Lindsey Cohen
Lindsey Cohen is just seventeen years old, but knows exactly what she wants in life.
We got the chance to put some questions to this rising musician about her feelings towards music, her personal life and upcoming album.
When did you realise you wanted to be a musician?
I’ve wanted to be a musician for as long as I can remember. My dad loves music and plays the guitar, so I grew up listening to music by the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, and Joss Stone. I started singing when I was a little kid to accompany him while he played the guitar, and it stuck. I started taking voice lessons when I was 11, and I started writing songs when I was 14.
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
As an artist, I try to be honest to who I am as a person. My songs tell stories about my personal experiences. But, while the things that I write about are very personal to me, other people also have similar experiences in the course of their own lives. I hope that people who listen to my music don’t just enjoy the music, but also find an emotional connection to its themes.
What is it about music that you love?
I love that music allows me to share my experiences and emotions with other people. I’m a pretty shy person and often find that I am too afraid of confrontation to tell someone if I’m angry, if they’ve hurt my feelings, or if I like them. But I feel comfortable writing about those feelings in a song, and I think that they’re feelings that a lot of other people can relate to.
How do you find juggling personal life with work?
Juggling personal life with music is one of the hardest things for me to do. In addition to writing, rehearsing and performing my music, I’m a senior in high school; so between studying, school activities, applying to college (I’m excited to be going to Columbia University next year), and friends, I’ve had to learn to be efficient and not count on a lot of sleep. I keep a planner where I write down everything I have to do each day, and I love crossing things off. On the fun side of things, I just bought my prom dress at Alice and Olivia – I knew it was the dress before I even tried it on!
What can fans expect from your new album?
The songs on the 'Grace Under Pressure' EP reflect the emotional roller coaster that I feel I’ve been traveling through over the last couple of years. There’s actually a fairly diverse musical feel throughout the EP that reflects my varied musical tastes and influences – songs range from a singer-songwriter vibe to a more bluesy, edgy one.
Tell us a little bit about the creative process you went through with this album.
Most of these songs started out on notebook pads and a piano or guitar. The most challenging, yet fun, part of making 'Grace Under Pressure' was taking the songs from those notepads and working with my producers and musicians to create the sound and feel that I was searching for. Some of the songs came together very quickly, while others took months of experimenting.
Which artists are you listening to right now?
Right now, I’m listening to a lot of Broken Bells, CHVRCHES, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Sky Ferreira, and Fiona Apple.
If you could collaborate or work with anyone, who would you choose and why?
There are two people I would really love to collaborate with. First, I would love to work with Fiona Apple. I love her poetic lyrics and the raw emotion of her music. I also find her music really interesting – I love that every listen brings something new to my ear, like something subtle in the production or an interesting lyric. Her music really inspires me. I would also love to work with Danger Mouse. He has produced some of my favorite albums, and I love the sounds he creates on the 'Broken Bells’ albums. His music is just so cool.
Do you have any other projects in the pipeline you can share some details about?
I’ve begun working on videos for the songs on the 'Grace Under Pressure' EP, as well as writing new songs for the next EP or full-length album.
Lindsey Cohen's 'Grace Under Pressure' is released next month.