Sinosikat performs at Martini's. Photo by Erving Go

Big surprises do come in dainty packages. Standing at a modest 5"3, Kat Agarrado, the brainchild behind Sinosikat, proves she is more than just easy on the eyes once she unleashes her incredibly soulful vocal chops—“the main reason behind her being named Vocalist of the Year at the 2007 NU Rock Awards. Juggling the roles of band manager, image model, and front woman is a tricky deal especially in an industry muddled with so many acts offering different flavors of music.

Many may remember her as that 16-year-old singer of '90s band Passage. But her career actually started a year earlier after she won Ad Faces, a competition which eventually landed Kat her first gig as the female vocalist of Kindred Garden. "I performed with them for six months," Kat recalls, "One night I jammed with Side A at News Bar Café (now Strumms). It was there that [manager] Wyngard Tracy discovered me before signing me up with Passage."

Leading her own band since 2004, Kat is exhilarated. "With Sinosikat I get to write my own songs and music. I have full creative control and freedom. I get to choose the musicians I like and want to work with. There's more love and friendship now compared to just working for the money. But I'm still very grateful to [have been a part of] Kindred Garden and Passage because I have learned a lot from those experiences, and experience, indeed, is the best teacher."

Kat Agarrado opens up about her music, home life, guilty obsessions, and shares some of her favorite Manila hotspots in our exclusive SPOT.ph interview.

Who is Kat Agarrado on a normal day?
Right now, we don't have a manager, so I'm on manager mode. On a normal day, I promote the band online, researching for marketing plans, and thinking, "What's next?" I'm also a dreamer. I love to daydream. I just let my mind wander. Doon nagsisimula yun, sa imagination mo. When you dream, anything is possible, there's no limit. My creativity comes from there.

If you weren't a musician, what would you be?
Ever since I was a kid, alam kong destiny ko na ang kumanta. I went to college but I decided to pursue recording an album. I took Film at the UPFI (University of the Philippines Film Institute). Gusto ko talaga ang cinematography.

Would you ever consider finishing your degree?
Gusto ko pa rin. In life, you never stop learning. Pero ngayon, I have music videos. I get to choose the directors I want to work with. I get to choose the concepts. So it's like I'm still studying film. I'm very hands-on. From concept to editing, I know what's okay and not okay. Ganoon ako kaseryoso sa craft ko, sa trabaho ko. I want to come up with something I can be proud of and show to my kids and my friends.

You seem like a wild person.
[Laughs] Conservative ako, mukha lang hindi. Sobrang love ko si God. Mukha kasi akong Rock and Roll chick. Pero hindi nila alam na, deep inside, close kami.

Do you have any vices?
Every time I start drinking I'm forced to smoke. I have to stop. That's my goal right now. I'm not getting any younger and I need to get healthy. You have to learn from your friends. I know a lot of people who are in their early thirties who get sick. Kailangan talaga healthy living.

What's your guilty obsession?
Internet! I need to set an alarm. Kapag naka tatlong oras na ako, tama na muna. Imbis na mag-exercise ako, napapaFacebook ako bigla. It's addicting. I also love to watch movies. I love "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and Tim Burton films like "Big Fish." But the best that I've seen lately is "Avatar."

While on the internet, have you ever read the comments about you being a sexual fantasy?
What the hell? Talaga? Sometimes I just don't want to read [the comments]. But if it's their fantasy, it's their fantasy. They have a right to fantasize. [Laughs]

Have you ever been stalked?
Yes. May mga tumatawag sa akin dati na sasabihin nila lahat ng mga ginawa ko during the day na sobrang detalyado. The worst experience I had happened back in the day when I was still living in alone. Pagpasok ko sa kuwarto, may bulaklak na sa kama ko. I was thinking, "Paano ka nakapasok dito?" Now I live in a big building with guards kaya okay na.

Where do you usually go to escape?
In my room. Ngayon kasi, hindi na ako masyadong mahilig lumabas. I like quiet places. I usually go to the 37th floor of my building tapos doon kami nag-iinuman with friends.

But how about when you do go out?
My favorite spot right now is B-Side or Future in Cubao X. Nandiyan palagi ang mga kaibigan ko. I only go out to see my friends or do gigs. I usually don't go out to party.

The Kat Agarrado Photo Gallery. Click for more photos.