Coupdekat

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Coupdekat
Birth nameKatherine Reilly
BornLuton, England
OriginLeighton Buzzard, England
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • social media personality
Member ofLoud LDN

Katherine Reilly, known professionally as Coupdekat (/kuːpdɛkæt/), is an English musician. She is best known for cofounding Loud LDN with Maisi, but has also released two EPs and has supported Piri & Tommy on their Froge.tour.

Life and career[edit]

Early life[edit]

Reilly was born in Luton[1] and studied art and photography at A-level.[2] She started playing the guitar when she was ten,[3] and started writing when she was 14;[4] her first works were about love and heartbreak.[4] She was a member of several bands, including Electric Blue,[3] which was previously known as Sunseed[5] and dissolved during lockdown.[3] She spent this period living in Leighton Buzzard,[2] and after lockdown lifted, spent a year in Paris as an au pair, where she met several people who encouraged her to make music on her own;[3] her stage name, Coupdekat (/kuːpdɛkæt/),[6] was inspired by her time there.[3]

Solo career[edit]

Reilly's first single, "Ur Only",[7] was written while still in Paris,[2] and her second single, "Love Online", a song about online relationships, was released in April 2021,[7] and became a finalist in Prospect 100's Global Music Competition the following month;[8] the month after that, she released "Little Tescos",[9] a song about Tesco Express, the only place she could go in lockdown.[10] She then moved to London for university, and released "Lost in Translation",[11]: 1:01:38  a hyperpop song[12] about dating a French boy,[11]: 1:01:38  which began with vocal samples,[13] and made reference to Google Translate, struggling with abbreviations, and Brexit.[14] On 24 June 2022, she released Imaginary Girls,[10] an EP consisting of six songs and two interludes including "Love Online" and "Lost in Translation",[12] which was less than fifteen and a half minutes long,[10] and dealt with the internet, lockdown relationships and social media.[15]

She then moved back to her parents' house, and wrote her second EP,[16]: 1:09:24  *For Entertainment Purposes Only,[17] in July and August 2022, with the songs being produced after she met her producer in October[16]: 1:09:24  and set up "Coupdekat camp", where they locked themselves in her room for a week to work on it.[18] In February 2023, she released "Superglue", an alt-pop song[19] about a boy who kept entering and exiting her life and which addressed codependency and red flags, and which was inspired by "The Reel in the Flickering Light" by Christy Moore and "Tinkerbell is Overrated" by Beabadoobee and PinkPantheress.[15] The following month, she released "Babyteef", a semi-autobiographical song about growing up too fast as a result of social media[20] which used premature removal of deciduous teeth as a metaphor, and which was inspired by the 1975's "Give Yourself a Try" and the film Babyteeth.[21] She then released "It's Not You" in May,[22] for which the vocals were recorded while trampolining on her bed,[23] and then the EP in June, which featured "Stunt Girl".[24] In August 2023, she played Leeds Festival as part of Climate Live.[25]

Loud LDN[edit]

In May 2022, she met fellow musician Maisi for brunch[26] after she discovered Reilly via TikTok;[27] there, they discussed the loneliness of being a woman in the music industry and how they were often pitted against each other.[26] This prompted the pair to set up a group chat[27] on WhatsApp[28] called Ladies Making Noise in London for the women and non-binary musicians they knew at that time.[27] Initially starting with ten musicians including Piri[27] and Matilda Cole,[29] the adding of other members caused the member list to grow to forty people, prompting them to set up an Instagram page, Loud LDN.[26] Reilly used a June 2023 interview to note that the chat had 120 members and that it had moved to Discord.[30] On 4 November 2022, she supported Piri's band Piri & Tommy at Komedia on the Brighton leg of their Froge.tour.[10]

Artistry[edit]

Reilly's early works were inspired by Blondie, Mazzy Star, and the Slits,[14] though in a February 2022 interview with Blender magazine, she cited Lava La Rue, Beabadoobee, Claire Laffut, and Clairo,[31] and in a September 2023 interview with Strand magazine, she noted that her "original roots of inspiration" were Mazzy Star, Beabadoobee, the Smiths, Blur, the Cure, Happy Mondays, and the Stone Roses, and that her second EP was inspired what she described as "computer rock", a "hybrid between indie rock music, and dance and D&B" prominent in New York, with "Stunt Girl" specifically inspired by the works of James Ivy. She also mentioned that her early works including "Superglue" and "Stunt Girl" had been composed on her guitar, which she would then record on her computer and annotate with drums, and that later works were started on her computer over a sample such as a drumbeat or a loop.[32] In addition, she was partly inspired to create Loud LDN by the Nine8 Collective,[3] a group composed of Lava La Rue, Mac Wetha, Bone Slim, Biig Piig, Nayana Iz, Nige and LorenzoRSV.[33]

For *For Entertainment Purposes Only and its singles, Reilly worked with artist Kelly Ficcara,[18] who created the character that appears on their artwork,[32] and Phoebe Dowling,[18] who shot the videos for "Superglue" and "Babyteeth" on a VHS-C to give them a DIY feel.[32] NME used a December 2022 article about Loud LDN to note that Reilly's "catchy pop songs laid over drum ‘n’ bass beats defy easy genre classification",[27] while Neil March of Fresh on the Net described Reilly's delivery as having "shades of Lily Allen in a jam with Alice Phoebe Lou".[19]

