|
Nashville-based, Austin-bred alternative pop/rock artist Kitty Coen will perform several times throughout the week next week at SXSW. See a full list of shows below, including a special acoustic set at Austin’s LAQUER Downtown nail salon on March 11. Coen’s long-awaited, spellbinding debut album, HELLCAT, is due out April 30 and is available for pre-order now.
With her first full-length project, Kitty Coen finally writes her own story where she reclaims her own narrative and fervently learns to turn pain and anger into power and fiercely uncompromising artistry. The forthcoming unapologetic collection by Coen is a defiant body of work that showcases the artist’s strength, perseverance and determination through a blend of genres, confessional lyricism and unflinching honesty. Last month, Coen shared “yellow light,” a nostalgia-soaked recollection of a first love throughout balmy summer nights filled with fireflies and mosquitoes. The airy, acoustic track reflects Coen’s newfound romance that brings her ease and comfort like never before.
Most recently, Coen shared a pair of cinematic tracks that channel what Coen calls “Western witch rock”–”cadillac” and “el paso” out now. Inspired by her time in West Texas and Western films, each track takes on a life of its own, delving into tumultuous love affairs and late night drives over smooth guitar licks and mesmerizing melodies. Leading Americana and alt-country tastemaker Americana UK lauded, “Spaghetti Western guitars float behind Coen’s breathy vocals as she spins a tale of foreboding. The production sounds at times like Lana Del Rey being produced by Stuart Pearson: a gothic desert inhabited by a modern chanteuse.”
The haunting “everything’s a mess,” that arrived in October 2023, sees Coen embrace her own imperfections, and through a melancholic melody, sultry vocals and 90s-inspired guitar tones, bravely examine feelings of despair and confusion. Written in the midst of moving from Austin to Nashville, Coen found herself in a rough patch, clinging to the wrong people and getting hurt. It was this track that brought her back to herself–a healing reassurance.
In September 2023, Coen shared the nostalgic, angsty self-directed official music video for self-love anthem “unfollow me.” Inspired by Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video and subsequent iconic visuals of the 2000s pop-punk greats like Paramore, Avril Lavigne, and P!nk–and everything seen on VH1–the “unfollow me” video embodies this Y2K, playful angst.
Born in Missouri and raised in Texas, Coen’s music is deeply influenced by her upbringing. The result is a beautiful fusion of southern charm and modern indie influences, creating a sound that is both familiar and refreshingly new. After beginning her ascent into live music in early 2020 with “Dark Soul,” Coen toured across the U.S. supporting bands like Mt. Joy, and Jive Talk and an appearance at Austin, TX’s SXSW. Tastemakers around the world have taken notice of Kitty Coen’s eclectic, genre-bending sound and eye-catching, bold aesthetic, including Wonderland‘s premiere of the 2020 track and video “Lost in California.” Of her 2022 single “bad bad liar,” Loud Women wrote, “Kitty’s soulful, nostalgic vocals remind us of artists such as Halsey and Miley Cyrus. She embraces her confidence in this piece of psychedelic rock and we are here for it.” Unpublished Zine called 2022 single “rotten tomatoes,” “fiery” and praised her artistry, writing, “Coen blends nostalgic 90s soundscapes with a dazzle of chilling poignancy and tales of self-exploration. Her style is as strikingly fierce and unapologetic as her masterful lyricism..” Equipped with her most vulnerable songwriting and most self-assured sound to date, Kitty Coen looks towards 2024 to build on her ever-evolving artistic identity in her relentless pursuit of self-discovery and eternal female empowerment with the release of her debut album.
Don’t miss Kitty Coen live at SXSW. Coen’s debut album HELLCAT is due out April 30 and is available for pre-order now. Keep up with Kitty Coen on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook for much more from the rising artist.
Listen: “cadillac” + “el paso”
Watch “everything’s a mess” (Official Lyric Video) | Listen
Watch “unfollow me” (Official Music Video) | Listen
|
