Kate Tempest

Published: Sept. 17, 2019, 7 a.m.

U.K. spoken-word artist, rapper, poet, novelist and playwright Kate Tempest came into Paste’s New York City studio to perform songs from her third studio album The Book of Traps and Lessons, out now via American Recordings/Republic Records. In this session, Tempest performed three songs: “Three Sided Coin,” “Firesmoke” and “People’s Faces.” Her vocal delivery is sometimes fiery, sometimes matter-of-fact, but always intentional and with the goal of illustrating the corresponding emotion her gritty poetry dredges up.