INTERVIEW
Oscar | 29/09/2024
From Burnley, Cody combines their lived experience with the gritty, ambient and melancholic productions of Dan Weller to reach out and express themself to those who relate to the topics and scenes put forth in their lyrics, in the words of Cody their music is aimed at the “lost and misunderstood.” Whether you know them from The Voice, Spotify or socials, there’s no doubt that Cody has been grafting, making waves for a long time and has started to reap the benefits of their work. This interview discusses mental health, musical influences and writing process as well as the hurdles one faces when they first live independently.
A: I love that you're so open about mental health and focused on that in the new single, did you feel with the latest single it was the right place and the right time to talk about such topics?
C: As much as I feel we've made a lot of progress over the years in terms of being more accepting, I think it’s not the case at all. Putting the song out and receiving really good feedback for it, there are still people out there that don't like the way I look, don't like the way I sound. I'm weird, but that is, again, for me, very much, just a fact of life, and always has been since I was a kid. I don't communicate in the way that other people do, and that's okay. The new single is like a message to my younger self, but also, anyone younger than me who listens to my music, because once I put it out there, it's not mine, it's theirs, and what they make of it. Also to show that aspect for me, because I feel more seen in the art community than I ever did because I'm convinced that pretty much everybody that does alternative stuff is in some way linked in with mental health. It's that we all write it under that, whether that is having a neurodivergence or having had suffered with depression one part in your life, or feeling that you don't fit in, or feeling that people don't understand you. I think that's why I feel so seen in the art community and making process and putting that out, and finally feeling seen by those people that I so desperately wanted to be akin with when I was younger.
A: I do wonder how much teenage years and childhood have to do with the psychology of people who feel like they don't fit in, due to neurodivergence, or whatever it might be. It's quite an interesting one. You're right in the sense of embracing who you are. And there's always going to be people that don't like what they see or what they hear but that's on them.
C: I always think, you don't know how somebody else has grown up, you don't know about their culture, you don't know about the things that they've grown up to believe in. So, I can't be mad at other people for not understanding because I understand why people might not understand it, but this isn't necessarily for them. It's for the people who understand me and understand my lyrics, and yeah, it's mainly a song that I needed myself when I was younger. I'm a very extroverted person, but I don't feel like I talk a lot. I don't think people truly know the struggle that I have had because I'm good at pretending it's not happening. I'm good at being bubbly and friendly and out there, but mental health has been a consistent thing for me. I got diagnosed with depression when I was eleven, so to me, most of my life is my mental health and taking care of it, and it's constantly just trying to think things together.
A: I would refer to myself as bipolar rather than having bipolar. And mum would say to me, “it's part of your identity, but it's not all you are.” And it's all these ways we look at it and how it fits into us as a puzzle. It's been talked about more, but there's still such a long road to go with it.
How do you tackle your writing process? How do you go into writing new music? If there is one?
C: Yeah, I'm more of an as-and-when person. Right now, I'm not writing clearly. I'm in the studio recording the things that I've previously written. But I'm not writing because I've just smashed out a whole year of preparing for the EP after the one that's coming out. Now I’m at a point where I feel like I need to take a break from it because I need to live a bit and figure out where I am right now. But also, for me, I go from doing art to music. And right now, I would say I'm in more of an art phase. It's brewing. I'm about to start making art, I know I am. But typically, I write little poems on my phone, and then I get in the mood to make music, and I must rush home. I could be in the middle of being at the pub with my friends, and I'm like, “Oh, I’ve got to go bye,” and then I just leave.
It comes and goes; I'm not always writing. But there are phases where I can't do anything, and then I'm like, “oh, I need to do some tattoos.” I need to not do music for a second, then I do some music, and then I'm like, “Oh, I don't want to be seen anymore.” And then I disappear off into tattooing. And that's what keeps me afloat, one of them is more extroverted, and one is more introverted.
You need to live to write music. You need to go outside. And right now, I'm in a phase where I'm not feeling that inspiration as strongly. I spent three years living with my best friend’s parents. Then I finally got signed, and now I'm able to find somewhere to live because, before that, I wasn't making enough money to pay rent or move out to have my own space, so I used to write down a lot of my frustrations about that there, and I was writing so much music that I'm prepped for quite a while. I've got a lot of music on the go, which means that now I can finally cook my food and do the washing up and fucking do the laundry and shit like that. So that explains why I'm not in the right place for writing because I'm just trying to get used to living alone properly, taking care of everything and sorting everything out. But I think as soon as that becomes a routine, that's probably when you get back into it. I've seen it happen before, where I just smash out loads and then I slip off into the void for a second, and then I come back.
A: I love that. I think that's healthy and important, now being signed and having gone from being on such a big platform like The Voice with so many people watching you. I think your life does dramatically change by being put in the public eye. It's amazing that you've come to a point where things are starting to slot into place.
C: To be honest, The Voice was never a fit for me, I don't think we should be understood like that. I'm very against it and I've learned a lot since then. It was a case of thinking at such a young age and becoming a household name without knowing how big that would be. It happened so fast, but also, it's the kind of show where they don't show who the artist is. People had this perception, and they have this whole parasocial relationship that's fed through the eyes of the BBC, and it wasn't who I was, and I spent a long time trying to break out of that. As soon as I came off The Voice, I shaved my head, I just stopped telling people what was on the way for a long time, because I didn't want that to be my whole life.
I'm not meant to be commercialised. I was too young, and it took me a long time to get to a place where I feel more grounded, and I know who I am a little better. But that doesn't mean to say that I didn’t get backlash for bringing out heavier music once leaving The Voice.
A: That's who you are and it’s what you want to do and what you want to make.
But that brings me to the last question we like to ask people what brings them joy? Those moments where you just feel content, your heart feels full.
C: Meeting people after my shows. I could be having the worst time in the world, but those people will always make me feel better. Playing The Sims. Since I was a kid, The Sims has been one of the only consistent things in my entire life. I never lived in the same place for longer than, five years ever, playing on The Sims and having a great time always helped. And then probably the third thing would be organising things. I like making my space a real vibe. And then once I've done that, I feel like everything is complete. I found that once I medicated, I was able to establish some sort of routine, food, tattooing, making sure that I put things everywhere that I like to have them, and then I get in nice comfy pyjamas, being cosy with my partner after I've done all that.
A: I'm totally with you. But The Sims! We haven't heard that one yet.
C: It came back to me because my boyfriend was like, “All you do is work, and you should do something so that you can relax.” He bought me a switch, and I started playing Animal Crossing, then the decorating triggered something in me, and I needed to play The Sims. So, I downloaded The Sims again, and I've just been putting my head into that in my downtime, as much as I can, I've just been playing games because I think I need it sometimes. I've spent full-on years grafting for nothing, and now I feel like I'm getting benefits. I'm reaping the benefits from it, and I'm having a little break. I'd rather prioritise playing the game over going on holiday or anything like that. That’s, my way of getting away.
Look for Cody Frost’s upcoming EP, and in the meanwhile check out their latest single “PROCESS” which can be found on all major streaming platforms. Its cover art, its lyrics, its concept, is much like Cody Frost herself: bright, bold and refreshingly frank.
Photography Kiera Simpson
MUA & Hair Styling Kristina Pavlov