It took five years for emerging singer-songwriter Kate Dulcich to finish the songs that now make up Paper Fortress, a record that feels less like an album and more like an open diary. It’s a vulnerable, deeply human collection that traces a journey of growth and transformation, not in youth but well into adulthood, making it all the more relatable.
This emotionally rich debut, steeped in 90s pop-rock with hints of folk and Americana, opens with Worse Than Not at All. The track bursts in like a storm, powered by intense guitars and echo-laden vocals that make it feel more like a personal manifesto than a traditional song. Kate introduces the concept of the Paper Fortress, a metaphor for art as both a sanctuary and symbol of emotional fragility, where creativity is both protection and exposure.
Influenced by 90s icons like Alanis Morissette, Kate makes her musical identity known through melancholic lyrics, soft percussion, tambourine flourishes, and spoken-word elements. It’s a sound that echoes her idols but carries her unmistakable personal stamp. As Kate puts it, “I never thought I’d release a full-length album—it would be like going to Mars… only cooler. But I hope my ten-song debut is the kind of cosmic leap for you that it is for me: raw, exhilarating, and deeply human,” she says.
Those three adjectives—raw, exhilarating, and human—resonate louder with each passing track. On The Hard Way V2, Kate softens the mood with warm vocals and delicate guitar strumming. It’s a quiet tribute to someone who once shaped her life and is no longer present, evoking an aching tenderness that even the most Stoic listener might feel.
Just when the tone begins to weigh heavy, she shifts gears with Jealous, a light, almost childlike tune that doesn’t shy away from showcasing her pettier side. With playful, bratty lyrics and a carefree delivery, the song peels back yet another layer, one that’s less polished but refreshingly real.
Following that emotionally honest thread is Mr. Compartmentalize, a cutting commentary on a toxic relationship defined by comparison and diminishing self-worth. It’s a raw reflection on how love can wound when steeped in insecurity.
Heart Sick brings the melancholy back with haunting guitar lines, telling a story of heartbreak as vivid as it is vulnerable. But just when it seems the sadness might overwhelm the album, The Queen of Never Being Here blasts in with fiery guitar riffs and a jaded, empowered voice. Kate reclaims her space like someone who’s earned their scars.
On The Lie, she broadens her lens, using a relationship as a metaphor for questioning life’s bigger truths and the societal expectations we’re often told to follow. Even in Another Life, a track brimming with longing, there’s a flicker of hope that signals a turning point.
That upward arc continues with You’re Missing It, a song that gently encourages us to find joy in the present and avoid the dull trap of routine. It’s a breezy wake-up call wrapped in thoughtful lyrics and easy melodies.
Finally, the album closes on a high note with Bright Spot, a buoyant track driven by a lively bassline and a sense of emotional closure. It’s the perfect ending to a story of personal growth, resilience, and creative awakening.
Kate Dulcich didn’t follow the typical path to music. Born on the West Coast and now based in Brooklyn, her artistic career began in acting, performing in short films, commercials, regional theater, and even video games. But life pushed her toward the creative outlet she had long postponed: songwriting.
During the pandemic lockdown, everything changed. The passing of her father and the complexities of becoming a new mother led to an outpouring of honest, heartfelt music. Her 2021 debut EP Wrong Me marked her first step into the music world, introducing a melancholic, intimate folk-pop sound that now fully blooms in Paper Fortress. This album is a testimony, a chronicle of what happens when you stop running from yourself and start turning your experiences into art.
CONNECT WITH KATE DULCICH