Who is DEMPS? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music
Who is DEMPS? The singer joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…
DEMPS // Photo credit: Gracie Range
Quick Facts:
Full Name – Katie Dempsey (DEMPS)
Birthdate – 08/20/1993
Hometown – Plant City, Florida
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross
Label – Mailbox Money Records
Current Single – “If You Were A Country Girl” // as of date of article: 8/05/2024
The Beginning:
Today’s spotlight shines on a songstress you may recognize from her popular social media platforms. Katie Dempsey who goes by DEMPS has attracted the right attention to her personality and her talent. We chatted with DEMPS all about her rise to stardom, her love of country music, and her new songs that are officially out.
“DEMPS is a nickname that was given to me in high-school and it kinda just stuck,” began the singer. “I grew up in Plant City, Florida. […] I grew up in a little trailer with six siblings, I was the sixth one, I was the baby of the family. Just a divorced kid my whole life, and all of that, so music really played a big impact in my life. It was almost an escape.”
Throughout her childhood, DEMPS was exposed to many different musical genres. Her father introduced her to rock music, both classic rock and artists like Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. “I would be putting on concerts for my family and I would make little tickets for my family to come to my room for my show and I would perform like Limp Bizkit in my room,” she shared. On the other hand, her mother created her love for 80s music and powerhouse females like Celine Dion and Diana Ross.
“It was always a broken home. My dad’s on his fourth marriage, my mom’s on her third, and there was never really structure there, so music was always a huge, huge outlet for me in all of that,” stated DEMPS, adding, “My brain was filled with so much music. I always say I’m a walking jukebox.”
The Turning Point:
While she always loved music, DEMPS did not begin to pursue it until recently. Social media was her gateway to performing. “Right when COVID hit everybody, and I found out what social media was, I didn’t exactly know what it was [at first]. I didn’t really know social media until TikTok came around,” she began. “I just started making these videos just for fun to find an outlet, and putting on a good song with a cute, country outfit, and just shotgunning beers, and that’s how I grew my platform as an individual, and then I started promoting music.”
DEMPS grew her platforms to amass an impressive and dedicated following. This led to one a huge record label, Warner Records reaching out. “I do a lot of promotional work for them, and I still do. That’s how music promoting happened and how I had the opportunity of meeting independent artists here in Nashville to major artists and everything, so it’s just been a rollercoaster, my career path in the last couple of years because I went from a nine to five job to social media full time.”
Because of her promotional work and her growing connections in her new hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, DEMPS started to discover her own voice and sound in the growing scape of country music “I loved how there wasn’t one set and stone type of music. It was like an ice cream store. You have so many different flavors, and I think that’s what I love about it,” she shared.
Today:
Flash forward to today, DEMPS has released two songs of her own. The first, viral hit, “Bitch On Wine” and the second, “If You Were A Country Girl.” “When I was handed an opportunity, it wasn’t just your traditional country. We are headed into a new wave of country and it’s pretty cool to see the rap country, pop country, and I consider myself to be more pop-country,” she shared, adding, “I didn’t really stick to a specific genre, I just knew what my ears loved, and I was like “that is so me.” I’m still diving into all of this, and I’m super excited, but the songs that have been pitched to me felt like me and who I am.”
Both songs showcase the sassy and fun side of DEMPS. “If You Were A Country Girl” was originally pitched to her with HARDY’s vocals on the demo. “I was like this is a like a rap-country song, I had to get almost into character, I had to dig into my past of what I went through in past relationships and all of that, so I really had to dive into an emotion, not anger, but empowerment about what I would do if a guy broke my heart again. […] I had to figure out how a woman would sing this. It was so much fun getting into the studio and recording it.”
DEMPS is only just getting started and has already hinted at a debut project coming before the end of the year. However, first, fans can expect some more songs that showcase different sides of the the singer. “I’m super excited for people to see another side of DEMPS, telling a story through a song, and I am going to be releasing an EP at the end of the year.” Stay tuned!
Connect:
Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future DEMPS releases.
To keep up with DEMPS, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
DEMPS’ music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.