Kat Lee Rivers

Woodsy Folk & Americana

"With the training of a jazz musician and the aesthetic of a folk musician, Kat really stands out. As a vocalist she has great sensitivity, tone, instincts, and emotion. As a songwriter/artist Kat has the ability to transcend her influences to create something uniquely powerful and hers. The perfect combination of ability, training, and heart."

- Bob Lanzetti (Snarky Puppy, 5x Grammy Award Winner)

Kat Lee Rivers is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who makes indie-Americana and folk rock music. Born in California, raised in Texas, and currently living in the Hudson Valley region of New York, her songs explore the quiet spaces of nature, home, grief, and simplicity. Whether she's fronting a band with her rhythm guitar or playing an intimate acoustic set on ukulele or piano, Kat is a driving force in the Hudson Valley music scene. Her upcoming album, Red Tailed Hawk, produced by Grammy-winning guitarist Bob Lanzetti (Snarky Puppy), will be out Spring 2027, and features a stellar band including special guests like bluegrass heavyweight Michael Daves.

This new collection of songs explores the art of getting back to oneself. For Kat this involves getting off of your screen, making things with your hands, being outdoors, weaving a path through grief, and finding magic in the mundane. Kat succeeds in giving her fans both an intimate and entertaining performance that lets you know you’re not the only one wanting to slow down, get off your phone, be in nature, and find deeper connection.

And like one festival organizer recently told her, “I just had to get up and dance when I heard your song Quiet Queen!”

Beyond the stage, Kat holds a Master’s in Jazz Vocal Performance from the University of North Texas and is deeply passionate about music education. She lives on a mountain in the Hudson Valley with her family, a very good dog and 5 chickens.

Kat Lee Rivers live with Bob Lanzetti & Matt Aronoff, and more at The Chapel Restoration

Upcoming Events & Performances

Be a Friend Project - Walkathon to End Bullying

I'll be performing my original song, "You're Not Broken."

Saturday, October 10, 2026 | 11am (Walk is at 12:30pm!)

Westchester Community College | Valhalla, NY

Hudson Valley Shakespeare - Rooted & Rising Gala (Fundraising event, tickets available)

With guitarist Cesar Garabini

Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 5-6:00pm

Hudson Valley Shakespeare | Garrison, NY

Music at St. Mary's Concert Series | An Evening of Brazilian Music
With Cesar Garabini, Vitor Gonçalves, Keita Ogawa, Nate Allen,

Saturday, February 13, 2027 | 4pm

Cold Spring, NY

Red Tailed Hawk | Album Release Show

Spring 2027 - TBA

Photo by Emily Teague

“I know a good song when I hear one. And you got one.”

- Corte Ellis,songwriter/producer (Beyonce, Britney Spears, Missy Elliot)

About Kat

About Kat

Photo by Ben Jacks

Kat Lee Rivers makes Americana-folk music that explores the art of getting back to oneself. For Kat and countless others, this involves getting off of your screen, making things with your hands, getting in nature, embracing the simple things, and finding magic in the mundane. Her music feels like arriving home after a long trip; getting cozy by the campfire; a long-awaited catch up with an old friend; a wandering walk in the woods.

Rivers’ songs celebrate the quiet power of slowing down and finding steady comfort in the rhythms of nature and home. Whether she’s leaning into the "Quiet Queen" energy (her ballad for introverts), or exploring grief and the beyond with “Red Tailed Hawk,” the title track of her upcoming sophomore record, Kat’s award-winning voice offers a warm place to land and reset. And she will remind you that "you're not broken," if you need to hear it.

From her formative years steeped in jazz and Brazilian music, earning a finalist spot in the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition, as well as multiple student DownBeat awards; to her exploration of Americana, folk and the vibrant rhythms of Brazil, her sound is a testament to her adventurous and nurturing spirit, and her unique sound.

Kat's debut album, Anything but Ordinary, marked a departure from her pure jazz roots, showcasing her original songwriting and a captivating blend of Americana, folk, Brazilian warmth, and sophisticated jazz undertones. Her latest release, American Heartbreak (acoustic version), produced by Bob Lanzetti, is "a hopeful anthem for a divided time. A unifying call for something good and true."

Drawing from her experiences living and performing in Spain, Texas, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn, New York, Rivers' music is a reflection of her travels, the friends she met along the way, and the yearning to find her place in it all. While her main focus is her original music, she often continues to honor her love of Brazilian music, singing in Portuguese.

She has performed at esteemed venues like the Cornelia Street Cafe and Rockwood Music Hall in New York City (both beloved spaces, now sadly closed), The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, as well as locally in the Hudson Valley, especially The Chapel Restoration in Cold Spring, and at regional music festivals. Notably, she also had the honor of performing with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, backing up Ben Folds, and has performed in a lineup with Willie Nelson in her home state of Texas. Her time touring Europe as a vocalist with Árid, a trio from Barcelona, Spain, included an unforgettable performance on the rooftop of Gaudi's La Pedrera. These experiences have guided Kat to solidify her ability to bridge musical worlds, blending her folk, Brazilian and jazz roots into her unique Americana sound with effortless grace.

Kat lives on a mountain in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her lumberjack-musician husband, two young kids, a very good dog, and five chickens.

“In its sparseness, the song [American Heartbreak] feels quite timeless, echoing Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and Allison Russell while remaining unmistakably Rivers.”

- Indie Music Discovery

Get updates about upcoming performances, new music, and mini reflections on creativity, nature, and slowing down in a fast-paced world.

© Kat Lee Rivers 2026 | All Rights Reserved | Terms & Conditions