Growing up in haunted houses, Katrina has always had a passion for paranormal. This passion became reality when Katrina joined the Paranormal Research Society at Penn State and began interviewing thousands of eyewitnesses about the unknown. Weidman went on to co-host A & E’s doc series, “Paranormal State”, ‘Real Fear: The Truth Behind The Movies”, “Paranormal Lockdown” with Nick Groff, and more recently seen with Jack Osborne on “Portals to Hell” (Discovery Channel), where Jack and Katrina teamed up to investigate the world’s most sinister and haunted locations.
Alongside Weidman’s paranormal career, she has sustained a successful music career, most recently as the lead singer songwriter of Alt Rock band Away From 30. Katrina just released her debut solo project pop song “Suffer Me”, produced by Barb Morrison (Blondie, Rufus Wainwright, Franz Ferdinand).
Follow Katrina @katrinaweidman
Hi Katrina, please tell us a little about you.
Professionally most people know me as a paranormal investigator, TV host, and producer, but I’m also a singer-songwriter and I’ve been doing that since I was a kid and teen. I live outside Philadelphia with my husband, our three-legged rescue pup named Batman, and our cat Gus.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Bubbly Wednesday Addams.
We’re sure you have been asked this a million times but how did you get into the industry?
Music was always part of my life since I grew up in a very musical and theatrical household. Playing violin at 10, piano and songwriting at 11, and studying voice at 15 all led to me going to college with my first degree focusing on music. My other passion, the paranormal also started when I was a kid, and that led me to a college club that had a TV show about our cases, which led to me working in the entertainment business.
How has this changed your life?
Pre-pandemic I traveled a lot so I’ve seen a lot of the US. I’ve met a ton of interesting people and I’ve had some wild experiences through my work. I think travel has grounded me in a lot of ways. It took me out of my bubble and helped me gain perspective on a lot of aspects of life.
Describe your sound in 3 words.
Dark Pop Music
Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?
Lots of influences, but Tori Amos is probably the biggest. I felt a deep connection to her music as a kid and as an adult, she inspires me to push myself to write better songs
Do you play any instruments?
Piano/Keys and I used to play the violin
Do you ever get nervous?
All the time! Sometimes I have to sit down when I sing to calm my nerves.
Tell us about your new song “Suffer Me?”
Suffer Me has a dark dream pop sound. I wrote it one night/early morning and it struck me. I sent it to Barb Morrison (producer) who immediately wrote back asking if we could record this. Shortly after we were in their studio.
What’s the story behind the song?
Lyrically, I didn’t fully understand what I was writing about until 6 months after I wrote it. So it kind of ended up being this therapy session with myself that I didn’t even know I was having. It’s a deeply personal song but centers around the self-destruction we all engage ourselves in.
How was working with producer Barb Morrison?
I love working with Barb. They’re good at pulling out the story of the song and shaping the pieces to fit that. There’s a reason they’re a platinum record producer and I’m very grateful to get the chance to work with them.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
For the paranormal, it’s helping people who are going through haunting and documenting their stories. For music, since I write a lot of personal songs, it’s always nice to kind of get some of that off of your chest. I also love seeing a song come to life and then seeing others connect with it.
Now tell us about the A & E’s doc series, “Paranormal State”, ‘Real Fear: The Truth Behind The Movies”, “Paranormal Lockdown” with Nick Groff, and more recently seen with Jack Osborne on “Portals to Hell” (Discovery Channel)?
The paranormal has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. I’ve been lucky to have some great opportunities in the genre. I’m extremely selective when it comes to projects I say “yes” to and I’ve turned down many over the years. It’s a field I care about deeply and I hope to continue growing.
Paranormal State was about the college club I was part of and documented our haunted journeys, Paranormal Lockdown was a kind of supernatural experiment- spending 72 hours in a haunted building to see what we could document, Real Fear was investigating the stories behind some of the world’s most iconic horror movies, and Portals to Hell’s mission was to go to the most sinister locations to see if it changed the activity.
Why did you decide to get involved in paranormal content?
The Paranormal kind of chooses you. I experienced this very early in my life, it left me with a lot of questions. I picked up every book on the subject, watched every TV show, every movie. etc. When I got to college they had a club that I joined. That club had an investigator training course and I graduated from that. At the same time, the club got its own TV show (Paranormal State) and I’ve been working in TV and the Paranormal ever since.
If you weren’t famous, what would you be up to right now?
I’d still be doing the same stuff I do now only a smaller amount of people would know about it. For the money, I’d either be working in fitness, culinary arts, makeup, and fashion, or I’d be one badass detective.
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
Learn more trades, stop being so self-conscious, and stop taking shit from shitty people.
How would your best friend describe you?
Weird, insomniac, caring, creative, sarcastic, FBI friend
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
The very weird and creepy life of Katrina Weidman
What’s next for Katrina Weidman in 2023?
I have more singles dropping this summer! Additionally, I’m filming season 2 of Travel the Dead and I’ll also be doing some in-person ghost-hunting events that the public can join.
What is your favorite healthy food?
I love a fresh and crisp salad
And your favorite cheat food?
For treats, anything chocolate, anything chocolate, and anything chocolate.
How would you explain your fashion style?
I’m usually a vision (aka mess) in sweatpants, but if I’m dressing up I love vintage and vintage-inspired styles, and if I’m dressing in a casual T-shirt and jeans.
What is your definition of happiness?
I think for me it’s getting able to do what you love and hang out with the people you love doing the things you love.
If you could meet someone living or dead, whom would it be and why?
Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan. I met Betty White in 2012 and I cried like a baby.
What would be your dream holiday, and whom would you go with?
I’d love to go on a trip with my family to visit all the countries our ancestors immigrated from.
Best advice ever given?
Not sure if it’s the best, but one that has been true for me in the entertainment business is “have 8 pots on the stove because 7 of them will go away”
Do you support any charity?
For donations, I give to a local animal rescue and the wounded warrior project. Actively, I’ve raised money for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and have advocated for Pinups for Pitbulls. I currently volunteer crisis counsel for victims of sexual assault and rape.
Where do you see yourself and your career 5 years from now?
I hope I’ve expanded my career in the paranormal outside of hosting TV, that I’m working in music, getting back to my roots in theatre and acting, and producing more projects.
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
Omg, break out the show tunes. My theatre kid energy is strong.
What do you think of Social Media?
There are good and bad.
The good is I love connecting directly with my fans. I love that it’s easier for artists and creators to find a home and success without the traditional gatekeepers.
The downside is the rhetoric surrounding it: comparing, the unrealistic standards, the fueling of perfectionism, the bullying, and harassment, the posting just for sensationalism, the constant idea that we should be chasing likes/engagement and that we need to be posting all the time. For me, the downside drains my energy, depletes my creativity, and just doesn’t feel very good.
Where we can follow you?
I’m on all the majors: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube all @katrinaweidman
Book: The Devil in the white city, All the light we cannot see, The Diary of Anne Frank
Movie: The Wedding Singer, Second-hand Lions, Scream
Tv Series: The Golden Girls
Favorite Food: Pizza, Thai, Vietnamese
Travel Destination: The Jersey Shore, I’m serious, it has such a special place in my heart. I’ll always be partial to Wildwood. I’ll probably end up haunting it one day.
Sports Team: Flyers because Gritty
Photo Credits: Derek Mohr
