Getting introspective
Up-and-coming artist Cobi lays it all on the table with his upcoming music
It’s only been 10 days and Cobi is pretty happy with the start of his most recent trek across the country.
“I’ve been in the studio a lot over the last couple of months in Los Angeles,” he says during a recent phone interview. “Being on the road is a nice change.”
For nearly a decade, Cobi has navigated his way through the music industry.
In 2008, he and five others formed the band Gentlemen Hall, which signed to Island Def Jam Records.
The band found success and performed at the Billboard Music Awards in 2011.
But Cobi’s time in the band came to an end and he decided to go solo.
In April 2016, Cobi joined trance group Above & Beyond on its international tour, where he performed vocals for many of the songs.
Although he was touring the world, Cobi says he wanted to try his hand at his own music.
Enter the single, “Don’t You Cry for Me,” which has been viewed nearly a million times since it was released in September.
Since that time, Cobi teamed up with producer Anthony Kilhoffer on his upcoming album.
“The writing process has been continuous for the last two years,” he says. “I write a lot when I’m not on the road. I brought a lot of my songs to Anthony and we’d work on them from there.”
Cobi’s inspiration comes from daily life and he’s not afraid to get introspective.
“Everything is on the table,” he says. “That’s the only way to be honest. The more personal, the better.”
Cobi knew he wanted a career in music the first time he picked up the guitar at 12.
“My brother and I learned together,” he says. “We were self-taught. Then my uncle is a phenomenal drummer and he taught us a lot. From there, I knew I was going to be on stage for all my life.”
With buzz building for his upcoming album, Cobi is trying to keep cool and not put any expectations on the record.
He expects the album to be released later this year.
“You never know how music is going to translate to an audience,” he says. “I live my life with no expectations. I’ve put my all into the music and I hope it comes through to listeners.”