Meet Katie Rae Mortimer | Vocalist & Stay at Home Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Rae Mortimer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie Rae, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I didn’t expect to start a band at this point in my life but once the experience on “The Voice” gave me a rare opportunity to develop my confidence and momentum, I couldn’t pass it up. I don’t consider myself an expert business person but I am learning as I go and I’m excited for what the next years bring.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I got to be on TV! Not everyone gets to do that. I am proud of the fact that I was able to have some success on national television despite little professional experience in the music arena. The exposure it gave me, launched me forward to a degree not very possible otherwise. The challenges have not been few; being away from my family during a pandemic and navigating this new world presented to me has all been unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and exciting. I have a long history of stage fright as well, and what I’ve learned is there is no way of eliminating that stress, I can only ignore it and push through. I’ve learned that motivation does not precede, but always follows the action. I’d like people to know that I consider myself a good collaborator. I don’t write my own music but my creative juices get flowing quickly in the presence of other artists who are excited about music and who bring experience to the studio that I don’t have. As of now, I’m focusing on my own cover band, “Katie Rae and the Sizzle,” as well as another group of session artists in the Sacramento area. I am excited about working on my own music in the future as I continue to learn and grow in this industry.
To all the people who may feel like the opportunity to seek out their dream or try something new, I would say, its not too late. Go for it! You never know how well it may go for you until you try.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Sacramento has a little bit of everything. A healthy mind is important, so we would start our week with a few hours at Asha Bath House where we alternate between hot tubs, steam rooms, ice baths and more. To eat we would get sushi at Mikunis. Then drink beer, get cocktails and listen to live music at Sac Yard and Shady Lady.
Sellands and Obo never disappoint for a good meal, especially for families.
The River Cats baseball stadium is super fun. Sac Republic soccer games are great too.
Its nice to break up the indulgence with some time spent on the American River bike trail to get your vitamin D and exercise.
On Sunday, we would head to Roosters Breakfast & Mimosas in River Park for brunch and live music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes to my Dad, Jesse Ramirez, who has always cultivated a love for music in our household growing up and well into adulthood. I’ve grown up watching him do his own shows at cafes etc and he inspires me with his open mindedness to different genres. When going through the process of auditioning for “The Voice” not only did he travel with me on the road to different cities but also accompanied me with his guitar. Once away from home, he was also there to step in with my son during my absence. I really could not have done any of this without him.

Website: katierae-music.com

Instagram: @katierae_thesizzle