MINNEAPOLIS — “In good or bad, I’ll find the former” and “despite the ugly I’ve met, I had a good few in my corner” are lines that immediately stand out listening to the opening song of Mike Kota’s new EP, Turning A Corner.
“I feel like everyone hates it (TikTok), but because of that I feel like I can’t hate it, and I am ever grateful.”Mike Kota, who opened for Hozier after he saw a TikTok of Kota covering his song
For the Minneapolis based singer-songwriter, the positive theme stood out when looking back at the four songs she chose for the EP.
“Going from a darker space, pivoting into a more positive mindset,” is how Kota described it on Centerstage Minnesota. “And healing myself.”
Kota — who began her musical career in high school leading the band Good Luck Finding Iris — has been making waves in 2023 with her solo career. In May, she opened for Hozier at First Avenue after the acclaimed Irish singer saw Kota covering his song on TikTok.
Despite the bad rep the social media platform often gets, the opportunity was not lost on Kota.
“I feel like everyone hates it, but because of that I feel like I can’t hate it,” she said, “and I am ever grateful.”
Elsewhere, Kota was able to enter a recording studio for the first time as a solo artist, leading to Turning A Corner. She works independently, running her own social media and promotions, and was able to secure studio time through online crowdfunding.
The final song from the EP, “Shutter Speed,” is a reminder to herself to be fully present in life, built around a camera metaphor. In photography, the slower the shutter speed, the blurrier the image will be if there is movement in it.
“I’m slurring all my moments because I can’t let go of things … I gotta let go of things so that I’m not bringing them into a new, beautiful, present moment.”
Centerstage Minnesota, Fridays at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. on KAXE/KBXE, is made possible by the citizens of Minnesota through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
