We Speak Music

KAT ORLANDO RELEASES SAVE THE SETTING SUN EP

Published

7 hours ago

November 7, 2026

A Three-Song EP That Moves From Funk-Fueled Warning to Playful Romance to Soulful Reflection

DETROIT, MI — Kat Orlando has never been an artist who stays comfortably in one lane. A powerhouse vocalist, multi-in strumentalist, and two-time Detroit Music Award winner, Orlando brings together rock, soul, funk, jazz, and retro dance influences with the kind of individuality that is impossible to manufacture. Her latest release, SAVE THE SETTING SUN, captures that versatility in three distinctly different songs—three musical snapshots that move from danger and dark humor to flirtation and infectious funk, and finally to the deeply personal territory of family, independence, and growing up. The result is an EP with something increasingly rare: personality. This is music with a point of view.

“CRAZY MAN’S CAR” — WATCH THE ROAD

The journey begins with “Crazy Man’s Car,” a hard-driving track that sounds like a warning wrapped in a dance beat. Kat delivers a message that is both cautionary and strangely entertaining: pay attention. Watch where you’re going. Read the signs.There’s an almost cinematic quality to the song. Imagine the unsettling storytelling of Stephen King or Rod Serling colliding with a relentless groove. The road becomes a metaphor for the world around us, where danger can appear suddenly and the people—or forces—guiding us aren’t always what they seem. Yet Kat never loses the fun. The track’s driving rhythm pulls the listener forward even as the lyrics tell us to slow down, look around, and think about where we’re headed. It’s a warning you can dance to.

“LOVE PEST” — THE FUN KIND OF TROUBLE

From caution to chemistry, Kat shifts gears with “Love Pest,” an irresistibly playful funk number built around the idea of the right kind of annoyance. A “Love Pest” is exactly the person you want around. The lyrics are cheeky, flirtatious, and fun, while the rhythm hits with the infectious swagger of classic funk and dance music. Listeners may catch the spirit of songs such as Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music,” but Kat gives the groove her own modern personality and Detroitattitude. This is the track built to get people moving. It’s hooky without trying too hard, playful without becoming lightweight, and tailor-made for a live audience.

“DINNER TABLE TALK” — WHEN THE QUESTIONS BEGIN

Then the mood changes.

“Dinner Table Talk” takes the listener somewhere much more intimate—a family dinner table, where the plates are down, the conversation begins, and eventually someone asks the inevitable question:

What are your plans? What are you going to do with your life? Part retrospective and part coming-of-age story, the song taps into an experience almost everyone recognizes. Kat puts the listener in the place of the child sitting beneath the loving—but sometimes overwhelming—scrutiny of parents who desperately want their child to succeed. It’s that complicated moment when independence begins to pull one direction while family, expectations, and unconditional love pull another. Kat makes you feel like the kid again. But musically, the song doesn’t feel confined or pressured. Instead, a warm, flowing melody surrounds the story, creating an emotional counterpoint to the tension of the lyrics. This is where Kat’s R&B and soul sensibilities meet her jazz roots. The arrangement breathes. The melody moves. And the song gradually becomes less about one particular dinner and more about the universal experience of growing up, looking back, and realizing that even the questions that drove you crazy often came from love. “Dinner Table Talk” is the song that makes you remember.

THE MUSICIANS

For the fourth time, Kat reunites with producer Gayle Brannan, a gospel-influenced songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumen talist who has developed a distinctive musical chemistry with Orlando. Brannan instinctively understands how to bring out Kat’s most soulful and funky instincts as a writer and performer. On SAVE THE SETTING SUN, he contributes keyboards, bass, and drum programming, while also adding his smooth vocals alongside Katrina Campbell on background vocals. Guitarist Anders Nordstrom ( Jennifer Hudson, Brandy, Anita Baker, Tori Kelly) provides the funky rhythmic guitar work throughout the project, while Larry Tucker (Aliyah, Commision, Fred Hammond, Dru Hill, Usher) brings powerful, dynamic drumming that anchors the EP and gives its dance-oriented tracks their physical impact. Together, the musicians create a sound that honors the rich traditions of funk, soul, R&B, rock, and jazz while giving Kat plenty of room to sound like herself.

THREE SONGS. THREE SIDES OF KAT ORLANDO.

What makes SAVE THE SETTING SUN stand out isn’t simply the diversity of the three tracks—it’s the way they reveal different sides of the same artist.

We Speak Music

Pauline Frechette Releases “The Wonder of Stars” Featuring Legendary Bassist Stanley Clarke

Published

6 hours ago

November 7, 2026

Olivia Long

Billboard-charting composer, pianist, and vocalist Pauline Frechette releases her new single, “The Wonder of Stars,” featuring legendary bassist Stanley Clarke. Taken from her latest album, At the Edge of Everything, the song is a personal reflection on the beauty of the universe, the search for direction, and the quiet strength that comes from looking beyond everyday worries.

Living in Ojai, California, surrounded by mountains and natural beauty, Pauline finds inspiration in one of her favorite nighttime activities: stargazing with her husband. For her, looking up at the stars is more than simply admiring the night sky. It is a way to find peace, regain perspective, and reconnect with her sense of purpose.

“When I am tired or anxious about something, star gazing relaxes me. I feel strong and sure of the path I must follow,” Pauline explains. Inspired by the explorers who once relied on the stars for courage and direction, she sees the night sky as a reminder that there is always a way forward, even when life presents obstacles.

That feeling became the foundation for “The Wonder of Stars.” Pauline began composing the music while singing, allowing the lyrics to emerge naturally from the emotions and story already expressed through the melody. She considers the song one of her finest compositions.

Featuring the unmistakable musicianship of Stanley Clarke, “The Wonder of Stars” brings together Pauline’s distinctive approach to composition and performance with the artistry of one of music’s most celebrated bassists.

Pauline Frechette has built an impressive career as a composer, pianist, and vocalist. Her compositions have been performed by renowned orchestras, including the Baltimore Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, New West Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and National Symphony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Her work has also been presented at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Beyond the concert stage, Pauline has contributed her voice to major film scores and performed alongside some of the biggest names in music, including Paul McCartney, Beck, Cher, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, Muse, and Leonard Cohen.

Her current album, At the Edge of Everything, features Stanley Clarke and showcases her ability to move naturally between jazz, neo-classical instrumentals, and expressive vocal compositions. Her music has accumulated more than 30 million streams worldwide.

Through her music and performances, Pauline brings together technical excellence, emotional honesty, and a deep sense of vulnerability. With “The Wonder of Stars,” she offers listeners a reminder to pause, look beyond their immediate surroundings, and find inspiration in the world above them.