Kat Herlo
Singer/songwriter
H o n e s t . R e f l e c t i v e . D i s a r m i n g l y h u m a n .
Kat invites her listeners on a heartfelt journey through the entire emotional spectrum with songs about unrequited love, toxic relationships and the existential search in the wake of life crises.
Kat is known for her magnetic stage presence, honest songwriting and dark-toned vocals. Her personal songs blend delicate melodies with lyrically intricate folk-pop writing, echoing the spirit of artists such as Tina Dickow and Alanis Morissette.
Her live shows blend humorous storytelling with raw sincerity. She is not afraid to expose her inner fragility or harsh experiences, thus allowing listeners to immerse themselves in the emotional weight of her songs. She’s authentic, dramatic, charismastic, reflective, angry, sarcastic and funny and will typically provoke both tears and laughter from her audience.
The English debut album Things We Avoid (2022) — a shimmering gem of honest, sarcastic and poetic folk-pop — earned excellent reviews and found fans across both Danish and international airwaves. She has since release a Danish EP exploring solitude, resilience and emotional self-discovery, and most recently the single Reasons, praised for its “rare emotional maturity” and “refreshing honesty” (Artists In The Spotlight, 2025).
Kat’s ability to turn personal experiences into universally relatable music, solidifies her place as an artist to watch in the contemporary singer-songwriter scene.
Genre: Folk-pop with a focus on powerful, narrative-driven songwriting.
Live concert in Hvidunder
Releases
Reasons (single) 2025
A deeply personal and heartbreaking track resonating with anyone who has ever been blindsided by an unexpected goodbye.
With straightforward yet poetic lyrics, and a raw, emotional vocal delivery, Reasons explores the turmoil of a relationship that ends without clarity.
“Why would you use the word ‘love’ just as you leave?
And why would you make such an effort to let me believe
That it was safe to give in that our journey was only about to begin? Why would you tell me I’m yours — and then blame me for being sure?!”
This verse encapsulates the profound shock and pain of losing something just as one had finally allowed themselves to believe in it.
Jeg Går Selv (EP) 2024
Stærke danske sange om modgang, integritet og fundamentale livslektier
Kat Herlos første danske EP “Jeg Går Selv” rummer en håndfuld sange om at finde sin egen vej til et meningsfuldt liv, når det udsåiller sig anderledes, end man havde håbet.
Sangene er fuld af eksistentielle overvejelser og refleksioner over det tidlige voksenlivs (mod)gang, erfaringer og livslektier. EPen er således en stærk og moden opfølger til det anmelderroste, engelsksprogede debutalbum “Things We Avoid” fra 2022, der centrerede sig om 20’ernes forvirring, uforløste længsler og kærlighedskvaler.
Things We Avoid (album) 2022
“Things We Avoid” is the debut album by Danish singer-songwriter Kat Herlo, released on May 3, 2022.
The album delivers an honest and authentic musical universe that blends folk and pop. Through personal storytelling, it dives deep into major life emotions. The tracks revolve around themes of heartbreak, identity crises, the darker sides of relationships, and the constant search for love, meaning, and self-respect.
Review
“With disarmingly direct lyrics and a confessional tone, Herlo captures the emotional disorientation that follows when someone walks away from love without explanation. […]
What makes this song stand out is its restraint. There’s no blame-game here, no bitterness. Instead, Herlo brings forward empathy, even for the one who walked away: “You’re in a dark place / That I recognize too.” It’s a rare kind of emotional maturity, the kind that lets the song resonate long after it ends.”
– Artists in the Spotlight, April 4th 2025
Tracklist (5 songs)
Available physically on a transparent red vinyl and digitally on streaming platforms.
- Jeg Går Selv (03:36)
- Livsgnist (03:56)
- Den Vilde Svane (03:50)
- Vi Fortjener Bedre (02:52)
- Livet uden Eventyret (04:17)
Tracklist (12 Songs)
Available physically on a transparent red vinyl and digitally on streaming platforms.
