The Artist Explains: Cole DeGenova - 'The Lucky Few'
Chicago based composer and producer Cole DeGenova talks us through his most personal track to date with recent single ‘The Lucky Few’.
So your track ‘The Lucky Few’ is out now, how does it feel?
It feels great! This most recent album Really Human has been in the works for over 3 years, so I've been really anxious to get it out to the world. Even though we had to release it mid-corona, the response has been really nice and people seem to be really resonating with it.
This is a really personal track for you, can you tell us what it is about? And why it’s so personal?
This song is about being made to feel like an outsider, or less than, by mainstream society. I came out as bisexual as a teenager and subsequently spent years being bullied or teased for that. It's taken a long time to really feel comfortable and proud of who I am. But like most of my songs, I didn't want to make the lyrics just about me, so I expanded the message to include anyone who's been made to feel that way, or has had to go through that journey of self-love. We are stronger, or "lucky," because of it.
It was recorded in your makeshift studio at home, do you find it easier to work there compared to a full set up?
The space definitely has its limitations. But it was really nice to have the freedom to really explore ideas and get weird. This was the first song I've released where I produced everything (minus the rap) myself. So I'm really proud of that.
There is a small rap moment featuring Rico Sisney, how did that partnership come about? What did that bring to the song?
Rico and I have been really good friends for about 10 years now. We founded a Chicago based artist collective together years ago, and his band Sidewalk Chalk and I used to do all sorts of shows together back in the day. So it was an obvious choice for me to reach out to him. I think he's one of the most talented lyricists I've ever met, and his verse perfectly matched the vibe I was going for.
There is a quote at the end by James Baldwin, why did you feature that quote? What does it mean to you?
I'm a mega James Baldwin fan (I think I've read almost everything he ever wrote). I even named my 2012 album Another Country after one of his books. So he's kind of my go-to for words of wisdom. I was looking for something where he addressed his queerness, and this beautiful sample popped up.