The witch-rock pioneer talks to us about the power of sex workers, the ongoing persecution of women and her spellbinding new album.
Hell yeah and yee-fucking-haw! With her debut album Hellcat, genre-bending songbird Kitty Coen has crafted a dark, cinematic gem that serves as an unapologetic ode to the hopeless romantic, at times tapping into the spirit of an old-timey crooner whose ghost is likely still stuck out there somewhere along Route 66. Coen casts a spell over the listener with a fusion of rock, country and southern folk, creating a fashionable modern twang that’s been referred to as Western Witch Rock.
HUSTLERMagazine.com recently caught up with Coen to discuss the new record, her upcoming summer tour and much more. Ladies and gents, Kitty Coen!
HUSTLERMagazine.com: Is it true that you have a connection with HUSTLER?
Kitty Coen: In a way. I don’t know if they’re technically connected, but I’ve worked at Larry Flynt’s HUSTLER Club [for some time]. I have friends who work there, and I think I’ve just been in that industry for a long time. I’ve had friends who have been in HUSTLER Magazine who are in the porn industry and stuff. So yeah, I’ve always kind of been around it. So when Leigh [Kitty’s publicist] mentioned [the interview] to me, I was like, Hell yeah, that’s sick. I fucking would love to do that.
Your album has some strip club vibes. Is that intentional?
Yeah, I mean, this will be the first time that I’ve talked about it to a publication, but I’m still a dancer. That’s how I afford to pay for my music. It’s how I afford to do all the things I want to do and get to the level where I could play Coachella or Bonnaroo and put myself on the map. All of my friends are dancers. So, when I go visit them or I go work with them and then I come home and I make music, I think, Okay, would they want to dance to this? Is this something you could have a good stage set to? And then on Sundays here in Nashville, I’ll test it out. And I can tell based off of the dancers if the song is up to par or not. Most of the time it is. Sometimes I’m like, Okay, I need to speed it up or slow it down or something. But yeah, 100%. I’ve spent probably more time in the strip club than anywhere else. I think dancers and sex workers are some of the nicest and strongest people I’ve ever met. I definitely think [Hellcat is ] inspired by that experience.
