Indie Pop singer/songwriter Coco Scott proves dreams can come true when you believe in yourself. Coco faced insurmountable odds to pursue her dream of being a musician and record her first album. Difficult circumstances throughout her life fueled her drive for success and a little over two years ago, Coco set out to turn her dream into a reality. She traded in her job for a home recording studio and began a new life on a secluded beach where her music career was born from scratch.

In 8 months, Coco wrote, arranged, produced, recorded and published each of her demos for an album. She worked with Grammy nominee and Blue Coast Records founder, producer, and sound engineer Cookie Marenco to record and mix her album in a record 6 days. The end result is her successful debut, ‘Smolder’ which was named the Top #5 selling album in 2017 for Blue Coast Music.

In addition, ‘Smolder’ is the #1 album listened to on Blue Coast Music’s streaming service and the title track has been on the Top 21 Chart at Indie Star Radio. Also, a second single from the album “Obsession”, was #5 on the Top 10 at KB Radio.

Coco is not only a gifted songwriter but also a creator of a monthly mini-magazine available through her website where she shares her stories and the inspiration behind her songs. Currently, she is writing and pursuing a second album but has no plans to tour this year.

I recently interviewed Coco about her debut album, recording and producing, teaching herself piano, her musical journey and much more.

Congratulations on the success of your debut EP, Smolder! What is the concept or theme behind the EP?  How did you come up with it?

Thank you so much! I’m not sure I exactly had a concept going into it, but I wrote as much as I possibly could in a pre-determined time frame and only picked the songs that I really loved for the album. I wanted to write songs from my heart and my experiences to tell my story through music, so maybe the concept was just from my life and lessons learned.

After only 3 months of sales, ’Smolder’ was named the #5 Top Selling Album at Blue Coast Records in 2017. Did its success surprise you? Why or why not?

It came as a complete surprise! There are so many artists putting out music every day, and it’s very difficult to ‘get noticed’. I assumed it would be quite a bit longer before I achieved any success, so I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the great news.

You and Cookie Marenco (Blue Coast Records founder, CEO, engineer, and producer) recorded and mixed Smolder in 6 days. Explain how that was accomplished. Did you set out to do it that quickly? Why or why not?

We did record it in 6 consecutive days—something that had never been done at Blue Coast Music before. I pushed for getting the recording done and mixed in that time frame despite some caution from Cookie. She and I had never worked together, and she was unsure of how things would go. She recommended doing a few songs together first, but since I had hand-picked her to record my album, I had confidence in being able to achieve the goal with her in said time frame.

We worked diligently for the 6 days and were able to capture the best vocal and instrumental performances in spite of the time restriction.

Explain the process of recording your EP to analog tape and DSD256 (Direct Stream Digital). 

During previous recording experiences (backing vocals for other artists) song parts were sliced up into small sections, and I would never really hear any of the songs from start to finish. Recording to analog tape, however, was the opposite. We’d run through the song from start to finish a few times and listen for the best take overall. (Note: the best take didn’t mean the perfect one; it was the one that delivered the story of the song the best.) The editing was kept to a minimum so as to preserve the voice of the song as a whole. Once the edits were made, we brought in the other instruments, backing vocals, and began mixing, always keeping the vocals as the song’s centerpiece.

I was so impressed with Cookie Marenco. She was extremely professional and made my first album recording experience a pleasure. She eased my nerves and was never without a smile on her face. She handled every song with such grace and authenticity that it was easy to perform with her around. She would chime into my headset with a comment like, ‘That was great. I think we got it. Let’s just see what happens if we do one more take.’ We’d do another take (usually no more than 3 total) and then listen to them in the control room. It was interesting that we used the first take more often than not.

Why did you choose to record the EP this way?

I knew that recording to analog tape and DSD would give the most life to my vocal performance, and that was something that was extremely important to me.

And since Cookie was the leading expert in her field, she was just the right person for the album. I knew she would know exactly how to record my soft vocals without making me feel like I needed to sing louder. I completely trusted her expertise, and I was right; she knew just what to do.

