Strange Medicine is the brand new record from renowned Grenadian-Canadian Americana artist Kaia Kater, released on May 17th on Free Dirt Records. Produced by Kater and Joe Grass (Elisapie, The Barr Brothers), Strange Medicine is Kater's first new album in six years (following 2018's Grenades) and her most personal record to date. Created during a period of deep self-reflection and reinvention, the new music finds Kater expanding her creative scope as she celebrates the power of women and oppressed people throughout history, while also sharing meditations on her own life. In addition to ‘In Montreal’ ft. Allisson Russel, Strange Medicine also features previously released singles, ‘Fédon’ ft Taj Mahal, ‘The Internet,’ and collaborations with Aoife O'Donovan "The Witch".

Kaia intends 2024 to be a triumphant return to recording and touring. After performing a few dates in the U.K. earlier this year, Kaia is excited to announce her return for a string of U.K. and European dates in October (full details below). Kater's new album, which is  ‘Americana album of the month’ in this issue of UNCUT, features key special guests and it celebrates the power of women and oppressed people throughout history as they rise up and turn the poison of centuries of oppression into a strange kind of medicine. 

Reflecting on the project, Kater shares, "The through line for me is just stories. It was the story of my dad on Grenades, and on Strange Medicine it's the story of people in history who might not have had their proper shrift. It's also my chance to finally write about the times in my life when I didn't feel like I had a voice in order to give myself one now."  

Since her debut, Kater has released three full-length albums, including 2018's Grenades, nominated for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at that year's JUNO Awards and was also long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize. Released to widespread critical attention, with praise in the U.K. media including a 9/10 review in UNCUT and plays across BBC Radio 2, BBC 3 and BBC 6 Music. Rolling Stone declared, "plaintive, mesmerizing…[Kater] writes and performs with the skill of a folk-circuit veteran".