Photo by Ilan Isakov
Cate Monaco is an emerging Philadelphia singer-songwriter and performer. Her music is melodically driven, which allows her expressive and intricate vocals to lilt through purposeful piano arrangements.
Cate’s songwriting style is distinguished by the influence of her classical vocal background, and other varied performance experience, blended with contemporary feeling. Paired with her self-taught piano approach, it results in a sound that is uniquely her own.
Lyrically, she draws from themes of individual introspective unrest explored through philosophical questions and existential musings such as time, nostalgia, self-reflection, God, and the aggravation of trying to be quietly resilient in a silencing world. Cate’s songs convey serious messages— sometimes presented as moving, evocative, and powerful ballads, and other times packaged in satirical whimsy.
Her voice was her first instrument and as soon as she discovered it, she never stopped using it. From early childhood, Cate pursued vocal growth in her hometown of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania as she delved into choral and choir singing, barbershop harmony, theater, and classical vocal training all through her teen years. She learned to play piano by ear with the help of her older brother as they abandoned traditional lessons for piano-rendered versions of alternative punk rock ballads.
At age eighteen, Cate came to the Philly area and began honing her songcraft and lyricism. During this time she also pursued vocal and piano session work, taught voice students of various ages, and performed alongside other artists in their projects. Now showcasing her original work, Cate is currently recording her debut album and planning releases within the year.
Cate’s shifting musical interests and varied performance history have heavily shaped her original work today. Now Cate draws inspiration from influences such as Markéta Irglová, Regina Spektor, Aimee Mann, Adrianne Lenker, and the The Wailin’ Jennys.
By fusing old and new influences with broad genre interests, and leaning into everything that feels authentic during the creative process, Cate Monaco carves out a sound that feels deeply personal and unmistakably her own. Whether soft or storming, every note she delivers carries intention as she invites listeners to walk through her stories.
Photo by Hannah Jenkins
“Cate Monaco is an amazing singer. I have worked with her for over five years, mostly as a harmony singer. She has an uncanny ability to perfectly match a lead singer with precision timing and intonation. She captures the mood of the song. She even duplicates the singer’s accent and idiosyncrasies. Her original songs are compelling. Her songwriting is sensitive and emotional, and her performance draws a listener in to hear the story she is telling.”
—Doug Fearn