Singer-songwriter Katie Jo‘s debut album, Pawn Shop Queen, chronicles some of the most traumatic experiences of her young life. Its title track, however, offers a bit of optimism: a reminder that our worst moments don’t define us, but make us stronger.
Jo describes “Pawn Shop Queen”—which is premiering exclusively on The Boot—as “an anthem for resisting the lies depression tells us about ourselves … for perseverance in spite of one’s self.” She’d had the title in her mind for a song for quite some time, and by the time she sat down to write it, at home in her pajamas, it took less than an hour.
“It’s the sound of someone mustering the energy to regain their self confidence, a statement to myself that trauma and heartbreak alone don’t define who I am,” Jo reflects. “At the time, I was not only processing the fallout of some pretty shocking infidelity in my relationship, but also trauma around my own reproductive health and infertility. I felt betrayed, both by my partner and my own sense of worth.”