Project Kate was a short-lived, New York-based project that centered around Kate Reddy, one-time guitarist for Hare Krishna-inspired hardcore band 108, that included many East Coast hardcore scene notables. Project Kate songs were acoustically driven, laid-back ballads expressing Reddy's private thoughts on her parents, marriage, spirituality, and love. Reddy recorded the album while eight months pregnant -- and the love, warmth, and affection she felt for her soon-to-be expanding family is evident throughout the simple, yet heartfelt, recordings. Reddy began playing acoustic guitar with her friend Shannon in Shannon's dad's basement in 1987. But the Project Kate concept never formally materialized until 1991, when she began jamming with the then-Quicksand rhythm section of drummer Alan Cage and bassist Sergio Vega, who himself would go on to release solo material in 2000. They jokingly referred to what they were doing as "Kate" as they goofed around in a basement rehearsal space. The trio recorded three songs for free in July 1991 at Centerfield Studio. That fall, Reddy recorded a song called "California" by herself at the same place. Around this time, Quicksand signed to a major label and began touring and recording with far more regularity, so Project Kate fell apart. Reddy joined the Hare Krishna organization and eventually the band 108, married Equal Vision Records owner Steve Reddy, and began running the label with him. The two of them decided they wanted to release the Project Kate demo, but it was lost. Original engineer Mike Maineiri would later find the tape behind a dresser during a move, but before that happened, Kate Reddy had already assembled a new version of Project Kate and re-recorded three of the original songs, along with five new ones, in December of 1995 and January of 1996. These recordings, made with producer Ray Martin, surfaced as the album ...The Way Birds Fly in 1996. the album carries a dedication to newborn baby Kaulini Reddy in the liner notes. The other musicians involved included then-Texas Is the Reason/later New End Original guitarist Norman Arenas (on the track "Simon Says"), bassist Vega, drummer John K., and violin player Ida Pearle. Texas Is the Reason/New Rising Sons frontman Garret Klahn was also involved to some degree. ~ Ryan J. Downey