Katie HARDER (nee Vanderzaag)

Katie Vanderzaag has been surrounded by music for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Melbourne, Victoria, singing along to vinyl Amy Grant records, she soon learnt to play piano and guitar, and was writing her own songs by her early teens. The lead singer in bands and duos throughout high school, being a musician was just what came naturally to Katie. Six months out of high school, this fr...

Katie Vanderzaag has been surrounded by music for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Melbourne, Victoria, singing along to vinyl Amy Grant records, she soon learnt to play piano and guitar, and was writing her own songs by her early teens. The lead singer in bands and duos throughout high school, being a musician was just what came naturally to Katie. Six months out of high school, this fresh-faced 18 year old was introduced to the world with her debut EP, 'What It’s Like.' Recorded over a couple of months in early 2002, it had barely been pressed and she was off on a three week national tour supporting Compliments of Gus. Fast forward 3 years. It’s 2005 and she has just finished her debut full length album, 'Fragments Of A Wandering Mind.; Recorded over almost 2 years, it tells the tale of a girl who’s grown up a little and is ready to share her story with the world. Where her first release told stories of high school, this new collection touches on themes of finding her place in the world, self image and the realisation that being a singer is not necessarily about being on a pedestal. In an industry where stars are created and careers are built on the premise that it is all about the superstar, it is refreshing to find an artist who would rather simply act as a pointer to her creator. “I guess all my songs are essentially pointing to something bigger, something other than me,” Katie says, reflecting on what went into the lyrics on the new album. As the opening track “Not About Me” says, “Why can’t we see that it’s not about me.” Katie Vanderzaag and Band in the form it was then had been together for 2 years and in that time traveled the east coast playing in small pubs along the way. The mix of brilliant muso's in this line up captured audiences of all ages and kept them interested. The mix of songs ranged from Rock to Pop and Folk to Jazz so their was definately something to wet eveyone's musical taste when Katie Vanderzaag and Band were around. Most of Katie's songs portray a thought here, an observation there, a reflection, an insight, a question, a statement, a sign pointing forward and a call to others to join the journey. And it’s a journey where everyone is welcome, as Katie Vanderzaag told a story that isn’t just about her, but about you and me, experiencing life together and following the Creator.
Fast forward again to the present and a married Katie Harder has been relocated with her husband to the Red Centre, based in Alice Springs. Her young family is her focus but she still has much time for her community and her music. Katie has written songs for each of her children as well as her husband, the latest for her son "Jesse."
In 2021, Katie has released her new single, "Sing It Out"