Born on an island in Washington and raised in the Rocky Mountains by a park ranger turned physician’s assistant and a doctor, alongside a sister who is studying evolutionary biology, Kathleen finds her foremost inspiration in nature. From the age of seven, when she began writing songs, she found herself directly engaged with the world around her—its maximalism in the mountain landscapes of Colorado and its minutiae, the pattern of leaves as a vine climbs a wall or the insects living in a fallen log. She grew up ski racing but was always more interested in the great silence of the snow beneath the chairlifts and the total freedom inside the forests of the back bowls over competitions or techniques. Her work investigates these natural extremes and how they apply to our everyday lives— “I want you to cry in public,” she says of its intended effect.

In May of 2020,Kathleen made her Warner Records debut with the Kathleen I EP, which features her debut single,"The Longest Year,"as well as three other tracks " Asking the Aspens," " Half My Mind Ago" and "Seven Miles."Then in October of 2020, Kathleen shared her follow up EP, Kathleen II, featuring "Can’t Sleep," “August,” " Dark Side of the Moon "and " Glass Piano." Dan Nigro, who produced and co-wrote “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo, co-wrote “Can’t Sleep” and “Asking the Aspens” and co-produced “Half My Mind Ago” by Kathleen.