlled intensity. There is a rough-edged confidence to her performance, echoing artists like Wanda Jackson while remaining unmistakably her own. Her voice carries the weight of experience without overstatement, allowing the song’s message to resonate naturally.

Produced and engineered by James Nickle, Get Ready benefits from a restrained, performance-first approach. The track feels alive rather than overly refined, capturing the immediacy of an artist fully engaged with her craft. It stands as a reminder that rock and roll, when approached with honesty and purpose, remains a powerful vehicle for expression.

“I was listening to a lot of 70s rock and roll and rockabilly music, which inspired me to write this song. Originally, there was no harmonica in the track, but after hearing Bob Seger’s Katmandu and his iconic harmonica solos, I knew I had to add them—and play them myself. The song is full of energy, from the vocals to the rhythm guitar and harmonica solos. Lyrically, it’s about self-doubt pushing me to do better, confronting detractors, and challenging them to rise up too. Even with its deeper meaning, I wanted to keep the song positive and upbeat.”

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | WEBSITE