MINOT — Scranton native Kat Perkins, known for her appearances on The Voice and the Medora Musical stage, is collaborating on a song for her new album with 15-year-old Minot native Madie Roberts.
The pair made the announcement on Minot State University’s television show MSU Inside/Out on Thursday evening. It will be the first collaboration for Perkins.
"I'm so excited!" said Madie.
Perkins and Madie met back in 2019, when Madie attended the Rising Star Camp that Perkins started in Medora.
Perkins said she comes from a long line of educators. “I was definitely the black sheep of the family not going into education,” she added. “Because music is a part of my blood, I decided to start the Rising Star Foundation.”
"It’s really fun to be around people who are into the same thing as you,” said Madie, speaking of the camp.
Madie said writing songs is a way for her to vent, “I started writing before I started anything else.”
“I remember the first year I went to camp and she talked to me, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re actually having a long conversation,’” Madie expressed. “I remember when she first reached out to me and was like, ‘Do you think we could do a duet? And I’ll pay for the recording and everything, and we’ll go do it in a studio in Minnesota,’ and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, really?’ So it was super cool.”
"My favorite part is watching those students find each other and knowing that they have camaraderie and like-mindedness happening, and not feeling so alone or different," Perkins said. "A lot of creative people like us feel weird and different and not accepted."
Perkins is on tour right now with Kid Rock as his background singer and is working on her record. "I will be starting to drop singles in a couple of weeks," she said.
This year's Rising Star Camp is July 19-22, and registration is now open.
MSU Inside/Out goes live on Facebook, YouTube, and KMSU Channel 19 on Thursdays at 5 p.m.
