Kat Harlton
Photo: Provided via artist / MPC
Music Publishers Canada (MPC) recently announced the six talented producer-songwriters selected for its 2026 Women in the Studio National Accelerator, which supports the professional growth of music producers from across Canada.
Celebrating its eighth year in 2026, MPC’s Women In The Studio National Accelerator is designed to provide each cohort of producer-songwriters with skills development and networking opportunities that may otherwise be inaccessible to them.
The program focuses on topics including technical and songwriting skills, branding, and financial literacy. Participants are provided with opportunities for creative collaborations as well as networking with music industry professionals and mentors. Each producer, as a condition of acceptance, also agrees to explore volunteer opportunities in their own community.
The Accelerator runs from June to October and the sessions and workshops take place virtually and in person. The in-person residency program will take place in Toronto in July 2026.
I had the opportunity to chat with the della kit, a Women In The Studio 2026 participant about why this program is important, what she looks forward to learning, and the biggest challenge she’s faced in the industry thus far.
Kat: Can you talk about what it means for you to be selected as part of the 2026 Women In The Studio Cohort?
the della kit: Being part of the 2026 Women in the Studio Cohort feels like both an honour and an affirmation. It represents years of growth, curiosity, and dedication to the craft.
I actually applied to the program back in 2021, when I was beginning to claim my place as a producer. At the time, I had co-produced my album Moonbeams & Frequencies alongside Astrological, and I was realizing that producing was a natural extension of my songwriting. Fast forward to today, and my current project has been predominantly self-produced. Looking back, I can really see that evolution. I know how competitive the program is, so to be selected alongside such an incredible group of producers feels really special. More than anything, it feels like someone saying, “We see you. What you’re building matters.” For me, producing is an extension of songwriting. It’s another way of channelling emotion and creating a world where people can feel seen, held, heard, and valued. I create music that invites people to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and remember that they belong. I feel this program embodies that same spirit, it’s not just developing technical skills, but creating space for women and gender-diverse producers to grow together and take up space in the studio.
Kat: What do you hope to take away from it?
the della kit: I’m excited to deepen my skills in recording, mixing, and working with more complex studio gear. I’ve always been fascinated by effects, soundscape creation, and the power of creating different spaces within music. Production, to me, is about shaping an emotional landscape as much as it is about capturing a performance. I’ve actually been exploring sound design for a long time. I started using a vocal effects pedal and building live looping sets when I was eighteen, then went on to study music production and songwriting in college. Since then, I’ve continued learning through mentors, collaborations, and different creative programs. One of the things I love most about producing is that there is always more to discover. I’m particularly excited to continue developing my recording and mixing skills while learning new approaches to capturing live instruments, especially drums and percussion. I’ve recently started exploring more live percussion myself, and I also want to deepen my understanding of recording acoustic and stringed instruments. My music is rooted in soul, blues, and hip-hop, where organic instrumentation and analogue textures sit alongside modern production, and I’m always looking for new ways to bring those worlds together.
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of being a female producer/artist?
the della kit: Because I wear many hats as an artist, I sometimes feel that people don’t always know where to place me. I’m a producer, songwriter, singer, and DJ, and I’ve spent over fifteen years developing all of those parts of my craft. Sometimes people see the singer before they see the producer. There have definitely been moments where I’ve felt the need to prove my technical abilities in ways that my male peers haven’t had to. Earlier in my career, I even found myself dressing down just to be taken more seriously in studio spaces. I think many women have experienced that feeling of needing to work twice as hard simply to be seen as equally capable.
What I hope continues to change is that people begin to listen before they make assumptions. I wish people would use their ears before their eyes. The more women and gender-diverse producers we see leading sessions and shaping records, the more that narrative shifts for the next generation.
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far?
the della kit: One of the most meaningful experiences of my career so far was being invited to participate in an artist residency in Marrakech, Morocco. I had already been building relationships with Moroccan artists including Rhita Nattah, and being able to connect more deeply with the land, the music, and the culture was incredibly inspiring.
While I was there, I learned about traditional Gnawa music and the instruments that are central to that tradition. I was able to record local percussionists and also work with Samir El Bousaadi in his studio, where we recorded guitar for my upcoming single, Falling Stars. Those moments of cultural exchange remind me that music is truly a universal language.
Kat: What have you learned along the way?
the della kit: One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that I can nurture my creativity as a spiritual practice. Singing, writing, producing, and playing keys have become forms of meditation for me. They’re ways of listening to myself, to others, and to the world around me. Sharing music has allowed me to connect with people and communities in ways I dreamed about as a child. From Brazil to Morocco, I’ve experienced how music can create bridges between cultures, and those moments continue to shape not only the artist I am, but the person I’m becoming.
Kat: What’s next?
the della kit: Right now, I’m getting ready to release my new single, Falling Stars, on June 17, 2026, and I’m incredibly excited to finally share it. At its core, the song is a love letter to the people who catch us when we forget how to fly. It’s about friendship, community, and the quiet ways we hold one another through life’s difficult moments. It’s also one of the first beats I produced for my upcoming album, Dreams Speaking in Colours, which comes out this August. Sonically, I wanted the track to live somewhere between homage and invention, a nod to J Dilla, layered with shifting drum textures, dreamy synths, and a groove that always feels like it’s moving forward. Spacious and atmospheric, but deeply rooted in Soul. Alongside the release, I’ll be spending the summer on the road, sharing the music through live listening rooms, DJ sets, and workshops across Canada and the U.S. Community has always been at the heart of my work, so I’m looking forward to creating spaces where people can gather, listen, connect, and hopefully leave feeling a little more grounded than when they arrived.
Connect With the della kit
PRE- SAVE Falling Stars: https://lnk.to/fallingstarsdellakit
https://www.instagram.com/thedellakit
https://www.youtube.com/c/thedellakit
https://www.facebook.com/thedellakit
To learn more about the Women In The Studio program visit: https://www.musicpublishing.ca/women-in-the-studio