I was inspired by an album by Shelby Lynne that was recorded to analog tape. She also played every instrument (maybe with the exception of one) on the album herself. So when I decided to go the analog route, I wanted to do the same—play every instrument myself—however, I ended up hiring Bryan ‘Brain’ Mantia, a phenomenal drummer who used to tour with Guns and Roses and Tom Waits, to join me on the album. Aside from that, I did play every instrument by design. It was a challenge, but it was something I really wanted to do on my own.

Explain your production process.

That’s why I insisted on doing everything myself up to the recording stage. I wanted the final product to not only resemble the demo songs I submitted to Cookie but to be those songs almost exactly. After some discussion, Cookie understood what it was I wanted to achieve and suggested only little things that would enhance the songs rather than alter them from their originals.

Smolder was used by founder, CEO, & engineer Andreas Koch from Playback Designs to demonstrate his new DREAM DAC line at the 2018 Axpona audio show. How did this opportunity come about?

My husband, a long time audiophile, contacted Andreas to wish him well on his new product launch and offered to him a copy of my new album. He downloaded it, said it was wonderful, and told my husband that he would be using it to demonstrate his DREAM DAC at Axpona as well as the Audio Show in Munich. He was excited about my album and was eager to share his satisfaction with it with others as well.

How did you learn to arrange, record, and publish each of your demos of an album in only 8 months?

I set my goal of recording my first album, and I did whatever I needed to do to make that happen. If I was stuck on how to find the perfect vocal settings in my DAW, I researched it, learned from others, soaked it all in, and then applied my findings. Some things came really naturally to me and others less so.

I seem to learn something new every day, and that is very exciting for me.

Explain how and why you taught yourself piano during these same 8 months.

I have always wanted to play the piano, and some songs really needed a piano or a synthesized part through a MIDI keyboard. I purchased a 44 key keyboard but felt it was lacking the flexibility I needed. My husband and I decided that what I really needed was a full-sized portable grand piano with a sustain pedal. What a difference!

(On a side note: making financial commitments to purchasing audio equipment is very motivating… Okay, now I have to use it!)

The experience of playing Cookie’s piano, an 1885 Steinway & Sons grand piano, was magical. She later told me that her piano loved me—that I was able to get some of the best sounds she had ever heard come out of it. Well, I was elated to hear that, and it gives me more confidence as a novice pianist to keep at it.

You mention overcoming insurmountable odds to follow your dream of becoming a musician and recording your first album. Explain what those challenges were and how you successfully overcame them.

These odds include various forms of abuse by my father, being disowned by family members, rape by a friend of a friend, sexual harassment, discrimination, and emotional abuse in the workplace, emotional and physical abuse by a toxic boyfriend, and then stalking for numerous years by said boyfriend after the breakup.

Any one of these things could have been enough to stop me from dreaming or having a positive outlook on life. They could have been enough for me to give up on others, on humanity, on myself. But not one of them did. I went through a few years of counseling to work through my childhood trauma and again after the rape. I had to fight for my life on many occasions not only for what I had to gain but for what I had to lose. Fight for the life I hadn’t lived yet, fight for the man whose life I’d come to share, fight for my chance to tell my story to inspire others. And I’m doing it!

Tell us about your musical journey from trading in your job at Porsche for a home studio and a secluded beach from where you created a new life and a music career from scratch.

I loved my position at Porsche. I loved the clients I met, the cars, the sales environment. But when that environment changed, I felt a shift coming. Meanwhile, the stalker was revealing the depth of his possessive nature and making life very uncomfortable for me and my then-new husband, watching me while I worked, emailing me inappropriate messages, and so on. To make the situation even more unbearable, all the while my husband had just undergone an incredibly invasive surgery to remove a cancerous tumor on his kidney. He almost didn’t make it out alive…

That was the clincher; a portal of opportunity opened up for the one chance I would have at really pursuing my dream. The timing couldn’t have been more blatant, and both of us knew it. So we sold everything we had, packed two suitcases, my favorite guitar, and two sets of golf clubs, and set out on a one-way journey to warmth and safety. I knew it would be a challenge, but I also knew that I had a ton of life experiences to write songs about!

