Creating ‘Magic’: An Interview with Cosette

Photo by Elise Kosco

Singer, songwriter, producer, and creative director Cosette is the definition of a hands-on artist. From writing and recording her music to producing every track, overseeing mixing and mastering sessions, and even editing her own visuals, she's involved in every step of the creative process. A Berklee College of Music graduate in Electronic Production and Sound Design, the Nashville native has spent the past few years crafting a sound that blends electro-pop with glitchcore, creating music that's both emotionally intimate and sonically adventurous.

Since releasing her debut single ‘But I Stay’ in 2019, Cosette has continued to carve out her own lane, with her latest release, magic, introducing even more listeners to her immersive production style and distinctive artistic vision. We caught up with Cosette to talk about the creative process, knowing when a song is truly finished, and the details hidden beneath the surface of her music.

You wear almost every creative hat on your projects – from writing and production to editing visuals and sitting in on mixing and mastering. At what point do you know a song is actually finished, and how do you stop yourself from endlessly tweaking it?

Working backwards from an ideal release date is helpful to know when I need to have a song finished. There’s also usually a moment where I'm sitting there working/listening to it where I finally go aha! That's it! It’s done! 

Your music balances polished pop melodies with chaotic glitchy textures. Do you ever 

find yourself deliberately creating ‘imperfections’ in a track to make it feel more human?

I freestyle my lyrics by punching in and writing line by line on the spot. I don't go back and re-record them later. Whatever emotion is coming through on the first draft of vocals is most authentic and sometimes they’re not perfect. I also love leaving in happy accidents. Sometimes, I accidentally paste the ‘wrong’ chord into a section or ‘mess up’ the automation but if it works, it works. It's all intuition based. 

You majored in Electronic Production and Sound Design at Berklee. Is there something you learned there that you initially dismissed, but now find yourself using all the time in your own music?

Yes, conducting! Berklee made us sing aloud while conducting and I still do it all the time. It's so helpful for drum programming. 

Photo by Elise Kosco

Of everything you've released so far, where does ‘magic’ sit in your artistic journey? 

‘magic’ might be the most Cosette song thus far. I love how it's a heavier topic but still found the bubbliness and light in itself. It alchemised a sad feeling into a song that brings me joy and feels like a spell. 

Because you're involved in every stage of a release, including the visuals, do songs ever begin with an image or visual concept before they begin with music, or is it always the other way around?

The visuals usually come after starting the song. I think that's because I don't usually have a plan for my sessions. I just see what ends up coming out, then from there the visions start coming in. 

You've been releasing music since 2019. If today's version of you could sit in the studio with the artist who made ‘But I Stay,’ what's one piece of advice you'd give her and what's one thing you'd tell her never to change?

I wish I could do this. I would tell her to post more and to not worry about being a night owl – it's just the way she works best. You're not unproductive if you work late and sleep late. I'd also tell her that she writes best alone and that's ok, she can collaborate in other ways. 

If someone opened your project files for one of your songs, what's the one thing they'd find that would completely surprise them – a bizarre track name, an unconventional sound source, or a production habit you swear by?

I treat my harmony group as one large audio file and chop it up by the visual of the audio wave and place it in the song by shapes like a puzzle. 

Listen to Cosette on Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music and follow her on Instagram.