Katie was born in London in 1976 into a very musical family as her father, Paul Theasby was the fiddle player with Dingle Spike, a London based Irish band. Her mother, Gloria Pahad, was a great influence on her singing and taste in music who was involved with the African National Congress and Katie was singing in the South African Xhosa language from an early age. Katie made her public debut aged 15 in the Stags Head, Camden Town, when she sang Patsy Cline’s Crazy. Katie was lucky to have grown up both in the London / Irish music scene and the sessions in Kilfenora, Co Clare. She is a self-taught whistle/flute player and singer and at the start of her career played with Ron Kavana’s band Alias for a couple of years around the pubs, clubs and festivals circuit including a Glastonbury slot at the tender age of 14. These days home is Kilfenora and Katie plays sessions, gigs and festivals around Clare and further afield. Katie grew up amongst political activists and she has a strong sense of equality and has been campaigning for the rights of Travellers for the last few years. Katie was part of the Celebration Of Traveller Music nights both in Dublin and Listowel which is staged by a group of people from both the Traveller and settled community who come together musically to show unity and equality but also celebrate the diversity of Irish music and the contribution Travellers have made and still make to this day. Katie has performed with artists such as Finbar Furey, Paddy Keenan, Stocktons Wing, and Kinky Friedman amongst others and she performed at the Doolin Folk Fest with Mike Hanrahan and Ger O’Donnell accompanying her. She started gathering attention further afield when she released a song that Finbar Furey suggested she record one of his songs. She recorded this track, “I Remember you Singing this Song” with producer/musician Peter Eades, who currently plays in Finbar’s band, and she has recorded her debut album I Remember You Singing with Peter as producer, accompanist, which was launched late 2019. Katie now plays with Shaskeen and accompanying her for her TradFest Temple Bar concert is Dave Sanders and Alan Wallace.
Katie will be performing at Castle Hall, Dublin Castle, for TradFest Temple Bar 2023.