Local alt-pop artist Cat Janice released her last single Friday, one day before her 31st birthday. It is a windows-down gift for her fans and a legacy song for her little boy.
The idea for “Dance You Outta My Head” arrived when she was dancing in her car on a sunny spring day with her 7-year-old son, Loren. Cat loved it so much that she recorded a voice note to remind herself to never forget it.
Six months later, Cat was in a studio with songwriter Max Vernon and producer Austin Bello where they “bounced out the most disco fun and upbeat song of their careers.” Cat said the song is about glowing up to your absolute best, catching the eyes of everyone — even your unwanted ex-lovers — and choosing to dance them all out of your head for the night.
Diagnosed with an ultrarare sarcoma early in 2022, Cat has fought in pretty much every way possible, including holistic approaches, high-tech medical equipment and alternative and traditional methods from chemotherapy to radiation. While all of her brave efforts helped her live longer, the sarcoma has taken its toll. Cat is now in hospice at home, cherishing her time with family and friends and excited for the release of her and her son’s new song.
Born Catherine Janice Ipsan to a music-loving family in D.C., Cat took to violin and piano at an early age, sparking 18 years of classical training in orchestral productions, jazz bands and theater shows. The D.C. music scene soon embraced her as both a pop sensation and up-and-coming writer/producer. Cat started releasing her own music in 2015, experimenting in the southern rock, indie rock and pop genres before finding her way into songwriting.
Cat has been a part of the D.C. music scene for at least a decade now and said she cannot thank the community enough for its years of influence that got her to this point. The connections that brought her to these songwriting sessions have strictly come from D.C. word-of-mouth and she said she will be forever grateful for that support.
Local musician Cathy DiToro of The Legwarmers sings her highest of praises.
“Cat and I met in 2019 and pretty much became instant friends,” DiToro told WTOP. “I was really impressed at how supportive she was from the get-go and collaborative. … We had a DJ project together called Step Sisters and had a lot of fun with that. Cat is incredibly talented, incredibly intelligent, really fun-loving. … I will always cherish our connection and our times together professionally, musically, personally.”
In the summer of 2023, Cat performed live at Wolf Trap with Grammy-winning reggae band SOJA of Arlington, Virginia, singing their song “When We Were Younger.” The band posted on Instagram: “It was a special moment for us all and we wanted to share footage of that moment, so you can get to know her and love her as we do. Although we’re saddened by the thought of her no longer being with us, we feel blessed to have known her. We are proud to be able to celebrate her and to help her legacy live on through music. We love and will miss you, Cat Janice.”
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Most of “Dance You Outta My Head” was created in the studio during ASCAP writing workshops, but Cat is especially proud of the part her son played in the song’s creation.
“Loren has gotten very confident at chiming in on my car writing sessions and he has had some pretty great ideas,” Cat said. “In this single specifically, he added the line, ‘This is getting so complicated.’ I am very proud of him! He has taken a special interest recently in helping with new projects and even made my ‘Wishing I Was You’ music video with me by playing the main character in the film. He’s so intuitively creative and I pray he continues down that path in life!”
Cat said she would like to thank her amazing family, loyal friends and “hunky and beefy” Footwerk musician husband Kyle Higginbotham. She would also like to thank Joe and Alisha at Songbyrd D.C., Jason Silberman at the ASCAP Foundation, co-writers Vernon and Bello, and personal mentor Emily Warren at the Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composition Wing for their belief in her music and their loving creative encouragement.
All proceeds from “Dance You Outta My Head” will go to her son. Her label, Handwritten Records, has transferred all of her songwriting and licensing rights to Loren to make it easier for financial transition through her passing. This means that every time you stream one of Cat’s songs from now on, all profits will go directly to her little boy.
Truly, you can’t spell “song” without “son.”
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