What made you decide you wanted to become a singer/songwriter? Was there a pivotal moment?  

I’m not sure there was any ‘moment’ in which I knew it was what I wanted. I

The thing I have to do. I can’t explain it; I just have to do it. For me, for future listeners, for humanity. I don’t know, but it’s a force within that is ready to come out.

You have a monthly mini-magazine available through your website where you share your stories and inspiration behind your music. What made you decide to do this? What do you hope readers take away from it?

Initially, I thought of writing a newsletter, but I wanted to do something different. Everyone writes a newsletter, right? Thus, the idea of a mini-magazine was birthed.

I could have said, ‘So this is what the song is about, and it’s meant to make you feel x, y, z…’ but a picture and a short write-up is much better at communicating that than words are.

Say a song is about a breakup. Okay, great. But that’s not the message of the song. The message is ‘Be empowered, be free, have a voice, speak up, be strong, trust your instincts.’ All those things can be expressed visually by use of different photography styles. Another example is a very personal song like ‘A Song for Judith’ is about my late grandmother who was born in the late 1920s. I wanted to honor her not only with the song itself but with the visuals and wardrobe for the photo shoot as well. So I chose to play on the theme of ‘The Great Gatsby’. Not only was it fun to do, but I learned a lot about the style of that era by researching it.

Music is all about mood, and unfortunately one can’t visually connect with that unless the scene is set with photos or videos. I wanted to maximize the impact of the music and the message by adding a personal—visual—touch. My husband is my photographer, and he and I do one shoot each month. It really brings us closer together, which I love.

When you’re performing, what is it that you want your audience to experience or feel?  

I want them to feel lifted, awake, aware of themselves and their surroundings. I want them to feel like they know me, that it’s okay to be vulnerable and strong. That it’s okay to go through trials in life and come out a little broken. That it’s okay to speak up about things that aren’t right, to defend themselves and others.

 

How do you think women artists in the indie music industry can be supported?

I’m not sure I know how to answer this question being so new to the scene. I still don’t know what’s available to women (or artists in general), so it might be unfair to say something should exist when it already does.

A general observation is that it takes a long time to sift out the bad information online from the good information. It would be fabulous if there were a musicians hub where they can go to get the straight goods. Resources that show musicians how to write a musical resume and approach radio stations online with a plea to play their music. Even resources that explain what accounts every musician needs to have—a checklist of sorts—because if you learn as you go, you’ll likely miss something.

What advice would you give to women who are actively pursuing or considering a music career?

Sing cover songs to learn from them—song structure, chord progressions, moods, but write your own songs for an album. It’s one of the best ways to be remembered and carve out your own voice and vibe. Plus

 

What are your tour plans for 2018?

I will not be touring this year. Being stalked for many years has made me extremely reluctant to announce my whereabouts at any time. I have finally found refuge from that horrible experience, and I am not willing—at this point—to compromise my safety for something like touring. It is a bit of a hindrance to my music career—all musicians should tour, right—but I can’t afford to jeopardize my safety and well-being. Instead, I’m focusing on social media and reaching out to radio stations (internet or terrestrial) to share my music with their listeners worldwide. It seems to be working thus far, and I’m happy with the progress I’m making.

What other projects do you have planned for 2018?

I’m always working on new music, and I am actively pursuing a second album!

Thank you, Coco, for the opportunity to interview you!

 

You can buy ‘Smolder’ on Blue Coast Music’s website

Also available for purchase on these platforms: CDBaby and iTunes.

Available to stream on Spotify.

Get updates on Coco’s website.

Follow Coco Scott on social media:

Twitter: @thecocoscott

Facebook: cocoscottmusic

Instagram: @thecocoscott

Check out her lyric videos on YouTube.