In the vast and ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, where trends come and go like the ebb and flow of the tide, some artists stand tall as beacons of unwavering faith and inspiration. Coppe Cantrell, an indie musician with a divine calling to spread the gospel through her music, is one such artist. With a voice that resonates with power and a purpose that transcends mere melodies, Coppe has been carving her unique path in the world of Edgy Christian music.
For Coppe Cantrell, the journey into the world of music began with a life-altering event that would shape her purpose and identity as a musician. On that fateful day of July 1, 2009, Coppe had an extraordinary encounter with God, a divine calling that awakened her gift of song in the most unexpected manner.
In this exclusive interview, we had the privilege of sitting down with Coppe Cantrell to explore the depths of her journey, the essence of her creative process, and the unwavering faith that fuels her musical endeavors. From her profound encounter with God to her pursuit of spreading His message to the world, Coppe takes us on an extraordinary odyssey of passion, perseverance, and divine purpose.
Can you tell us about your journey as an indie musician? What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
My journey as an indie musician has been a tedious one. After being saved by God almighty through Christ Jesus, God had a calling on my life when he gave me the gift to sing out of a sound sleep on July 1, 2009, is what not only inspired me to pursue a career in music, but it was also God’s calling on my life. I can’t take credit for the gifts that he has given me, all by God’s will, he gave me a purpose in life, which is his purpose for my life to spread the gospel in song. We are commanded to sing and preach the non-compromising word of God to all the world.
All of this happened to me losing my husband of 17 years, suddenly to suicide, it was his unfailing love for me that gave me much more to live for, by glorifying him, and working straight for God almighty, what an amazing journey it has been along the way, though I haven’t been completely accepted into certain doors of the gospel community, it is the doors that God wants me to walk through, that I enter.
How would you describe your unique style and sound as an artist? What sets you apart from other musicians?
I would describe my unique style and sound as an artist, as being Edgy Christian music, singing/preaching the non-compromising word of God, in a different way. I think what sets me apart from other musicians, is the fact that I don’t just listen to the radio and hear what others are doing, I allow the Holy Spirit and God’s anointing to take over me, and the music to allow, me to come up with something unique, I am not doing it alone by no means, it is the Holy Spirit guiding me to write the songs, produces the songs, and arrange the songs, in a different way than others do.
I give the listener more options than the normal songwriter does, if it takes for me to add a pre-hook, and extra outro or vamps, to my songs I take it a little further. Most people don’t start their songs with a hook, I either start my song with the hook, pre-hook, and intro in combination with it. Some people say this is not correct, but who said, that you can’t do it your own way, and allow the listener to get hooked into the hook first, and not let them wait, if this is what they say sells the songs, along with the music. Every artist will paint a different picture, it’s important for me as an artist to paint the picture that I see, and not what others see or hear, this is what makes me different, along with my vocal style.
Could you share some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an indie musician and how you overcame them?
I would say that some of the biggest challenges that I have faced as an indie musician are not being accepted by my peers, in the industry, the gatekeepers at radio, and other venues have been my biggest challenges. There are only so many spots to be fit into to or pieces of the puzzle I’d have to say, and when you are an indie artist, it is that much more difficult to fit into these clicks, I would call them. The spaces are already slim to none, but as an indie artist, you must fight that much harder to be a piece of the puzzle. With that being said, I don’t just want to fit in, I want to stand out from the crowd, which makes my music unacceptable in some of those doors, or puzzles that I could be a part of. You’re not always welcome when you don’t fit the description, or the same old narrative, and sound, by creating something new and different, they don’t want you to rule the airwaves until they want something new and are tired of what they are hearing, but it is all in God’s timing.
I have been able to gain a fan base at the radio, after knocking down some doors at international radio, God did not say in America alone we are commanded to preach the gospel to all of the world, and that’s what I am doing now. By doing so, I’ve created a fanbase that is allowed to hear my music over the airwaves, on YouTube, and other social media outlets, without the bureaucracies, going on here in America.
What is your creative process like? How do you approach songwriting and composing?
My creative process is I first take the track, I write to it utilizing Garageband, a pen, and a pad. I like to use Garageband because it allows me to sing, and record various amounts of tracks and structure my song and add any unique melodies to the foundation. My approach to songwriting is like I would put a story together, I first come up with a great hook for me it’s the dessert you want to have first, and want to eat
more, but you need to have your entree, so I start writing the verses my entree. I then start stacking my vocals, as I produce and arrange the songs, and then I help the engineer mix the song, he does not know what my mind is thinking when I’m stacking those vocals, so it’s important for me to convey that to him or else, my music would not be the outcome that I want.
Are there any particular themes or messages that you want to convey through your music? What inspires your lyrics?
There are some themes that I convey throughout this album and the album to, power and strength through the word of God through Christ Jesus, it is the word of God that I am preaching, and the Book of Ephesians, and of course other books of the bible, you will be able to recognize the themes, for this the album is “The Breastplate of Righteousness, that is the theme that I convey. What inspires my music is the word of God and life experiences, and seeing what others go through in this world around us.
What are your long-term goals as an indie musician? Where do you see yourself and your music in the next few years?
My long-term goal as an indie musician is to release an album every year, and at least 6 singles off each album, I also will have created a video for all the songs that I release, and later to produce a documentary about my life, and write a book. If it is the Lord’s will, I will be continuing to spread the gospel through song, and maybe even do a talk show, I see my music, breaking new boundaries, and being more accepted by the masses.
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