Discography[edit]

Extended plays[edit]

  • Demos (2020, as part of Sunseed)[34]
  • Shades of Blue (2021, as part of Electric Blue)[35]
  • Imaginary Girls (2022)
  • *For Entertainment Purposes Only (2023)

Singles[edit]

  • "Ur Only" (2021)
  • "Love Online" (2021)
  • "Little Tescos" (2021)
  • "Lost in Translation" (2021)
  • "F.Y.E.O." (2022)[36]
  • "Superglue" (2023)
  • "Babyteef" (2023)
  • "It's Not You" (2023)
  • "Babyteef pt. 2" (2023, featuring Kkbutterfly27 Xx)[36]
  • ".Mp3" (2023)[36]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Coupdekat". Youth Music. 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  2. ^ a b c Daniels, Maisie (2023-03-30). "COUPDEKAT: THROUGH A LOVED ONE'S EYES". fword. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Maureen; Charles (2023-01-30). "Coupdekat : "Paris a été une étape décisive pour ma carrière"". La Face B (in French). Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  4. ^ a b "BBC Music Introducing in Beds, Herts and Bucks - Coupdekat performs her track 'Little Tescos' for BBC Introducing - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  5. ^ "WE ARE ELECTRIC BLUE. We've decided to change the name because as a band we all felt like Sunseed didn't represent us or our music anymore. As you may have noticed, we have some new faces in the band and with that comes new sounds and visions. We felt like this step was only natural for us. Thank you for your support and we can't wait to continue our journey as Electric Blue! ⚡️⚡️⚡️". Facebook. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  6. ^ "LOUD LDN on Instagram: "LOUD LDN got a guest mix on @abbieabbiemac's BBC Introducing in Kent show! Some of our members summarised what LOUD LDN is and why it's so important to them. Have a listen to see what it's all about 💖 Featuring: @coupdekat @maisimaisimaisi @piri.io_ @matildaacole @theclarabach @parthenope.music @rosie.charles @charlotteplankmusic @molly.burman"". Instagram. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Cutting edge UK artist coupdekat explores sex and relationships in the tinder age on new single 'Love Online'". Clout. 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  8. ^ Balanescu, Miriam (2021-05-19). "Prospect 100 Announces Winner Of Global Music Competition". Notion. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  9. ^ "coupdekat: Little Tescos". Loud Women. 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  10. ^ a b c d "'Mutations Festival' – Day Two Report (Friday)". Brighton and Hove News. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  11. ^ a b Gardener, Andy (2021-11-02). "Under The Radar episode 87 (with Coupdekat) 1/11/21". Phoenix FM. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  12. ^ a b Smith, Graeme (2022-07-05). "EP Review: Coupdekat – Imaginary Girls". York Calling. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  13. ^ "Fresh Faves: Batch 426". Fresh On The Net. 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  14. ^ a b Smith, Graeme (2021-10-29). "Discovery: Coupdekat". York Calling. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  15. ^ a b "Deep Dive: coupdekat – Superglue | AnalogueTrash". www.analoguetrash.com. 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  16. ^ a b Gardener, Andy (2023-06-27). "Under The Radar episode 172 (with Abbey Frances & Coupdekat) 26/6/23". Phoenix FM. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  17. ^ "Coupdekat releases hotly anticipated EP *FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY*". HOEZINE - Empowering Marginalised Youth. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  18. ^ a b c "ASBO Meets: Coupdekat". ASBO Magazine. 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  19. ^ a b "Fresh Faves: Batch 478". Fresh On The Net. 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  20. ^ Smith, Graeme (2023-03-30). "New Music: coupdekat – BABYTEEF". York Calling. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  21. ^ "'BABYTEEF' is a creative and frenetic new release from electro-pop upstart coupdekat". Clout. 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  22. ^ "coupdekat blends her colourful style with a real sense of rawness on new single 'its not you!'". Clout. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  23. ^ "In Conversation With #256 - Coupdekat". When The Horn Blows. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  24. ^ "'Stunt Girl' is the latest creative showcase of coupdekat's fun alt-pop sound". Clout. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  25. ^ Hayhurst, John (2023-08-27). "Live Review: Leeds Festival – Saturday". York Calling. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  26. ^ a b c "_shift talks: Where are the women?". Shift London. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  27. ^ a b c d e ""We're taking over the scene": meet Loud LDN, dance music's most vibrant new collective". NME. 19 December 2022. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Caity Baser: 'I want to become the most successful singer in the world'". Rolling Stone. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Loud LDN X Spotify: The collaboration to tune to". Shift London. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  30. ^ "Q&A: Coupdekat Talks London Music Scene, New EP & Collective Loud LDN". THE LUNA COLLECTIVE. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  31. ^ "Découverte: Coudekat avec son nouveau single:"F.Y.E.O"". Blender Bookmagazine. 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  32. ^ a b c Hayashi, Akane (2023-09-21). "In Conversation With Coupdekat: On Her Latest EP, Loud LDN, & Gender Equality In The Music Industry". STRAND Magazine. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  33. ^ "Radical pop collective Nine8: 'Anyone who thinks like us is part of the gang'". The Guardian. 8 June 2021. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  34. ^ Demos, 2020-01-31, retrieved 2023-12-10
  35. ^ Shades of Blue, 2021-02-25, retrieved 2023-12-09
  36. ^ a b c "Coupdekat - Discography". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
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