Manic, Hopeful and Nostalgic: Disco Cowgirl Kitty Coen Releases Fiery Rock Anthem “Rotten Tomatoes”
Independent singer and songwriter Kitty Coen delivers an optimistic and empowering anthem “Rotten Tomatoes,” while embracing her traditional country and rock n’ roll roots. At its core, “Rotten Tomatoes” was a form of therapy for Coen, as well as a reminder to her listeners to be the love you want to see in the world – despite all the turmoil happening around us.
Inspired by Stevie Nicks, The Doors and Kacey Musgraves, 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 when she sings, “The world keeps on spinning / Most of us just keep on clicking / And it might not be the end, but it sure feels like it's close.”
Since releasing her 2021 debut album Disco Lemonade, the songstress refuses to be confined to a singular genre and explores eclectic styles while staying true to her sound that allows her to flourish in a variety of genres including y’allternative, grunge country and 90s alternative pop. Ever-evolving from her drop of Disco Lemonade, Coen diverges from her disco cowgirl aesthetic to a more raw, unfiltered and classic rock n’ roll sound that she said is inspired heavily by Kurt Cobain of Nirvana.
The addictive electricity of “Rotten Tomatoes” conveys the songstress’ confidence to shine through her sun-kissed melodies and echoes her original message of spreading love despite when you feel like you’re getting thrown rotten tomatoes from every direction. “Show love, be love, because it could pass right by you,” Coen said.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. Can you tell us about what type of music you create and how you first got started in the industry?
[KITTY]: I make alternative music, as pretty much the big umbrella that is the genre of alternative music. People have called my music dream pop, they've called it y’allternative, grunge country, so like there's a bunch of different genres I feel like that it can go under, especially nowadays I feel like music kind of fits under more of a mood-based situation rather than genre-based. I feel like growing up, things were either pop or rap, and now I feel like genres are very ambiguous now which I am honestly a fan of because when I make music, I don't really worry about sticking to a genre. It's not like one of the things that's on the top of my list, it's kind of just like an after fact. As far as getting into the industry, I've just always loved music. I've always been obsessed with musicians, music, touring and performance based art. I was a theater kid growing up. I was always kind of obsessed with stuff like that. I went to college for a bit and finished up with that and then realized music was really all I wanted to do with my life. Nothing else was really sticking. Trying to do the nine-to-five, trying to do that kind of stuff and it just wasn't my vibe. So I ended up throwing it all to the wind and deciding to give music a try and got a spot at South by Southwest my first year. After that one moment of getting to perform in front of people, I was like, ‘this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.’ So that's how I got started in Austin, Texas.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What artists inspire you either lyrically or instrumentally?
[KITTY]: I would definitely say Lana Del Rey inspires me musically. I grew up on Lana Del Rey, Born to Die, Ultraviolence, all those albums literally got me through some of the hardest times of my life growing up and I love her. I'm also really inspired by Taylor Swift's lyricism. I think she's a genius. Just as a businesswoman, I think she's just really, really talented. As far as instrumentally goes, I would say Tame Impala, The Doors, The Cure, any old or new rock band, Fleetwood Mac and all that kind of stuff. I really love that legendary sound. The way I put it is like songs that last a lifetime. I feel like Elton John, Bob Dylan and Cage The Elephant have a lot of those.Cage The Elephant I think is a great representation of music that really inspires me as well.
[UNPUBLISHED]: I know you write all your songs independently. Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
[KITTY]: Yes, the first one I ever wrote was “Fade” which is out now – it's on the Disco Lemonade EP – and that is the first song that I ever wrote. I had a lot of friends die early on in my life from drug overdoses and suicide and pretty grim stuff, and I think that was kind of the the first time I ever used songwriting as therapy. It was a way for me to write about this because nothing else was seeming to make me feel any better. But once I wrote that song, I felt like I remembered those people but I also feel better and I don’t feel sad. It’s kind of crazy how songs can work as a therapy like that.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You’re often referenced as the “disco cowgirl,” how would you describe your own aesthetic?
[KITTY]: I feel like my aesthetic is everything that I was told not to be growing up. I grew up kind of like a small town in Texas and I didn't want to be a cowgirl. I didn't want to be country like everybody else that was in my town and I didn't want to be girly and sexy. I was a tomboy and then I grew up and grew into my womanhood and moved out of that town and realized I love glitter, I love disco balls, I love trucker hats, I love shaking my ass, I love it. So I just feel like it's a sad excuse for a Southern belle. It’s kind of this cute but trash aesthetic.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You're about to release your single “Rotten Tomatoes.” Can you talk to me about the inspiration behind the song and how the creative process looked like for you?
[KITTY]: I am so obsessed with the song first and foremost. It is very different from anything I've put out. I'm graduating from the disco cowgirl aesthetic. I'm going into more rock n’ roll. I really think that my voice fits rock music and I think that I want to see more of that for myself. But the whole album and “Rotten Tomatoes” specifically is inspired a lot from 80s and 90s rock music. I am super inspired by Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. I always have been since I was like a little girl, and I think that their music, Kurt Cobain's voice mixed with The Cure and The Doors are really what has inspired the sonic profile of the song. I'm interested to see how it lands with everybody because I think that it does have pop aspects to it, but it is not a pop song.
