From her debut EP recorded at 18 which led her to SXSW in 2018, to a transformative chapter in a remote Croatian village where Courtney Farren refined her production and songwriting skills, Farren’s nomadic existence has informed her music in profound ways. Now, inspired by the vibrancy of East Los Angeles, she introduces her latest EP, “Rabbit King,” an evocative testament to her life experiences, to a diverse audience seeking expression, innovation, and sustainability.
“Rabbit King” is a genre-bending collection that combines Farren’s unique brand of bedroom pop with folk elements, and is peppered with melancholic ballads and narratives of redemption. The lush sonic landscapes and emotionally vulnerable lyrics, carried by Farren’s hauntingly resonant vocals, create a rich tapestry that draws listeners into her world. The resulting EP is an unapologetically bold statement and a fascinating exploration of her experiences.
In the following interview, Farren delves into her formative years, her inspirations, and the overarching themes of “Rabbit King.” She also talks about her vision for a safer, freer, and more sustainable music industry, while hinting at exciting projects to come. Through her work and words, Farren hopes to lift the veil for other artists, sharing her experiences and championing a more collaborative and inclusive industry.
You mentioned that you spent many of your formative years as a musician/producer in Croatia. How did that experience influence your songwriting and production skills?
The two years I spent in Croatia helped me evolve as a person and a producer in many ways. The solitary time I committed to listening and re-working songs helped me develop my own production style and learn the fundamentals of production in ProTools.
I now work in Logic primarily and in hindsight I’m impressed I was able to do anything creative by starting in ProTools.
Croatia is gorgeous and the perspective of having lived in another country impacts my songwriting since it’s part of my story. I use all of my experiences and travels to inform my writing.
Does the fact that you have moved to often in your life come into play in the fact that the EP is described as an “ode to hope, love, and redemption?” Can you delve into the themes you explore in the EP?
Moving so much in my life is a big part of why I am who I am. I was going to say it’s made me a flexible person, but I think most of the people in my life would agree I’m not exceptionally flexible. I *am* a very hopeful and loving person though, and I think those themes are very present in Rabbit King. In this record I wanted to express a newfound confidence that I hadn’t explored.
Each song navigates a different side of myself, and I think they all accurately capture the essence of the times when I wrote them. I like playing with people’s expectations of me, so having four distinct songs come together to form a body of work is empowering. I want to keep listeners guessing.
You blend various genres in your music, can you talk about the genres that have influenced your unique sound the most?
Putting different genres and energies together in a record is exciting to me. The industry is shifting so much and there are so many dynamics to being an artist now. I don’t want to limit myself to any one thing. The music I make is eclectic because of my taste in music. Having grown up with a very close relationship to my grandparents; Elvis, Sinatra, Dean Martin, and the like have always been on rotation.
Then there’s folk, which is also very special to me because of my proclivity for lyric driven music. I’m a big Modest Mouse fan, so that’s a thing. Then in the more modern pop realm, I’m a fan of Grimes and am really impressed by Ethel Cain’s ability to craft a world as demonstrated in Preacher’s Daughter.
What inspired the title of your EP, “Rabbit King”? Does the title have anything to do with your desire to contribute more to a dialogue of change in the music industry?
Rabbit King came from combining the two song titles “White Rabbit” and “King”, which of course isn’t that deep. The choice was made so that I didn’t have a “title track”. Rabbit King is all 4 songs I included working together, so choosing a single title wouldn’t have been true to the project.
I guess making the decision to have the title not be very deep supports my feeling that releasing music can be whatever you want it to be. Yes, navigating being a full time artist is a business, but everything doesn’t have to be so serious. It’s fun to let some decisions be funny and lighthearted.
What does a “safer, freer, more collaborative, and sustainable industry” look like to you?
I think it all starts with more open dialogue. Artists have so much to gain by sharing experiences and exchanging insight into the highs and lows of being in this very unique industry. Contracts, advances, splits, fees; the veil should be lifted on all of the ins and outs of being an artist on the business side in order to provide the clearest picture for an artist whose creativity is being exploited.
I also think limiting exclusivity is always beneficial to building a community. As far as sustainability, I think that can be done in many ways, like making merch out of ethically sourced/gently used materials. Or offsetting tour emissions if you’re a major touring artist. The responsibility is on everyone to do their part respective to each individuals resources and environmental impact.
What can we expect next from Courtney Farren after the “Rabbit King”?
I’m so happy that Rabbit King has been out in the world for two months now. I’m working on some exciting new projects that I can’t wait to talk more about soon. They’ll feature more of my production, photography, design, and of course writing.
I love a challenge and the projects coming up are definitely challenging me as I work my way through them. For now, I hope you enjoy Rabbit King!! I really appreciate your time and ears as I continue to grow as an artist and person x
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
