Katie Underwood

When Katie Underwood left Popstars band Bardot, many people questioned whether she had made the right choice. Bardot after all, were about to return to the music scene revamped and fresh with a brand new album and single. But for Katie, the time had come for her to move on and explore new challenges. A year after her departure, Bardot are no more and Katie, well...she has a funky new dance single out and is a TV presenter on new reality series "Undercover Angels".

I had the great pleasure of chatting with Ms Underwood herself and in this one on one interview, Katie reveals her deep passion for singing, reflects on her days in Bardot and discusses all things "beautiful"!

GIRL: How did you become involved with Disco Montego?

Katie: I knew a couple of the boys from Disco Montego in the Bardot days when they actually worked on a couple of remixes for Bardot way back when. They called me up late last year and said they were working on a track and were looking for a singer to do vocals and give someone an opportunity to co-write. Of course I jumped at the chance, and when I heard the track and it was that funky Jamiroquai-esque feel, I just thought yes this is definitely where I want to be at! And we just hit it off; we had a great working relationship really quickly. The fact they gave me an opportunity to write was a big plus for me and I guess now I've kinda helped them to put Disco Montego a little bit more on the map. So it's been a really good partnership for us.

GIRL: You look stunning in the music video for "Beautiful". Do you enjoy the pampering that comes hand in hand with being a popstar?

Katie: I wouldn't say I live for it but it's fun! I certainly enjoy my makeup free days at home in my PJ's 'til 3 o'clock in the afternoon (laughs). I think any woman loves to dress up and look their best. And you know, to be working with close friends of mine who also happen to be brilliant makeup artists and hair stylists, it's a very relaxed kind of environment. Being on a film clip is kinda like an overgrown girl's night out!

GIRL: Where did filming take place?

Katie: It took place in a private house in Sydney, in Underwood Street, would you believe?! We had the pleasure of having free rein of this guy's house, who is an artist. He was very relaxed with us repainting some of his walls and taking over his place for 24 hours!

GIRL: Here at GIRL we are big fans of the Kaylan boys. How did you enjoy collaborating with them on the "Beautiful" track?

Katie: They're just such talented producers and obviously they are brilliant singers and performers, but I believe their true talent lies in writing and producing and I think they're really honing in on that now. On a personal level, they're really relaxed and I'm relaxed and it is really important that you get along with people you are writing and working with. They are very talented muso's and it's good for me to be hanging with people like that.

GIRL: Do you intend working with them in the future?

Katie: Yeah I do, I would stay tuned for a second single with Disco Montego and Katie!

GIRL: Does the whole Popstars/Bardot experience, seem like a million miles away now?

Katie: It does seem like a long time ago I guess because a lot has happened to me in the last year especially. And it was almost three years ago that it all sort of began. Even at the time it was all pretty surreal, that first year really flew by. But on the other hand I also look back and it doesn't seem like it was all that long ago when we were dragging our booties through Asia promoting Bardot.

GIRL: Do you have any regrets from your time spent in Bardot?

Katie: No not at all. I regret obviously that "Hair" got cancelled but happily I can say I don't regret leaving. I am a big believer that things happen for a reason. Regardless of how the "Hair" outcome came about, I look back on it now and think, well that was the catalyst for getting me out. And there were obviously other opportunities that were waiting for me and now a year later I can reflect; if this is what was waiting for me, then it was worth leaving.

GIRL: What one thing did you take away from being involved with Bardot?

Katie: I learnt so much…I got in touch with my feminine side I think! (laughs) I used to be more of a tomboy but being in Bardot reminded me that sometimes it's good just to be girly and hang out and talk about stupid stuff like shopping and what nail polish you're going to wear! And it's fun to enjoy that side of it.

GIRL: Do you have any plans to release a solo album?

Katie: Not at this stage, I am really quite happy working with Disco Montego without the pressure of having to produce and write a whole album, which is how I would do it if I was going out on my own. I've only really started developing as a songwriter, so you know, it may be another 1-2 years until I feel I have the right material and direction to come out with an album.

GIRL: Is Dance Music the style of music you can see yourself heading towards?

Katie: I think so, I mean it's certainly the kind of music I love listening and dancing to and so do all my friends. So it makes sense to me to make music that my peers enjoy. Perhaps as I keep writing I may find that I start swerving into another genre of music.

GIRL: What major lessons have you learnt about the nature of the "business" over the past three years?

Katie: Probably something I learnt through the whole "Hair" experience was it's not good to throw yourself 100% into one thing. I think that's why I'm keen to have a couple of projects on the go because it does often happen that things don't go according to plan. In this business, you can't necessarily be sure that something's going to go ahead until it happens.

GIRL: Your new show "Undercover Angels" premiered on TV only recently. Did you sit down to watch the first episode?

Katie: Well yes, we actually had our launch party in Sydney, so I was obviously with Jackie O' and Simone Kessell and all of our producers and anyone else who has been involved with putting it together over the last six months. It was fun to watch especially when they played our "goof" reel afterwards.

GIRL: How do you think the public will receive the show?

Katie: I guess it's easy to take a stab at the format, the way that we do take on the Charlie's Angels theme, but I guess for me if people are to criticize that, they have to understand that we are having a bit of fun with it. But I think generally, anyone who watched the show and the feedback that I got back is that it's very much a family show, there's no swearing, no nastiness, it's just a nice feel-good show that people of all ages can enjoy. I hope that the public loves it as much as we love working on it.

GIRL: Is television something you initially were interested in breaking into?

Katie: It wasn't really something that occurred to me until after I came out of the group. I thought, you know, I'm a bit of a mouth, I can think on my feet, I like people, well maybe TV presenting is the way to go. So my agent helped me audition for a couple of roles and I was lucky, "Undercover Angels" was the second thing that came along and again like Popstars, I thought I would just audition and see how it all goes and ended up getting in.

GIRL: What advice would you give to others who have their sights set on making a career in the music or media industries?

Katie: For music, you must write your own material as it's really the only way to ensure you get recognition publicly and financially for what you do, so that's the best advice I can offer in regards to the music industry. As far as media, get in at the ground level and work your booty off for as long as you can. Volunteer your time at the local radio station or community newspaper, this will provide you with valuable experience.

GIRL'S 60 SECOND QUIZ

Full Name: Katie Ashley Underwood
Nickname(s): Kate
Star Sign: Capricorn on the cusp of Sagittarius

Fave Food: Spaghetti Marinara
Fave Film: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Fave Actor: Anthony Hopkins
Fave Animal: Cat

Describe Yourself In 3 Words: Fun, Lively, Extrovert
Best Feature: Lips
Worst Feature: Ankles
Person You Would Most Like To Meet: Dalai Lama
Hobbies/Interests: Emailing, text messaging and surfing websites

First Job: Johnny Rockets as a singing waitress
A Talent You Wish You Had: Tap dancing
The Best Advice Given To You: Don't believe your own hype
What Can You Never Leave Home Without: Sunglasses
If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be? Road Runner
If you were told you had a minute to live, what would you do? Eat chocolate and call my partner
What do you think of when I say Nikki Webster? Young

- Annemarie Failla