Singer/songwriter Corey Bost is keeping himself busy. He has a new EP, Kingdom, which has received crazy good feedback. It was in the featured section of iTunes and has since been getting a serious amount of downloads. The popularity of the release is a great sign for the South Florida arts and music scene. Maybe it's not just all dubstep and fuego rap down here after all!
This Fort Lauderdalian isn't only blowing up as a musician; he's also event coordinator and creative consultant for C&I Studios in Fat Village.
Bost took time out of his busy schedule to talk to us a little about Kingdom, its surprising success, what's next on his agenda, and the burning question in your mind: boxers or briefs?
New Times: The success of Kingdom has been pretty amazing. It was on the
featured section of iTunes and has been doing consistently good with
sales. Releasing the EP on your own, what sort of expectations did you
have going into this?
Corey Bost: Well, I've grown up playing music in bands where the main
goal is to play shows that are fun, that people enjoy, really just
trying to have a good time. So coming out with a record where the main
goal is just to be honest, regardless of whether or not it makes myself
or the listener uncomfortable, was pretty strange. Turns out people seem
to like listening to things that make them uncomfortable, listening to
things that make them think. I think it allows us to find commonality,
makes us feel normal.
I think it's important for music to challenge both the artist and
the listener, and Kingdom is definitely no exception. Some of the lyrics
touch on your less-than-stellar family life. What's it like performing
these songs live? Does it reopen any wounds, or is it more of a catharsis
for you?
Usually, when I get someone's opinion of the record, I hear a lot of,
"Wow, those songs are hard to listen to." Which was a bit off-putting at
first, but I've grown to love it. Because no matter how hard those songs
are to hear, they're much harder to write and even more difficult to
sing in front of people that I don't know.
But I think that honesty does
something inside of us that opens us up unlike anything else, and I
love experiencing that. That being said, since the record came out on
February 16, I haven't listened to it once. Partly because I'm
terribly sick of these songs, but mainly because it's just not easy to,
and I don't think it ever will be.
Did you have any idea Kingdom was going to be featured on iTunes, or was it one of those things where a friend called
you up after seeing it?
Yeah, I actually had no idea. I woke up a few mornings ago and looked at
my phone. I had about ten text messages all saying the same thing, with
links to the iTunes page. That was pretty cool for me. Probably
something that I won't forget.
Who are your greatest influences (musically)?
As far as writing goes, some of my influences have to be Andy Hull and
Jesse Coppenbarger, from the bands Manchester Orchestra and Colour
Revolt. Again something that I appreciate more than anything in the
world is honesty. The willingness to talk about things that are hard to
talk about or possibly offensive, for the sake of putting a song
together that they know they are proud of. That's what I try to do every
day. That's what I've found makes the biggest difference.
What's your favorite track on Kingdom?
Favorite track on Kingdom... That's a really tough one. If you're making me
choose, I would have to pick "Throwing Stones." I felt that was the first
song I wrote that I was 100 percent honest, I said everything
that I wanted to say just how I wanted to say it.
What's on the horizon for you? Future plans? A music video perhaps?
I'm really happy with the response to the record so far and honestly a
little shocked. I'm really excited for the future. I'm coming out with a
music video around the end of April and starting to record a full-length LP at the end of the summer. I'm eager to see what's next.
Boxers or briefs?
Boxer briefs every time!
To purchase Kingdom on iTunes.
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