Kate Cosentino is here to sing her way into your heart and soul. This progressive Italian girl from Nashville will have you dancing and reflecting on your inner love when listening to her tunes. Having struggled with her own body image she now writes songs about it and teams up with organizations like Project HEAL and The Body Positive Alliance to help other learn to love themselves a little more. To learn more, please read our exclusive interview below.

Where are you based?
Nashville, TN.

What got you interested in music?
My family always listened to great music like Sinatra and The Beatles, but none of them played themselves. Their good taste rubbed off on me though. When I was about six or seven, and obsessed with Hannah Montana and Guitar Hero 3, I decided I wanted to be the female Eddie Van Halen, and I took up guitar lessons. Two years later, in the third grade, I added on a voice teacher who showed me Regina Spektor. When I heard her music I knew songwriting and performing was what I was meant to do in life.

You released ‘Emergency Contact’ in March, which has such a fun sound! Can you explain the meaning behind this song? What has the response been like?
Emergency Contact is me poking fun at how non-committal my generation / millennials / gen z can be when it comes to relationships. In college, I noticed amongst my friends and myself that we would be afraid to say what we wanted from a relationship. The classic “well I’ll just wait for him to text me” or “I don’t know what we’re called exactly we’re just a ~thing~.” I got the idea when I was driving to my boyfriends house and had the a-ha moment of “I really like this guy — I just dropped everything to go see if he was okay after his dog passed away”. Spoiler alert, he was fine I was just googoo-gaga in love with him. It made me think “what would be a funny way to ask someone if they want to marry you or be your partner?” And I thought of emergency contact!

The response has been amazing! People sing it with me at shows, it gets people of all ages laughing which especially makes my day. It’s nice to have a song that immediately lightens the mood and brings everyone together. Especially amongst my other songs that have heavier topics attached to them.

This single is also the first song off your upcoming EP Note to Self. What can fans expect from this EP? Do you have a release date?
The release date is May 20th 2022! I’m playing a release show that day at Chicken N Pickle in Overland Park, KS and on May 27th in Nashville, TN at Diskin Cider.

Listeners can expect to basically be listening to my college journal entries. Note to Self is a collection of four songs that tell different college stories — heartbreak, the chaos of casual dating, body image struggles, and dealing with imposter syndrome. I wanted to take a snapshot of my life at the time for anyone entering college or looking back on it to relate to. Honestly, it's a nice time capsule for myself. Listeners can expect a healthy heaping of funk/ R&B influenced pop songs and a sprinkle of Phoebe Bridgers influenced indie folk. These songs are meant to make you dance, think, laugh, cry, etc.

You also released ‘Prettiest Girl in the Room’ in January. What was the inspiration behind this song?
Prettiest Girl in the Room is my ode to anyone who has felt they could never be seen as beautiful as well as anyone who’s felt they can ONLY be seen as beautiful. I always saw myself as the “funny” girl. I didn’t think I was conventionally attractive; so, I figured I’d just own being the funny, quirky character! I figured I was the stereotypical Velma. As I grew older though, I started to see myself differently. See that it’s not a bad thing to be physically beautiful and to celebrate the way you look. I think TV and society in general paints this picture of “you should hate pretty girls and be jealous” or “if you’re pretty, that’s all you are and where all your success came from”. So I wanted my character to meet a girl who faced the opposite set of problems — people only noticing her looks. I wanted them to meet, become friends, and realize the grass isn’t always greener.

In a recent press release you noted that the best voices are authentic ones. Why do you think the millennial and gen z generation are more drawn to storytelling and overall transparency?
Gen Z and Millennials have grown up in an internet era. We grew up seeing people put their lives on display through Youtube vlogs or their instagram feed and now TikTok stream of conscience diaries. These platforms cater to both the “highly curated life” aesthetic as well as the “I’m going to post whatever I want” aesthetic. I think growing up with these platforms, we’ve all gotten a bit sick of the “perfect” life image on social media. Seeing people speak their truth and not be afraid to show the “uglier” / more real sides of their life on socials brings back a sense of humanity that can easily get lost in a social profile that only posts celebrations, wins, and matching workout sets. No shade to those kinds of influencers / posters — I love seeing people express themselves through trends or a super clean feed. Sharing authenticity though is what brings humanity to social media. I’ve loved social media the most when I’ve posted something super vulnerable — like me crying after looking at my vision board and how little I’d accomplished on it — because people reach out. They see themselves in those struggles. You can bond over shared human experiences. That’s my favorite thing about music, songwriting, art, and my chaotic TikTok feed.

What are some of your music influences?
Regina Spektor was the biggest influence on my songwriting. She writes such unique, unapologetic lyrics. She’s not afraid to be weird! But also has this magical way of making everything hit you in the feels. That’s all I could hope to do with my music! Lianne La Havas inspires me on guitar. She has a gorgeous style of playing and was one of the reasons I studied jazz guitar. More recently, I’ve fallen in love with the lyrics and production of Phoebe Bridgers, Sufjan Stevens, Chappell Roan, Lawrence, and Orla Gartland. They make me want to keep putting art in the world!

