Born in Indiana and raised in Ireland, Cosha grew up surrounded by music. Her father was a drummer, her mother a singer, and her older brother introduced her to the UK's underground scenes. “I liked performing from a really young age,” Cosha recalls. She began writing music at nine, encouraged by her godmother. Cosha honed her songwriting skills, touring Dublin's pubs as a teen before moving to London, where she immersed herself in electronic and dance music.
Cosha is no stranger to the music industry. The singer-songwriter-producer has toured the world playing festivals from Coachella to Primavera to Glastonbury, collaborated with the likes of Shygirl, Coby Sey and Koreless and lent her pop pen to artists such as Charli XCX and Mura Masa, as well as releasing her critically-acclaimed debut solo record Mt. Pleasant in 2021, produced with Rostam Batmangalij (Solange, Frank Ocean) and Emile Haynie (SZA, Lana Del Rey, FKA Twigs).
In the worlds of fashion and art, she’s soundtracked two Sinead O'Dwyer shows at London Fashion Week, and been synced by Dior and Victoria’s Secret. She’s had featured write ups in the likes of Vogue, i-D, Interlope Magazine, The Guardian, Billboard, Dazed, Crack, Schön and The Sunday Times, while also collecting co-signs from Bjork, Arca, Clairo and Mary Anne Hobbs. “Cosha paints a picture characterised as much by unflinching vulnerability as by soulful optimism, with the rawness of the emotional insights it provides accentuated by the potent frankness of her voice” - i-D
Her new EP, MurMurs, explores grief and renewal, with tracks like ‘Fire Me Up’ and ‘Sun Back’ capturing her emotional journey and blending vulnerability with optimism. Throughout the project, nature imagery grounds the listener, offering a therapeutic experience. “I like making music to put a call out into the world,” says Cosha, hoping her work can be a source of comfort and connection for others.
Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind your latest project "MurMurs"?
So "MurMurs" was kind of like my little chrysalis moment where I was in my shell trying to work through a shift in atmosphere, to mould into the new person that would be and eventually come out of that shell as a butterfly, which is where I am right now.
When I was making MurMurs, I was very much in that cocoon, trying to work through a lot of big changes. For anyone who's going through some big changes, or just in general, maybe life is a bit tricky, and you need some motivation, these songs may resonate with you. This was me trying to motivate myself and realize how beautiful life can be and spread that message.
Were there any memorable moments during the recording process?
I started the beat for Fire Me Up on the plane from London to LA, I had to just left my partner and the home we built together & I was subletting from a friend while I worked things out. I went to Joshua tree with two friends/ producers to make some music. We started looking at Fire Me Up, but the breakup was still so raw & I kept choking up trying to sing the lyrics (eventually I got a full take out & that’s the one on the record) - but the boys were so tender & caring with me, they consoled me and supported me through the day and then make us all a bbq :)
In recent years, you've undergone significant personal and artistic transformations, including leaving behind your major record label and management. How have these changes influenced your approach to creating music?
It really meant that for the first time since I started making music, I had absolutely no safety net. Absolutely no team. It was just me. I've done this whole project self managed, self funded, self promoted, did all the creative direction etc which was very scary when I first was looking at it, trying to figure out how I would get it done. But now that I'm at the other side of it, I'm really proud of what I made. It's been really important for me to see the boundlessness of my tenacity, to see how I can show up for myself. It's really important for me now even just in my career, but as a person growing in life. It's been nice to know that anything is possible. You can get through anything. They'll always be light at the end of the tunnel.
Could you tell us about your approach to songwriting?
I like making music while I’m travelling, on planes or trains ect. I like that there’s no Wi-Fi distraction & there’s an end point. I usually start ideas on GarageBand then transfer them into ableton. Making beats on my phone in GarageBand just feels like a game and is more fun for me, I want making music to stay fun even though it’s my job.
What's your favorite/least favorite thing about making music?
Least favourite- Mixing. I worked with fantastic mix engineers who made the process as good as it could be but it just kills the music for me a little having to listen to it with a mix ear in mind.
Favourite- getting into that unconscious free space where things just flow out of you uninterrupted, like you almost black out for a moment and go somewhere else, it’s so relaxing & satisfying when you can get there.
Describe your morning routine
I do a 10 minute gratitude meditation, a 5 minute stretch with a hot water and lemon. Then I cycle to the gym, workout, quick sauna, a cold shower & sing in the shower.
Your top advice for young people wanting to become singer-songwriters.
Stay silly when you’re writing - try not to think about wether something is good or not, save the nit picking for later down the line & just enjoy the expression. If you’re releasing your own music - your opinion is the most important one, if you love it & your excited by it, then that’s all the matters!
3 artists you’re listening to right now
Cartola. Björk. Cindy Lee
Interview by ninakeh for shesaid.so