Caitlin Cobb-Vialet is a songwriter, pianist and actor from Oakland who returned from NYC in late 2020 after receiving her BFA in theater from NYU Tisch School Of The Arts. Upon returning home she embarked upon recording her debut EP and album with producer Jim Greer (Geographer, Andrew St James, Foster The People). The EP and album consist of expertly crafted pop-leaning narratives that echo the tuneful and complex arrangements of artists such as Sia and Regina Spektor, while leaning hard into a deep personal lyrical style that is refreshingly non-linear. Stay tuned for her debut EP on Warchant Records coming in October.
Cobb-Vialet’s theatrical training shows in “Disco Ball.” The song, mimicking its titular object, gently revolved around Cobb-Vialet’s yearning, picking up speed until burstin forth in a splash of color and intensity. While the song sports the bold melodies of a Broadway number, Cobb-Vialet twists the form into a clever, complex pop composition.
“‘Disco Ball’ is about falling for someone who is resisting being fully known,” Cobb-Vialet tells us. “In the song, I ask for their trust and promise not to abandon or regret this love.”
Who are some of your musical influences?
It’s never very direct for me. When I write music, I always work within the container of myself or my experiences. My childhood was heavily fueled by musical theater so that influence is definitely palpable. In some ways, my life is definitely a contemporary, mostly diegetic musical.
Does your album have an overarching theme?
The overarching themes of Endless Void are feeling ‘too much’ for others, learning not to apologize for that, choosing oneself, and yearning, of course.
Tell us about the first song you wrote.
The first song I wrote was a song which I performed at my mom and step-mom’s wedding called “Lucky People.”
Do you start off with the music or lyrics first? Why?
Depends on the project, but mostly I go bit by bit, a few chords then lyrics, then more chords, etc. I like to create narrative journeys that way.
Who would you love to collaborate I with? Why?
I desperately want to write a song for Bob’s Burgers. I would also like to collaborate on a musical with Mitski or Dorian Electra.