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Today, Nashville-based alternative pop/rock artist Kitty Coen announces her long-awaited, spellbinding debut album, HELLCAT, due out April 30 and available for pre-order now. Alongside the announcement, Coen recalls falling in love with the wistful, glowing track "yellow light" out now. With her first full-length project, Kitty Coen finally writes her own story where she reclaims her own narrative and fervently learns to turn pain and anger into power and fiercely uncompromising artistry. On February 24, Coen will support lively five-piece Stolen Gin at The End in Nashville with tickets on sale now here.
HELLCAT, the forthcoming unapologetic collection by Kitty Coen, is a defiant body of work that showcases the artist's strength, perseverance and determination through a blend of genres, confessional lyricism and unflinching honesty. The title and the album's themes are derived from the word's definition, and its ties to societal rejection of women deemed "witches." Coen explains, "At one time the word 'witch' was not negative but was applied to women who worked in holistic medicine to heal people with illnesses. Through time, the church detested these women because it argued with divine greatness and ultimately went against the church."
Coen continues, "They began hunting and killing any woman that fit this "description" consisting of any woman who appeared educated, attractive, tempting, or dominant in any way." It was this attack on women that has played a role in societal stigmas against women today, and with this project, the musician intends to take back her power and empower silenced voices along the way. Coen shares, "I believe that this album shows the progression of a woman harnessing her anger and frustrations with the world and utilizing them to create magic, love and light." Over eleven potent tracks, Coen finds hope in struggle and finds solace in her own strength.
Out today, "yellow light" is a nostalgia-soaked recollection of a first love throughout balmy summer nights filled with fireflies and mosquitoes. The airy, acoustic track reflects Coen's newfound romance that brings her ease and comfort like never before. Coen says the track is a testament to freely falling in love and, "showcases the alchemy of my music and how I have used the fire I have in me to harness love and magic instead of stew in my anger towards the world and ultimately the patriarchy." With her soothing vocals, Coen skillfully paints a vivid picture of a sentimental moment in time, capping off the project with a heartwarming memory and oozes with pride and joy.
Most recently, Coen shared a pair of cinematic tracks that channel what Coen calls "Western witch rock"–"cadillac" and "el paso" out now. Inspired by her time in West Texas and Western films, each track takes on a life of its own, delving into tumultuous love affairs and late night drives over smooth guitar licks and mesmerizing melodies.
Opening with dark and slick guitar tones, "cadillac" rolls in like the height of an old Western movie with a brooding baseline, and sultry vocals that paint a picture of smoke, an old car, a horse and "talking smack." Exuding an unmistakable dark and stormy energy, Coen describes the track as a "metaphorical dance with the devil on fateful night in a desolate West Texas saloon." The artist cites old spaghetti Western films and Quentin Tarantino as inspirations that touch on her roots to bring a refreshed sound that is uniquely Coen. Leading Americana and alt-country tastemaker Americana UK lauded, "Spaghetti Western guitars float behind Coen’s breathy vocals as she spins a tale of foreboding. The production sounds at times like Lana Del Rey being produced by Stuart Pearson: a gothic desert inhabited by a modern chanteuse."
The second single, "el paso," swiftly picks up where "cadillac" left off, evoking a Southern Gothic aura that envelops the listener. An autobiographical plunge into heartbreak, "el paso" sheds light on the pain that addiction can inflict on users and their loved ones. The Western-tinged acoustic ballad, Coen says, is "a true story about love and loss in my own life. In my opinion, being in love with an addict is one of the hardest things a person can go through." Musically, Coen points to the emotional country heavy-hitters like Noah Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves as influences, and reveals it was the creation of this song that pulled her in a similar direction, where she intends to keep going. Captivated by Coen's tone, Loud Women wrote, "el paso' is melancholic and soft. The country twangs are like we’re drifting along alone beside a sunset, the mountains embracing us for comfort."
The haunting "everything's a mess," that arrived in October 2023, sees Coen embrace her own imperfections, and through a melancholic melody, sultry vocals and 90s-inspired guitar tones, bravely examine feelings of despair and confusion. Written in the midst of moving from Austin to Nashville, Coen found herself in a rough patch, clinging to the wrong people and getting hurt. It was this track that brought her back to herself–a healing reassurance. Coen recalls, "This song was my therapy, I sang it over and over again until I didn't feel hurt anymore." The track offers refuge to others in the midst of hardship, to those that feel lost or overwhelmed–a gentle reminder that it's OK to not have everything figured out.
In September 2023, Coen shared the nostalgic, angsty self-directed official music video for self-love anthem "unfollow me." Inspired by Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video and subsequent iconic visuals of the 2000s pop-punk greats like Paramore, Avril Lavigne, and P!nk–and everything seen on VH1–the "unfollow me" video embodies this Y2K, playful angst. Explaining the goal of the video, Coen says, "I wanted to make a video for the haters, the lovers, and really anyone who has ever felt like their worth has been defined by how others view them. The truth is, you're never going to please them all so be who YOU are and do what makes YOU happy." Instead of succumbing to the negative external voices, Coen's mission is to follow her heart and choose herself–culminating in her most authentic, poised art yet.
Born in Missouri and raised in Texas, Coen's music is deeply influenced by her upbringing. The result is a beautiful fusion of southern charm and modern indie influences, creating a sound that is both familiar and refreshingly new. After beginning her ascent into live music in early 2020 with "Dark Soul," Coen toured across the U.S. supporting bands like Mt. Joy, and Jive Talk and an appearance at Austin, TX's SXSW. Tastemakers around the world have taken notice of Kitty Coen's eclectic, genre-bending sound and eye-catching, bold aesthetic, including Wonderland's premiere of the 2020 track and video "Lost in California." Of her 2022 single "bad bad liar," Loud Women wrote, "Kitty’s soulful, nostalgic vocals remind us of artists such as Halsey and Miley Cyrus. She embraces her confidence in this piece of psychedelic rock and we are here for it." Unpublished Zine called 2022 single "rotten tomatoes," "fiery" and praised her artistry, writing, "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.." Equipped with her most vulnerable songwriting and most self-assured sound to date, Kitty Coen looks towards 2024 to build on her ever-evolving artistic identity in her relentless pursuit of self-discovery and eternal female empowerment with the release of her debut album.
HELLCAT, the fiery debut LP by Kitty Coen, is due out April 30 and is available for pre-order now. With the latest offering, "yellow light," out now, Coen warmly embraces a love that is freshly fulfilling. Coen will support Stolen Gin in Nashville on February 24 with tickets on sale now here. Keep up with Kitty Coen on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook for much more from the rising artist.
Listen: "cadillac" + "el paso"
Watch "everything's a mess" (Official Lyric Video) | Listen
Watch "unfollow me" (Official Music Video) | Listen
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