Artist Spotlight: Avery Cochrane

AC: Of course, I’m so excited to be here and chat with you. Being home last weekend definitely helped. It was really cool to have a hometown show built into the mini tour. A lot of my grounding happens in Seattle, with my cat and in my childhood neighborhood.

It has been a whirlwind; truly the most insane six months of my life. It feels like an endless summer vacation, in the best way. I’ve never been happier, because I finally reached the benchmark I’ve always wanted: doing music full time. Now I’m like, “Okay, where do I go from here?” I feel a little bit led astray, in a way, because I’m like, “Okay, I did it, I made it,” but I also know there’s so much more work to do. I do want to take a moment to just breathe after these last six months.

AC: Exactly. So yes, things have been rolling, and so much has changed in the last six months, including moving, and I had a big breakup, which was crazy.

AC: It is the worst, but it’s okay. It’s for the best. Everything I dreamed of as a small artist, the Spotify playlists, getting signed, moving to LA, it has all been a dream come true. I’ve never lived my dream like this before.

AC: His name is Belly. The shelter gave him that name. At first I was like, “I don’t know if I love this,” and then I just never changed it.

AC: Oh my gosh, Marshall.

AC: So he’s not in the city?

AC: I can barely take care of myself. I always say that I cannot handle a dog right now.

AC: It would be a disservice not to shout out every single person on the project, because everyone played such a vital role, from the visual creative world to the music. I worked with six different producers on this project for seven songs, which is a lot. If this were an album and I were a bigger “main pop girl,” it might be one writer or producer executive producing the whole thing. But because I had just moved to LA and was doing all these “speed dating” sessions, I got to work with so many amazing people.

Producer wise, Matias Mora did more than one song, they did “Griever” and “Male Validation and Other Drugs.” They are so fun to work with and really pushed and challenged me sonically to think outside the box. Their production, tracks, and the way they process vocals and instruments really opened things up. Both of those songs were written super fast because I felt so inspired in that room. They were basically day one demos that we turned into fully fleshed out songs.

AC: Me too. Another moment that stands out was writing “Losing Streak” with Petro, another producer on the project. We had great chemistry in the room and wrote the chorus in a day. I knew immediately it was going to be a good song.

That was also the first day I brought on a behind-the-scenes content capturer [Emma], and she documented the whole thing. It was really special to have that captured on film. That session was literally the day after my breakup, so it felt like this beautiful, cathartic moment I got to share with both Emma and Petro. Emma’s actually become one of my best friends and is part of [my] creative team, along with my good friend Marlena, who directs all my music videos.

AC: Totally. They became my friends through the process, which is so special.

AC: I’ve always been self aware about my need for validation. Maybe not when I was younger, but after a lot of reflecting and being in a sapphic relationship for the last few years, I’ve really been able to decenter men the way I wanted to. I didn’t come from a conservative family by any means, but [the] patriarchy and internalized misogyny are woven into every facet of life.

I’ve done a lot of inner work trying to unlearn those things, and since then, I’ve realized that I’ve always been enough and I am deserving of good things. So many people in my younger years made me believe the opposite, so writing from such a candid, self-aware perspective has been really healing, especially when I approach it with a satirical lens. “Male Validation and Other Drugs” is probably the most jarring song [on the project]. In the chorus, I talk about my need to create competition with my female friends because I craved male attention. It’s a jarring thing to admit, but it’s deeply true. Putting that on paper and into a song has been really cathartic.

AC: Honestly, I swear by The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. People are going to get sick of me talking about it. Have you heard of it?

AC: It really helped [me]. It felt like a recovery program for my inner artist, almost an inner child workbook. It was written about 30 years ago, so some of the exercises feel a little dated, but everything still applies. Each time [I read it] I learn something new about myself and my inner child. Journaling every day and giving myself the capacity to self reflect has also been huge for me.

AC: It definitely feels rewarding, but it also kind of throws me back into that scarcity mindset of wanting more and feeling like it’s not enough. Regardless, if you told me a year ago that a song of mine would do those numbers, I’d think you were lying.

That’s part of why I wrote “Loneliness in Numbers.” It’s really easy to get lost in the numbers, even though they’re kind of meaningless at the end of the day. The body of work and its integrity don’t change. But it is stressful, because now I want to meet that benchmark or surpass it. Now I’m like, “Okay, I want a song that hits a million streams in one day.” So it’s this balance between wanting to accomplish more and also wanting to be proud of what’s already happened.

AC: I think my younger self would be like, “You’re crazy, are you okay?” She wouldn’t be self aware enough to realize these songs are deeply true and accurate, and she’d be like, “Why are you airing out all of our tea? Sit down.”

My present self would be really proud and say, “I’ve come a long way.”

Future me would say, “Deep down, I’ve always known I’m enough, and this body of work reflects that.”

AC: It’s really hard, and I haven’t fully figured it out. As the project grows and more people join the fandom, I think I need to separate myself more. When things were smaller, before “Shapeshifting” even came out, I had fans, but it was a tight knit group. Someone told me last night they’ve been a fan since my song “Afraid to Die,” which is such a deep cut. I released that in 2024, and now it’s 2026 and they’ve been here the whole time.

AC: Totally. I also have people who yell for “Chelsea Boots” in the crowd, that was my first song five years ago. When there were ten die hard fans, it was easier to build real relationships. A couple of years ago I made Christmas cards for fans after I released “Existential Crisis at the Tennis Club,” which had a little moment on TikTok, and I mailed out about 100 cards. My hand hurt so badly, but I was glad I did it.

