Photographer Justin Hammond
Feature Talent : Kat Velasco @kat.velasco.music
The idea of the "cowgirl" has always occupied a fascinating place in American culture—part myth, part fashion statement, part symbol of independence. What does being a "complex cowgirl" mean to you in 2026?
To me, a complex cowgirl is embracing contradictions. It’s being strong while also being vulnerable, independent and deeply connected, ambitious but still uncertain. I think women are often told to pick one version of themselves but real life doesn’t work or look that way. A modern cowgirl isn’t someone who has it all figured out, she’s someone who keeps showing up anyway and has the heart to really put it all out there.
Your debut album, Cowgirl Complex, explores the contradictions of young adulthood. Do you think women today are finally being given permission to embrace complexity rather than perfection?
I definitely think we’re getting closer. For a long time women were expected to be polished, agreeable and have all the answers. What I love seeing now is more women owning the messy middle. The truth is we’re all figuring things out in real time, it’s one of the reasons I love social media so much because it allows people an outlet to really express who they are. I think authenticity resonates more than perfection ever will because people can see themselves in it.
Was there a moment while making this album when you stopped trying to have all the answers and started embracing the questions instead?
This album was written during one of the most transformative periods of my life and over a long time span. I experienced career highs, deep loss, and of course a lot of uncertainty. At some point I realized I wasn’t writing songs because I had the answers, I was writing them because I was trying to understand myself. Once I accepted that the songs became more honest, more fun and I became less worried about what the outside world thinks. It’s the most fun way to create.
How do you approach getting dressed, and what story are you hoping your clothes tell before you even sing a note?
To be completely honest, I have so many Pinterest boards of styles and looks. I actually don’t have a stylist, so I obviously really enjoy it but it’s genuinely just another extension of my creativity. I’m always hoping my clothes and my style represent me, I love to pull from movies, country music legends and try to make it my own. My style will always be a reflection and extension of the story I want to get across to the listener.
You've built your visual identity without a stylist, which feels increasingly rare in today's image-driven industry. How important has authenticity been in shaping your career?
Authenticity is quite literally everything. I’ve never wanted to build a career around a version of myself that wasn’t real because eventually you have to live inside that character. The moments that have connected most with people haven’t been the polished ones, they’ve been the honest ones and the songs I’m usually the most afraid to release into the world. Authenticity isn’t always the easiest path but it’s the only one that feels sustainable and realistic.
Nashville is often romanticized as the city where dreams come true, but the reality can be much messier. What has the city taught you about ambition, resilience, and reinvention?
Nashville has taught me so much, living in music city and surrounded by so many talented people is really something special. You’re 100% correct, the reality is much messier. I don’t know how someone who doesn’t have ambition, resilience and a genuine love for music could even do it. You really have to lose the ego, trust your gut, appreciate the slow burn and the learning process of this industry. We’re always reinventing, changing and growing so I believe in leaning into that as much as possible.
Many young women are navigating a world that encourages confidence while constantly fueling self-doubt. How have those opposing forces shown up in your own life and in the music you've created?
I think confidence and self-doubt coexist more than people realize. Some days I feel unstoppable and other days I question everything. Both versions of me exist in these songs. The album is really about learning that confidence isn’t the absence of doubt, it’s moving forward despite it. The only person who can stop your growth is yourself.
As someone living and breathing that aesthetic, what do you think people often misunderstand about the modern cowgirl?
I think people sometimes reduce the cowgirl image to fashion, but it’s really about mindset. It’s about resilience, independence, grit and adaptability. You don’t need to live on a ranch to embody those qualities, although that’s the dream. The modern cowgirl is someone who refuses to let life harden her while still finding the strength to keep going.
With your debut album arriving this fall, what feels most different about the woman who started writing these songs compared to the woman releasing them into the world now?
The woman who started writing these songs was searching for a release. The woman releasing them understands that self-worth can never come from streams, followers, or outside approval. I’ve become more comfortable with who I am and I’ve learned that vulnerability is actually a strength. I lived each one of these songs at some point in my life, so it’s really amazing seeing them come to life and I’m truly proud of that.
When future listeners look back on Cowgirl Complex, what do you hope it says about this chapter of your life—not just as an artist, but as a young woman finding her place in the world?
I hope it feels like a snapshot of becoming. Not becoming perfect but becoming more myself, releasing some of the past and moving on. These songs capture a young woman navigating grief, ambition, love, loss, confidence, and uncertainty while trying to find her place in the world. If someone listens years from now and feels less alone in their own journey, then I’ve done my job.