The album includes the popular “me me me” track In His Mind, written with a sharp, humorous perspective from an ex-boyfriend’s point of view.
- Things We Avoid (04:06)
- Your Warm Heart (04:33)
- Denial (03:52)
- Reality (03:15)
- Fed Up (04:22)
- Change (04:47)
- In His Mind (04:15)
- Don’t (06:20)
- Victims of Circumstance (03:20)
- Damage Control (05:27)
Digital bonus tracks: - Objectify (05:30)
- The Little Man on My Shoulder (03:11)
Explore
Music video
The officiel music video to the hilarious song "In His Mind" aka. the "Me me me"-song written from an ex-boyfriends point of view.
Vinyl
The album "Things We Avoid" is released as a transparent, red vinyl containing 10 songs. The sound quality is sublime!
Concerts
Kat performs both solo, as a duo with Cello-Clara og in various band-constellations. The best place to keep track is FB.
Reviews
“a song that isn’t about heartbreak, but about taking back power […]
At the heart of the song lies one of the most gut-wrenching lines:
/Nok er jeg smuk i dine øjne, men jeg bli’r grim af at være din hemmelighed/
/I may be beautiful in your eyes, but I become ugly by being your secret/That line? Shattering.
[…] The song captures the agony of being wanted but never claimed, loved but never prioritized. It’s not just sad—it’s suffocating. […] This isn’t just another breakup song – it’s an anthem for self-respect. With hauntingly beautiful lyrics, melancholic melodies, and a message that hits straight to the soul, “Jeg Går Selv” is for anyone who has ever had to walk away from something that wasn’t enough.”
– Artists in the Spotlight, 18. februar 2025
Read the whole review here
“…kan jeg genkende flere træk af Kat Herlos attitude hos mange af hendes forgængere … lige fra hjemlige Tina Dickow og canadiske Alanis Morrisette, som Kat selv henviser til, men også de store gamle som fx Joni Mitchell og Carole King, for nu at nævne to af de helt store fra spindesiden, hvor også livsappetit, tvivl, melankoli og søgen løber sammen med hver sin unikke måde. Kat Herlo er med andre ord en forvalter af en singer-songwriter-tradition, der fra starten af, på vidt forskellig vis, har tumlet med livet i dets konflikt mellem realisering og drømme. … særlige, personlige univers med sin stærke, klare stemme i melodiøse folk-pop-arrangementer … Hermed varmt anbefalet”
– Capac.dk, 20. september 2024
Læs hele anmeldelsen her
“Engang imellem er vi heldige og oplever noget magisk… Det skete idag for mig på Dexter. Din formidling er gribende og du tillader dig, at blive sårbar… som modtager blev tekst og formidling, samt din stemme en smuk treenighed. Dine tekster, din evne og mod til at give af dig selv var en kæmpe oplevelse… Så tak… er ydmyg over det du gav, og det vi som lytter modtog”
– Besked fra en publikummer efter solo-koncert på Dexter, Odense, 5. maj 2023
“★★★★☆
Efter nogle glimrende koncertoplevelser med denne fantastiske intense og nærværende singer/songwriter Kat Herlo med denne spændende symbiose af fandenivoldsk og vidunderlig vokal, fortjener dette debutalbum, “Things We Avoid” endnu et kæmpe SHOUT-OUT. … Dette lille glimrende mesterværk er lidt atypisk, men et yderst frisk indspark med et fuldlængde album på 50 minutter med et dusin dragende og hypnotiserende fortællinger”– The Love for Music and Concerts, 27 August 2022
Læs hele anmeldelsen her
“Kats optræden var helt fantastisk, og hendes egne tekster og musik fik både tårer i øjnene og smil på læberne frem hos publikum. Samtidig har Kat en stor energi, nerve og dejlig personlig fremtoning, der bare giver en ekstra dimension til hendes optræden.”
– Line Barklund, Fonden til Forskønnelse af Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune
Lyserød Lørdag, Kræftens Bekæmpelses kampagne, 5. oktober 2020
Booket via UnCoverMusic.dk: https://uncover.dk/artist/kat-herlo/