Kittie frontwoman Morgan Lander recently clarified the band’s current musical direction. She explained why she no longer considers them a nu-metal act in an interview with Metalshop.
Lander addressed the band’s evolution away from their nu-metal roots. She also discussed their relationship with the genre that helped launch their career.
“Well, because I think the (nu-metal) label is not representative of our music anymore,” Lander said. “I think for a long time it felt like it was a little bit of a bad word, because nu metal, it was on a pedestal and then it fell and it sort of became a bit of a parody of itself.”
The vocalist explained how the band’s sound has evolved since their early days.
“And we moved away from that sound early on,” she continued. “Our second album [2001’s ‘Oracle’] was sort of a little bit less of that. But we are still very proud to say that we helped to start some of the movement. And we were one of the earlier nu metal bands and people found us popular.”
Lander emphasized the band’s pride in their contribution to the genre despite distancing themselves from the nu-metal label.
“So, yeah, we’re proud to say that that album [Kittie’s 1999 debut ‘Spit’] was influential in that genre,” she said. “But we don’t really sound like that anymore. So we’re not still a nu metal band.”
Lander’s comments reflect the band’s extensive musical journey that has spanned multiple genres throughout their career.
Wikipedia documented that Kittie’s musical style has been broad and diverse over the years, spanning multiple genres including alternative metal, heavy metal, death metal, extreme metal, groove metal, thrash metal, and even gothic metal. Their shifts in style incorporated a mix of death metal screams, clean singing, and occasionally rapping on early work like Spit. Their influences ranged from Seattle grunge bands such as Nirvana and Alice in Chains to metal acts like Pantera and Slayer.
This wide-ranging influence helped shape their evolving sound far beyond nu metal alone. The band’s willingness to experiment with different styles has been a defining characteristic since their formation. This approach allowed them to transcend the limitations of any single genre classification.
Distorted Sound Magazine reported that Kittie has recently seen a resurgence of interest, especially among younger listeners discovering their early music through platforms like TikTok. Songs from the Spit era, such as “Get Off (You Can Eat A Dick)” and “Brackish,” have gained new popularity. This development introduced Kittie to a fresh audience.
The band welcomes this new fan base and remains active with new music and touring plans. The same source noted that they are aiming to expand their presence internationally in 2025 with hopes to perform in the UK and at European festivals. This renewed activity underscores their continuing relevance beyond their nu-metal beginnings. It also demonstrates how their diverse musical approach has allowed them to connect with new generations of metal fans.
