Skyler Cocco
Interview by Breanne Gill and Photos by Julia Lea.
Congratulations on the release of your new single Anxious Attachment! How have you felt this month, both leading up to the big release and afterward?
Thank you so much! I had decided to put out Anxious Attachment about a month and a half before its release and surprisingly wasn't anxious about it or felt rushed. It was one of those songs that came together quickly and felt right. I took the production in a more indie/alternative direction and I'm stoked to see it's been performing well, it gives me hope that experimenting with my genre with each release is a good move.
You said that you wrote “Anxious Attachment” as a way to distract yourself from overthinking during a relationship. How did writing this song act as an outlet to explore these feelings?
I have always wondered where the root of my anxious attachment tendencies stem from, so when I started having those feelings I wanted to explore it in my songwriting as a way to dissect the situation and understand it better. I also rarely do this, but I sent my partner the song and was able to open the conversation to communicate my insecurities and anxious feelings, so in a way this song set some very healthy relationship ground rules, haha.
With this being your first time writing, producing, mastering, and mixing all on your own, what did the song-writing process look like for you and how did this individuality impact the song?
My writing process always starts very internally. I can almost hear a song in my head when I get an idea and as a producer, my first instinct is to build a track as a foundation and continue writing from there. When I'm truly inspired in the moment, I work lightning fast, it's not always the case when I'm sitting down to write but Anxious Attachment kind of wrote itself since I was experiencing what I was feeling in real-time.
As a queer woman, how do your experiences and identity shape the creation of your music and its themes?
I have made a more conscious effort in my newer music to really let go of the heteronormative tendencies that have held me back in my songwriting, and it's a choice that has made me feel a lot more connected to my songs because they showcase who I really am. I feel a lot more visible when I'm able to share queer experiences in my songs.
The composition of “Anxious Attachment” has a dreamy nostalgic feel to it, which is a signature sound that you reinvent with each new release. As a modern artist, what draws you to these retro sounds and influences?
There's just something so satisfying to me personally about the sounds and music from the 80s and 90s, the type of music I heard growing up playing on the radio or during the prime days of MTV. Nostalgia is a very gripping feeling to tack onto a song, so my sonic choices are a way for me to really hook an audience before they hear the lyrics.
2023 has been an exciting year for you with five singles being released! What has been the biggest highlight this year, whether personally or artistically?
This year has been my most consistent year with releases so I'm really proud that I stuck to it and let all the songs I'm sitting on have a chance out in the world. It's brought me a much bigger audience and a personal highlight has been getting Spotify editorials on all my singles this year! It's been really exciting and keeps me focused on getting more music out.
For first-time listeners, how would you describe your genre? What do you want fans to take away from your music?
Definitely nostalgic pop or retro synth-pop. I also feel like I make a lot of songs that are kinda sad lyrically but are fun and make you want to dance. So whether you want to get lost in the music and dance or resonate with the story, both options are there.
Is there anything we should be keeping an eye out for in the coming months?
I have a really fun cover of a Gwen Stefani song with an incredible Montreal-based artist Maryze coming out next year :) And I'm working on around 5-6 songs that will be released all throughout 2024 as an EP.