We heard that you love to shred on the guitar. When did you learn this? Will any of the songs on your upcoming EP feature this?
Guitar Hero 3 truly was the catalyst for me wanting to be a guitar shredding mad woman! This record has a ton of intricate guitar parts. I wrote “I Don’t Know Where It Went Wrong” in a really cool altered tuning and it features my fingerstyle guitar playing. The others just have some fun jazzy chord progressions! It’s more groovy than shreddy. Maybe next album!

You also founded Big Chick Energy which sells unique guitar straps. Do you make these personally?
I am! I started the company in middle school and was sewing the straps and designs by hand. I’ve since outsourced the sewing of the patches because — with my skill level — they were not coming out as lovely or as fast as I’d like. But I do design them all! They’re my passion project. I wanted to make guitar straps that fit the unique image of different artists.

What inspired the name ‘Big Chick Energy?’
Well…up until 2019, the company was called Bashfull. The idea was a play on bashing a guitar — I wanted to reclaim that word and made the logo a silhouette of me bashing a guitar into the ground. Then in college, I was playing lead guitar for my friend Ysa at the Belmont University Rock Showcase, which is THE event at Belmont. A handful of girls were playing the rock showcase and I was so excited about it I decided it’d be funny to make my shirt say Big Chick Energy on stage. As a play on the popular phrase “Big Dick Energy”. Everyone loved the shirt and I got so many compliments on it that I thought — maybe it’s time for a rebrand. Now it’s Big Chick Energy!

Your new song ‘Did I’ just came out, which is a beautiful body-positivity anthem. Can you tell us a bit about this song and what inspired it?
“Did I?” is an ode to body image. I struggled so much with hating the person I saw in the mirror throughout high school and college. “Did I?” is my reflection on the things I missed out on because of it and a note to myself to be kinder to myself in the future. It's danceable and groovy, but still packs a punch — I love to dance while I cry. I often joke that I should make it my alarm, not because I’m my own biggest fan, but because I need the daily reminder to not be so hard on myself and to not waste so much time caring about my body image! Life is way too short!

Body image seems to be a common theme in your music, as we also hear it in ‘Prettiest Girl in the Room’ and ‘Starving for Love’. Can you tell us a little bit about your own struggles? And where you are now?

TW: ED’s + Body Image

My relationship with my body image has been and still is (sometimes) an emotional rollercoaster. Growing up, I was “tomboy” as they used to call me. I didn’t want anything to do with conventionally girly things which included acknowledging my body and femininity. I wanted to be the smart girl or the funny girl. Caring about my looks was LAME! But then somewhere in middle school puberty land, things started to shift. I am a typical Italian and finished all my growing by 5th grade — hitting a whopping 5 ft 3 and looking not too different from what I do right now as a 23 year old woman. So at that point, I started to get comments from peers and just made observations myself. Thoughts like “why was I bigger than so many of my friends?” Or “kids are making fun of my body hair — I wish I was blonde,” would circle through my mind a lot of the time. Eventually, I came to love all of my Italian features, thanks to my loving family and their Italian pride, but size was something I always feared. I think I got the narrative in my head that I could never be a thin, beautiful model type girl. I was cursed with being the short, funny friend.

Looking back now, it makes me really sad to think I worried so much about how I looked. I was beautiful and still am! I turned to bizarre fashion as my way to express my beauty which I’ve always loved about myself. I just wish I spent less time hating the body underneath. I reached a bit of a breaking point in college when I realized I was really depriving myself. The whole “these foods are bad for me and I’m reforming my life now — no more pizza” was my mindset. I would make sure I walked everywhere to guarantee I didn’t gain the “freshman 15”. I had a breaking point the year I found out my younger cousin was going through an eating disorder. Seeing someone I love and think is beautiful inside-out go through that thankfully woke me up to how I was treating myself. It’s not like the thoughts just went away, but after writing a lot of songs about it and speaking more about body image to my friends, I got tired of hating myself. I loved every other part of myself — my art, my personality, my sense of humor — why was it so hard to love my body!

Now - I look at myself with much kinder eyes. I’m thankful for the body I’m in. I still have bad days where I see a picture of myself and immediately pick out everything wrong. The difference now is, I know myself better, I know my patterns, and I know how to get myself out of the mindset faster.

Jejune loves that you work closely with Project HEAL. What is the mission behind this organization? What connected you to them?
Project HEAL is so, so amazing. Their mission is to break down systemic, healthcare, and financial barriers to eating disorder healing. Evergreen, my wonderful PR team — shoutout Liam, Maria, and Hannah — connected me with them. They know I have a heart for those struggling with ED / body image so they shared Project HEAL with me. I got to do an Instagram Live concert with them of all of my body image songs. Those songs are some of the hardest for me to perform, but connecting with people over them is the most rewarding experience. I’m so thankful to have connected with them and to get to help them in their mission to help anyone who needs help healing from an ED the help they need.

