Katie Schecter Unveils “Hide My Weapons” — A Fierce Track from Empress
Nashville’s Katie Schecter returns with “Hide My Weapons,” a raw and personal new single from her upcoming album Empress. Co-written with her husband Nick Bockrath (lead guitarist of Cage the Elephant), it’s a track that doesn’t hold back—and it’s out now, with the full album out October 17.
Couples Therapy, But Make It a Banger
“Hide My Weapons” was born in the middle of a moment. The song began as an instrumental from Bockrath, but during a lovers’ quarrel, Schecter jumped in, penning the melody and lyrics off the cuff. “It’s autobiographical,” she says. “We are passionate people—husband and wife, best friends, creative collaborators. I’d be far more concerned if we never argued.”
The song is electric with that tension: a portrait of two people who know each other’s nerves as well as their strengths. The result is vulnerable, charged, and defiantly human.
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Family Band, Minus the Matching Outfits
But this partnership goes beyond the studio. Schecter and Bockrath share more than a creative bond—they’re married and raising their daughter, Only, while living deeply in the music. Only grew up hearing her mother perform (including onstage while pregnant) and seeing her father light up massive venues like MetLife Stadium. That constant intersection of life, art, and love makes Empress feel less like a concept and more like a lived experience.
Empress: Built While Carrying a Tiny Human
Due out October 17, Empress was recorded live to tape at New York City’s Diamond Mine Studio while Schecter was pregnant with Only. The album explores vulnerability, power, and imperfection through a lens Schecter calls “divine feminine.” She describes the process as feeling “transcendent in her femininity, knowing she is safe to cherish her imperfections.”
Photo by CJ Harvey
Backing her are some serious heavyweights: rhythm section legends Nick Movshon and Homer Steinweiss (The Arcs, Mark Ronson, Clairo), along with Russ Pahl (pedal steel), Leon Michels (piano), and multi-instrumentalist Matt Combs (violin, viola, cello). With Bockrath on production, the sound threads rock, pop, and soul—cinematic in scope, intimate in detail.
Early Tracks Suggest Empress Rules
Ahead of Empress, Schecter has already released two singles:
- “Pay It No Mind” — a breezy reminder not to sweat the small stuff
- “Run River Run” — a driving blend of rock, soul, and pop
With “Hide My Weapons,” she delves into deeper emotional terrain, tapping into the friction of love and the fire of real-life connection.
Marking the Moment
Schecter will celebrate Empress and its release at a hometown show in Nashville on October 17 at Soft Junk. She’ll be joined by Zac Cockrell of Alabama Shakes on bass for the night.
A Sound That Doesn’t Settle
Katie Schecter isn’t new to evolution. Raised in New York City and now rooted in Nashville, she’s built a sound that resists easy labels. From her 2017 self-titled EP to Bad for Business in 2020, her work has always blurred genre lines and dug into emotional truths.
With Empress, she folds everything into the frame: motherhood, creativity, love, fear, power—and all the messy, electric moments between.
If you’re into music that doesn’t settle, that holds tension and beauty in the same breath, “Hide My Weapons” is your next listen. Empress isn’t just her most personal record—it’s her boldest yet.
