Chicago-born-and-bred, LA-residing DJ/producer/vocalist Colette has made a name for herself over the course of the past two decades as one of the most prominent names in the house scene, but she also embraces more traditional pop sensibilities, singing live over her DJ sets. She’s about to release her third and, what she considers to be, most accomplished LP, When the Music’s Loud. She tells me that the album, “Took a lot inspiration from early ‘90s house, but I also grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s and am very inspired by that pop music. This album takes both a lot of ‘80s pop textures and the sound of ‘90s Chicago house.” She was also apparently quite inspired by “’80’s futurism.” The album is Colette’s first indie release and it’s also the first that she wrote entirely with songwriting partner Tim K. And she seems quite excited about her latest sounds.
“I think this new album coming out is the highlight of my year. It’s a big moment for me. I think it’s a definite growth. This one took about three years, while the second one took nine months. It explores a lot of different sounds, but I think it’s still a body of work that makes sense together.”
When the Music’s Loud is set to drop on August 27th, via Colette’s own Candy Talk Records, and she’s very excited about promoting the album over the course of the next year or so: “It’s a whole new world for me because I’m releasing the album on my own. You forget, with a label, how much support you have, but I’ve also, with my friends that I’ve had in the scene throughout my career, I’ve gotten to see, firsthand, how amazing the house community is.” Of her immediate goals, Colette tells me, “This year and next year are all about touring. When you play the songs live, you kind of rediscover certain things about them. I’m really excited to bring the songs to life.” Her next batch of live dates kick off August 11th in Chicago and run through October 17th in LA, but she promises me that there are plenty of dates to come (and that she “loves” Philly). And if you’re wondering what can be expected of the live experience, Colette tells me, “I’ll be DJing and singing live. I’ll be performing almost all of the new songs, but I’ll be performing some older material, too.” She also tells me that her live experience is pretty improvised: “I don’t plan the set. I try to read the crowd and base each show on whatever I get off of them.”
If you’re interested in getting involved and helping Colette spread her latest work, she currently has a campaign on Pledge Music, which is going for another 11 days. All pledgers will get access to streams of new songs, videos of Colette’s recording process, and interviews with her producers. She’s also willing to take feedback from all of those who contribute. And, for those higher bidders, you can even get signed lyric sheets, a record collection shopped for you by Colette herself, and even the opportunity to have her remix your song or DJ your party.
