Career

1999–2006: Career beginnings

When Perry was 15, her singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills.^[17] In Nashville, Perry started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans how to craft songs and play guitar.^[12][14] Perry signed to the Christian music label Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15.^[18] Performing as Katy Hudson, she released the self-titled Gospel-rock album in 2001.^[17] The album was unsuccessful, however, after the label ceased operations at the end of 2001.^[18] She later changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to film actress Kate Hudson.^[17][19]
At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles, where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for Island Records.^[20] Growing up listening to mostly gospel music, Perry had few references when she began recording songs.^[12] Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. That night, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on VH1 and saw producer Glen Ballard talking about Alanis Morissette;^[12] Ballard produced Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, which had a "huge influence" on Perry.^[17] She expressed interest in working with Ballard to her initial collaborator, who arranged a meeting for her with Ballard in Los Angeles. Perry presented one of her songs to Ballard. Ballard then helped Perry develop her songwriting over the next few years.^[12] The album was due for release in 2005,^[17][18] but Billboard reported it also went nowhere.^[18] Perry was dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group.^[7] Some of Perry and Ballard's collaborations included "Box", "Diamonds" and "Long Shot", were posted on her official MySpace page. "Simple", one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.^[21] "Long Shot" and "I Do Not Hook Up" was later recorded by Kelly Clarkson for her 2009 album All I Ever Wanted.^[22]

Perry performs at the 2009 Warped Tour

Perry signed to Columbia Records in 2004. However, the label was not amenable with her vision, not putting her in the "driver's seat".^[18] Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair Perry with the record production team The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Although the album was later shelved,^[23] she caught the attention of the music press: Her burgeoning music career led to her being named "The Next Big Thing" in October 2004 by Blender magazine.^[18] With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her from the label.^[18] While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent A&R company called Taxi Music. In 2006, Perry was featured in the tail-end of the video to P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now".^[24] She made a cameo appearance in Carbon Leaf's video, "Learn to Fly".