[UNPUBLISHED]: The song is obviously called “Rotten Tomatoes.” What does it mean for you and why did you specifically choose this as the title of your song?
[KITTY]: The song is kind of a rambly song. One day I woke up and I felt like everything was kind of going to shit, like the boy I was dating was just not that nice and I felt like I was changing my whole life for him and I was waking up really late and not getting my shit done because I was so obsessed with finding love. And then once I found that love, I felt like I wanted to do something else and started to worry about other problems in the world, much bigger problems than having a crush on a boy. But then the core comes in reminding myself that even though there's this crazy world where I feel like it's crashing down all the time, there's still so much love to be found in the world. There's still so much to be happy about and so much to appreciate, regardless of the bad there is good. It's really like a think piece on how I view the world as a person and how I feel like all the critics are throwing rotten tomatoes at me and saying ‘you're a knockoff Doja Cat,’ and you're that bla bla bla. At the end of the day. I have fans, friends and family who support what I’m doing and love me for me.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What were your favorite lyrics from the song that felt empowering to you?
[KITTY]: I would say the second verse, ‘The world keeps on spinning / Most of us just keep on clicking / And it might not be the end, but it sure feels like it's close.’
[UNPUBLISHED]: How does “Rotten Tomatoes” compare to your previous work? How have you evolved since you first began releasing music with Disco Lemonade?
[KITTY]: I think that when I first put out this Disco Lemonade, I was really inspired by a lot of Tame Impala, Starfuckers, Inc., Kacey Musgraves, Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus as well. I never wanted to be anything like that. I was really trying to craft a sound that didn't sound like anybody else. Of course I'm inspired by these people, but I don't want to be a carbon copy, I don't want to be a knockoff. I think I was so obsessed with that, that I lost my own voice and tried to be so different. It's more so making an album that's sonically cohesive, making an album you can listen to front to back and kind of just enjoy it the whole time. I feel like that's kind of what I'm headed towards, which before it was very much like every song I just wanted to make good regardless of if it fit one another. I think in the end, my voice made everything fit together and sound nice, but I really want to do something that is like a concept album where it is a story from the beginning to the end in a way.
[UNPUBLISHED]: If you could describe “Rotten Tomatoes” in three words, which would you choose?
[KITTY]: Manic, hopeful and nostalgic.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What message do you want your listeners to take away from this song?
[KITTY]: I want my listeners to take away the fact that even though we live in such a world of torment and turmoil, there are things to look up to. There are things to be happy about and there's love in this world even when you feel like everything around you is crashing down, the next day if you're blessed with another opportunity to turn your life around. You have a whole new opportunity to do what you want to do and not be afraid of what you dream about every night. At the end of the day, you only have one life and I think it's really important that we all live that life we have to the fullest.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What can we expect from you in the near future that you're excited to share with Unpublished Magazine.
[KITTY]: I'm working on an album, so every single that I'm putting out since “Bad Liar” is going to be towards an album. I definitely am going to be putting out a ton of new music this year, every other month. So I'm really excited to show you guys it. I'm excited to see what everyone thinks. I've been working on the songs for quite some time now, so there's a lot of effort that's been put in, so I'm excited to see what everyone thinks.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What are some artists you're currently listening to?
[KITTY]: Wolf Alice, I’m obsessed. Renforshort has a song called “Moshpit” that I haven’t stopped listening to. Charli XCX and Chappell Roan. She just put out a new song called “My Kink is Karma” and “Naked in Manhattan.” I'm obsessed with her, I’m manifesting opening for her on a tour and she’s so dope.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What is some advice you have for listeners who are trying to break into the music industry and they don't want to be defined by a single genre?
[KITTY]: Don't listen to what industry people tell you, like there are going to be so many suits telling you what lane to fit in or literally telling you to run. I've literally had people tell me to run in the other direction. Like you know who you are, you know the kind of music you make is true to yourself. People are gonna love it. People are going to receive it. We have awesome platforms nowadays like TikTok and we're able to post about things and actually reach thousands of people. So just go for it, and don't worry about messing up. Don't worry about being perfect, because your first song is never going to be your best song. Keep sharing your art with the world because I guarantee there's someone out there that feels exactly the same way you do.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What is your wildest dream as an artist? If you can have one thing happen to you like a milestone or dream collaboration you want to accomplish into your career, what would that look like for you?
[KITTY]: Selling out Madison Square Garden would be insane, but I also think singing onstage with Miley Cyrus or Stevie Nicks would make me cry. Playing festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza with thousands of people singing my lyrics back to me would be a crazy milestone for me, so hopefully we get there in the next couple of years. Let's make this happen. We're building an army. The milestone would be selling out a massive arena and then getting the whole crowd to meow at me. Like I just want 30,000 people to meow, that would be so cute.
