Courtney Cotter King Releases Her Newest Album Dedicated to her Family
Courtney Cotter King, the indie singer/songwriter based out of Mesa, AZ, was born with the piano as an appendage. Her artistry drives her blue-eyed soul, singer-songwriter genre. Courtney is a mom of 3 children with a 4th on the way. She hopes to inspire moms that creativity doesn’t have to stop when kids are created. She humorously balances gigging with nursing and finger painting with songwriting, saying “marriage and motherhood has opened me to songs I could have never written without these sweet souls in my life.”
Courtney just released her jazz/R&B/indie folk-pop album, Brood, a 9-track album with a strong Natasha Bedingfield meets Taylor Swift meets Carole King sound. Her songwriting is inspired by her family, both the one she chose and the one she was given. There is nothing but love and adoration in Brood and you can hear every last bit of it.
“Fine Breed” leads off the album with an pop and jazz sound and an electric guitar that gives off beachy vibes. It’s a fun and upbeat ode to her childhood and family. She appreciates everything that her parents did for her and sings about how happy she was growing up. She slows it down with “Conversation,” a beautifully crafted and poetic indie folk-pop ballad that’s led by the piano and married with her powerfully soulful vocals. Her use of violins give also give an ethereal feeling. She sings about not being close to your love, singing “I went to sleep tossing n’ turning/cause I had so much to tell you about.” It’s catchy, melodic, and sweet.
“Southern Love” has a New Orleans style jazz sound with trumpets, soft drums, and piano. This upbeat song with a Princess and the Frog sound is an ode to her husband. She sings “I see forever in your face/You kiss me sugar sweet/ I can’t get enough of you my darling” and “Got a southern kind of man with hard working hands/ we’re gonna live off the land with our southern love.” It a wonderfully poetic song about her everlasting love to her husband and how they will get through anything. The follow up is the jazzy and pop song “Big Strong Man” about how her husband is her rock.
“Man and Wife” has a 1920’s speakeasy jazz vibe. It’s fun and fast, taking hold of your mind and body. You have no choice but to dance along to the incredibly catchy melody and infectious beat. The piano and trumpet speak to each other and dance with each other, the piano acting as the moderator giving the song structure. The next song, “Wanderer,” slows things down a bit. It has an indie folk-country sound with a sprinkling of jazz. The music and her vocals are soft, yet she grabs you and wraps you up in a musical hug. It’s warm, welcoming, an invites you to cry.
“Feel Again” is another soft and deliberate. Indie pop song about wanting to hold God’s hand in a moment of pain, grief, and loneliness until she feels again. She sings “hold me as I pour out my sins/hold my hand brother till I can feel again.” Just when you feel the closeness of the song, she closes with powerful and deliberate drums, like a final act or a full stop to the song. The last song, “Grain of Truth,” has a big Natasha Bedingfield sound to it and utilizes the electric guitar. It also has an upbeat vibe, but still relatively soft and slower. She sings about being there for her kids and understanding what they are going through, singing “mamma’s here for you”
Listen here: