Indianapolis’ own Addie Kosten brings pop with her own combination of acoustic and electronic sounds in, “Spider”.
Happy Tuesday all you LemonWire readers. We’re continuing our week of covering local Indianapolis artists. Yesterday, we started off the week by listening to some Americana and folk from local Indy band Bigfoot Yancey. Today, we’re moving away from the realm of folk, and into pop.
Our song of the day for today is “Spider”, from Addie Kosten’s recent album, “Headspace”. In it, Kosten displays a masterful and nuanced approach to songwriting. But before we get into the song itself, here’s a little more about Kosten.
Addie Kosten
Addie Kosten is an Indy-based indie-pop artist. Her sound can best be described, as she says, as “if Maggie Rogers and Lorde had a love child. Her music has the classic pop combination of utilizing acoustic elements woven through an electronic foundation.
Until recently, Kosten’s only releases have been a series of live recordings, one on WGRE radio, and a holiday single release of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” in 2013. Kosten’s recently released debut album, “Headspace”, came out just last month. If in the six years between her releases, Kosten had been refining and crafting her sound, it seems to have paid off.
On her website, Kosten reveals how the experience of writing “Headspace” was a new on for her.
“In the past, I made music that coincided with what other people thought I should make. I wrote soft sounds and tame words that fit in a delicate little box, performing (hiding) behind a piano, fearing I would look ridiculous being active on stage. A voice in my head repeatedly told me that I lacked the body type, that I wasn’t talented enough, and that I could never be completely free in front of an audience. For most of my life, I listened to that voice. Until this album.”
After listening to “Spider” and the rest of Kosten’s album, it’s clear that her internal struggle to overcome her inner critic and find her own voice has been realized.
Spider
“Spider” is the penultimate song on Addie Kosten’s new album, “Headspace”. In terms of its sound, the track makes use of reverb synths, vocals, and percussive snaps during the verses. The chorus section explodes with energy as pulsing synths accompany Kosten’s melodic belting. As far as the structure goes, “Spider” follows a familiar pop pattern of riding out one main progression that carries throughout the track.
While none of the techniques Kosten uses in “Spider” are particularly groundbreaking, that’s not what we’re judging here. In terms of her ability to craft an expressive and interesting pop song, Kosten succeeds easily. the production quality on “Spider” is also worth mentioning. While there are a lot of local artists out there who are fine with putting out unrefined music, Kosten is not one of them.
The lyrics to “Spider” call to mind Addie Kosten’s words on her inner struggles before writing “Headspace”. The main emotion it deals with is fear, using the metaphor of a spider to express it.
“I’ve been losin it, I’ve been losin it
Cuz I don’t believe that I’m worth all this
Grippin on the clock till my fangs grow in
So I can chew these shackles off my wrists
And the fear, it will take a hold of you
It’s a spider that only moves when you want it to
Venom clings to your veins
But only poison rots the chains”
Final Thoughts
Overall, Addie Kosten’s “Spider” is an exemplary example of a well-crafted pop song. Its structure is built on a solid foundation, its melody catchy, and the level of production quality is strictly professional. Be sure to give “Spider” a listen, and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
If you liked listening to “Spider”, you can find out more about Addie Kosten by visiting her website. You can listen to the rest of “Headspace” and more by heading over to her Bandcamp page.
Finally, if you’re looking for more coverage on Indianapolis music, be sure to check out the LemonWire Music Corner, where we’re bringing in local artists, and giving them a platform to perform in our space.