Now, I don’t think I could do that, because it would [require] more than 100 [cards]. No matter when someone joined, yesterday or five years ago, I’m so grateful. I want people to know how grateful I am. I’m definitely at a level where I’m not “famous,” I still want to hang back and meet everyone after my shows. It feels really special and honestly makes me feel famous in the best way.

AC: Also, not being glued to my phone is still hard. Everything’s online. I read all the comments, and my friends tell me all the time I shouldn’t. I have an Instagram DM group chat with like 250 people in the Coch Squad, and my friends keep telling me I need to get out of it, or have my team run it. They say I shouldn’t let people have that level of access to me. And I’m like, “But these are my friends,” and they’re like, “Wait, these are strangers.” Parasocial relationships are so interesting. It’s been hard to separate myself [as a] person from myself as an artist, a project and a business.

AC: Totally. Fans are the industry.

AC: I’m glad you love that song. It’s one of my OG, number one favorites. My brother once got me a few CDs for my birthday, and a David Bowie greatest hits CD was included. We had a CD player and a terrible aux cord in our shared car, so when the aux wouldn’t work, I’d put that CD in. I fell in love with Bowie’s music. When “Changes” comes on and that first chorus hits, “Turn and face the strange,” it’s so uplifting. He was and is such a legend. I’m obsessed with his artistry.

For me, it’s the feeling that song evokes. It applies to every stage of life, you can listen to it at different times and it means something new. It’s a testament to how everyone is always changing. I’d love to make a song like that, uplifting and happy without being corny. It’s hard to write happy songs that aren’t cheesy, but that’s something I aspire to.

AC: It’s honestly been hard to listen to a ton of music, which is something I think is common for artists. I listen to a lot of older stuff. Bowie, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, and The Bee Gees to name a few. I’ve been into lots of disco lately, which is really fun. Having a finger on the pulse of new releases stresses me out a bit because it pulls me back into jealousy and comparison. But I love pop music. I love Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.

AC: Same. Honestly, it’s hard not to compare yourself to the greats. Again, The Artist’s Way has helped me deconstruct that, because comparison really makes the self implode. There’s no point, but it’s still hard to listen sometimes without thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I’m working on just being happy for other artists and letting myself be inspired.

AC: There are so many. Obviously Eli, she’s really having a moment. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before she catapults into the mainstream. I’ve loved watching her album rollout. I went to her album release show in LA and she’s so funny. I also think it’s beautiful to have more transgender representation in pop music, so I’m really rooting for her. I saw her billboard a few blocks from my house the other day, which was surreal.

I’ve also been loving Erin LeCount’s music. I think we shared a release day a few weeks ago. I love her aesthetic so much. I saw her in LA recently and she has such a unique brand identity, dressed all in white, long blonde hair. I spotted her from far away and was like, “That has to be Erin.” Her sound is so innovative, and the fact that she self produces is really inspiring.

AC: I met Anna at SXSW, she’s amazing. Her whole set was so good.

AC: It’s been *so* special. I can’t help but reflect and just beam with gratitude. The hometown show in Seattle especially meant the world to me. Every show was special, but that one was the biggest, about 260 people, and it was completely sold out. Seeing my parents and hometown friends in the crowd, the true OGs who knew me before I was “an artist,” was so emotional.

New York last night was incredible too, the energy in the room, the queer joy, the gay energy, it was unmatched. It was a small room, but it felt huge in terms of energy. I’m just so grateful.

AC: Definitely MUNA, we’re playing the same day on the main stage, which I’m so excited about. I love their new single “Dancing on the Walls.” It feels like part of this little music renaissance with so many good female fronted bands. I’m also excited about Night Tapes. Seattle really knows what’s up when it comes to good indie music.

AC: I’m a queer artist. I’m bisexual. Even though Male Validation and Other Drugs was written through a queer lens, I’d love to explore more of my queer side and the sapphic relationship I was in for the past four years. The EP is very much about past and present versions of me, and a lot of my past self is woven into that writing.

For the next project, I want it to feel more like a resolution of who I am now and who I’ve become. I want to reflect on a relationship where I truly [learned to] decenter the male gaze. I have a song I want to release called “You’re the Only One I Never Performed For,” it’s a long title, but I love it. It’s about finally feeling free from the male gaze and not feeling like you have to perform for your partner or put on a front, but instead just exist as a human seeing another human.

AC: For summer 2026, my “ins” are:

• Floral flavored beverages, both alcoholic and non alcoholic. Think rose lemonade, lavender drinks, elderflower cocktails. I’m a big floral girl, I love those earthy flavors.

• Body oil. I’ve been getting into body oils lately, they smell so good and feel so luxurious.

• Sunscreen. The baddies are wearing their sunscreen this summer.

• Journaling and self reflection.

• Going on dates with yourself, solo dates and solo adventures.

• Night swimming, safely of course.

• Volunteering for causes you believe in, anything that is beyond yourself.

My “outs” are:

• High screen time.

• Dating apps, especially Hinge.

• Situationships.

• Fast fashion and overconsumption in general.

• Scarcity mindset.

• Talking and being on your phone in movie theaters, that is a big out.

AC: Yeah, why not? The last thing I added was “artificial intelligence breakup text.” It’s more of a concept than a lyric right now. One of my friends was in a situationship and got a rejection or breakup text that was clearly written by AI. You could tell from the formatting, the italics, the punctuation, everything.

AC: I know. It really made me think about where we are as a society. Like, where’s the humanity, where’s the human connection? It’s already bad enough to send a text instead of having a conversation, but to not even care enough to write your own message feels so disconnected. I think that would be a really interesting concept to write a song about.

AC: A huge thank you back for such thoughtful questions, for meeting me, and for anyone reading or listening. I feel really honored to be part of this.