Katie Runnels and the Art of Making Music That Grows With You
Katie Runnels has never treated music as something static. Her discography reads less like a timeline of releases and more like a record of personal evolution with each chapter shaped by where she was in life, not where the industry expected her to be.
She first introduced herself with Reality Cloud in 2010, a debut rooted in folk-rock sensibilities and emotional storytelling. The album established Runnels as a songwriter drawn to honesty and introspection, someone more interested in meaning than momentum. Even then, her work carried a sense of space—songs that invited listeners in rather than pushing themselves forward.
After that release, Katie Runnels stepped away from the traditional artist cycle. Instead of doubling down on visibility, she chose to live. She spent years teaching and developing tools to support students with ADHD, a period that quietly reshaped her relationship with creativity. When she eventually returned to music, her approach had changed. The urgency was gone. What replaced it was clarity.
Her recent work, including the single “Imperfect Beauty,” reflects that shift. Sonically, the track moves toward atmospheric and electronic textures, but the emotional core remains unmistakably hers. The production is patient and restrained, allowing her vocals to guide the experience. Rather than chasing structure or hooks, Runnels builds mood and intention, trusting the listener to meet the song halfway.
What stands out across her catalog is consistency of purpose. Even as the sound evolves—from organic instrumentation to more ethereal, electronic layers—the message stays grounded in self-awareness and emotional truth. Runnels treats songwriting as a process of reflection, not performance. Each release feels considered, as if it arrived only when it had something honest to say.
That philosophy extends beyond her recorded music. Alongside her discography, Runnels runs a YouTube Education Channel where she speaks openly about ADHD, self-love, limiting beliefs, and healing. While separate from her music releases, the channel offers context to her work as an artist. It reveals how deeply her creative choices are tied to listening, teaching, and understanding people.
Runnels doesn’t build her career around constant output. She builds it around alignment. Her songs arrive when they’re ready, not when they’re expected. That approach gives her catalog a sense of longevity—music meant to be revisited rather than consumed once.
For House of Shakes listeners drawn to artists who value growth over noise, Katie Runnels represents a thoughtful kind of independence. Her discography doesn’t chase reinvention for its own sake. It reflects a life lived, lessons learned, and a commitment to making music that evolves honestly.Get familiar with Katie Runnels—not just through one song, but through the arc of her work. It’s an artist story still unfolding, and it’s one worth following closely.