We hear you just did another fundraiser with them. Can you tell us a bit about that and how readers can get involved?
With Did I? Coming out last week I was in my feels again about the message of the song so I figured what better way to celebrate its release than to promote Project HEAL. I posted a reel about Kim Kardashian’s look at the MET Gala which she bragged about having to lose 16 pounds for and it just reminded me of how prevalent diet culture is in the media. So I told that story, played the song, and directed people to donate! The fundraiser is over on my instagram but you can still donate to Project HEAL here: https://www.theprojectheal.org/donate

You are also looking to get more involved with The Body Positive Alliance. Can you tell us a bit about this organization and why you think they are important?
The Body Positive Alliance is something I wish I would have been a part of when I was in school! They’re a student-led non-profit tackling body image related topics. My favorite line from their mission statement is “body positivity is a social movement focused on empowering individuals no matter their physical weight or size, while also challenging the ways in which society presents and views the physical body.” I love that they’re bringing light to biases and advocating for representation, systemic equality, and representation for all bodies. I think it’s so important to feel empowered during your formative years. That’s why good teachers are so important! One teacher believing in you can make all the difference. I think the Body Positive Alliance is doing that for kids who have faced adversity in the body they’re in — either from the outside world or from their own inner monologue.

A lot of your work centers around body image. Do you have any advice for those struggling with this?
Body image struggles are so deeply personal and unique to the individual — but hearing other people talk about their struggles is such an eye opener. It’s really easy to berate yourself, to fight a war with that voice in your head saying “well you’re not ____ enough to do that!” But in my experience, whenever I hear someone else say that about themselves I think “that’s not true at all! I’d never think that or say that about them. They should believe in themselves etc.” I like to remind myself in the mirror to treat myself like I treat other people. I’m also a goofball who will talk to myself in the mirror like I’m best friends with my reflection. Bringing some comedy into the self love talk helped me get over the fear of hyping myself up.

If you’re struggling with body image, it can be really hard to speak about. I think that’s why when I sing my body image songs, some people feel comfortable enough to talk to me about their own struggles because not a lot of people want to put such a vulnerable issue out there. If you can find someone whose outlook you admire to talk to about body image, I think it can be really helpful to work through unlearning the negative thought patterns.

The pandemic has been really hard on mental health in general, but with us being more stationary people haven’t been able to take care of their bodies as much as before. Do you have any advice for anyone who fell off the horse and is looking to get back on the self care track post covid?
Do things for JOY! One of the positive things COVID brought me was the space to rediscover old hobbies and to spend time with my bubble of close friends and family. I got super into roller skating again. If you’re feeling demotivated — start one step at a time! I’m not nearly as full of hustle as I was before COVID, but I think it made me get my priorities straight. Hustle for what you want, not just for the sake of hustling! Do yoga when the work from home job is stressing you out, go hike and have fun with friends, and work your way up to whatever lifestyle change you want. It's your life and you get to set the pace!

How are you staying positive during the current wave of the pandemic and all the other insane stuff going on?
Oof. Besides turning to my comfort video game Stardew Valley, honestly I just try to do at least one thing a day that brings me joy. I started doing the whole “write down 3 things you’re grateful for every morning” and to my chagrin — it has made every day a little better. I am really thankful for my life, the people in it, the art I have the joy of making, the privilege of the time to make it, and my roller skates. As someone who likes to stay informed, I also think it’s important to cut myself off from news/media when I sense I’m getting too upset about it. One can only read so many articles before information turns into anger, fear, or getting a million doomsday TikToks on your FYP.

I also like to remember that my parents, grandparents, great grandparents, have all lived through crazy political times. There were times they were scared, protested, worked towards change in the world and there were times where putting food on the table and other personal life issues were the biggest trial they were facing. It’s helpful to get me into an “I will survive” mentality instead of “THE WORLDS ON FIRE AHHHH” mentality.

What does your new normal look like?
Oh gosh it’s a whirlwind every day! My life looks like waking up and eating breakfast and going for a walk with my boyfriend. That’s a ritual I cherish. Then music work ranges from making a bunch of TikToks to writing to recording in my studio to practicing for a gig which I typically do from 9 to 5. Then I try to spend time with the people I love! There’s a lot more outdoor hobbies and a lot more at home work than before, but I’m enjoying the new normal I’ve made.

We love that you are also involved with Girls For Business and YEAH Rocks this summer, helping young women hoping to pursue careers in music and business. Can you tell us a bit about these organizations and how you got involved with them?
Girls For Business have the mission of empowering middle and high school girls who are interested in pursuing future careers in the business field. Yeah Rocks aim to amplify the voices of youth and underrepresented populations through music education and programming. I’m so excited to be involved with these two organizations! I love encouraging creativity and entrepreneurship in young people. Music camps and school clubs were integral in me developing my craft and passions; so, getting to support young people finding their way means a lot to me!

What is your motto in life?
“Life is like a game of golf. You only spend a few seconds actually swinging, so you have to learn to enjoy the walk.”

To learn more about Kate, please follow her via the platforms below:
Instagram: @katemcosentino
TikTok: @katemcosentino
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3J9oPSOtWiwtitCxyKWD1v?si=lL-bqEKNSCK_hgpfU9mo3g

Photography by Sara-Anne Wagoner.

Kate Cosentino Can Be Our Emergency Contact