In the ever-evolving indie music scene, Cece Coakley has quickly emerged as a voice to watch. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter blends indie folk, rock, and pop influences to create heartfelt tracks that resonate deeply with listeners navigating love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. Her breakout single, Listerine, captured raw emotion with striking honesty, and her ability to tell relatable stories has earned her a dedicated following both online and in live performances.

As she prepares to release her highly anticipated EP, Soft Again, Cece sat down with us to discuss her songwriting process, influences, and what’s next for her music. From reflections on vulnerability to balancing relatability with personal narratives, Cece opens up about her journey as an artist and the creative process behind her latest project.

Read on for our full conversation with Cece Coakley—where she talks about storytelling, musical influences, and the exciting chapters still to come.

Nicolle: Hi, Cece, first things first. Could you introduce yourself and the music you make to our readers?

Cece: My name is Cece Coakley and I am an indie singer songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee! I make music that genre blends indie folk, singer-songwriter, and indie rock music.

Nicolle: What are the most recurring themes in your songs?

Cece: I write most of my music about personal experiences in my own life, so the reoccurring themes include love, heartbreak, and just trying to figure your shit out as you grow up. I accidentally write many songs about myself, but from the perspective of someone else. I feel like writing from the third person helps see my faults, but allows myself the grace to figure them out.

Nicolle: You’ve built a dedicated following through social media and live performances. How do you approach connecting with fans both online and in-person?

Cece: Connecting on social media can be difficult, but I try not to overthink anything I share and just be open and honest. I think being yourself on the internet should hopefully be enough to help people connect with the music and feel seen by what I have to say. I have a much easier time connecting in a live setting because putting a name to a face is always more assuring than talking to the void on your phone.

Nicolle: As a rising artist, what has been the most surprising or rewarding moment of your music career so far?

Cece: This sounds cheesy but every little win is a surprise. Any interaction with a listener, concert ticket purchased, or message sent about music fills my heart up. There are a lot of hard things about this career, but I’m reminded always that there is nothing else I’d rather be doing. Getting to express myself and hope that others can feel seen and heard by that is something I will never take for granted. A career in music can feel like climbing uphill all the time, but I’m learning to take the breaks to look around and see how far I’ve already come and can’t wait to keep climbing.

Nicolle: Your lyrics often feel deeply personal yet universally relatable. How do you strike that balance between telling your own story and creating something listeners can see themselves in?

Cece: I think it can be difficult to find a balance of vulnerability while also not revealing too much that people can’t connect to it. As someone who writes mainly about my own life and grew up loving any music from top 40 hits to country classics, I think it is ingrained in my being to write music that feels honest but also relatable to wide audiences. I love feeling seen by my favourite artist’s music, but also making up my own stories to tie in with their more specific lyrics. The music and movies around me so inspire me, that I feel like I owe a lot of that more broad story telling to the media I consume every day in the books I read, songs I listen to, and movies I watch. I think consistently consuming media help make you a better storyteller.

Nicolle: Your music has such a raw and honest quality. How do your personal experiences influence your songwriting process, and do you ever find it challenging to be so vulnerable in your lyrics?

Cece: My personal experiences are blended into every lyric I write, whether I am writing for myself or another artist. I think it can be difficult to fully step outside of yourself in songwriting, but I try to find a healthy balance of pulling my experiences into my craft without feeling drained by overthinking it.

Nicolle: Your sound blends elements of indie, folk, and pop. Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your artistry?

Cece: My musical influences are all over the place. I grew up listening to so many different things from my parents that I feel as if I pull from all of those old songs almost subconsciously. I grew up listening to anything from yacht rock to country to One Direction. I feel so lucky to have explored so much music as a kid growing up, that I feel like it makes me better at exploring different genres and styles in my own music even to this day.

Nicolle: Your breakout single ‘Listerine’ resonated with so many listeners. Can you share the story or inspiration behind that song?

Cece: Listerine was the second song I ever released, and I wrote it about a past relationship I experienced growing up, and the idea of not being able to physically shake the person, just like the feeling of mouthwash burn after you spit it out! There is always that lingering pain, and this song served as a visual for moving on and reminding yourself why you left in the first place.

Nicolle: If you could choose one person, dead or alive to write a song with, who would you choose?

Cece: My dream person to write a song with would be Andy Shauf! He does such a beautiful job storytelling across all of his albums, and he has been a huge inspiration in the music I am currently making.

Nicolle: You’re releasing a short EP called ‘Soft Again’ in January 24, what was working on it like, did you get to collaborate with any of your favourite people?

Cece: Working on this small project over the past few months has been such a rewarding experience! The title single is the last song to come out this month, and I feel like these four songs wrap up a chapter of music that has defined my early twenties. I got to work on this project with one of my best friends and collaborators in Nashville, Sam Westhoff, and getting to fully flesh it out at a studio five minutes from my home made the process feel so intimate and allowed me the space to be vulnerable.

This project was a lot of trial and error. We wrote dozens of songs and tried to find the ones that felt the most exciting or new. I think we did a great job capturing this slice of life where I am feeling “soft again”.

Nicolle: What’s next for you in terms of music releases or touring? Are there any upcoming projects you’re especially excited about?

Cece: After the project comes out later this month, I am spending the next couple weeks in incognito mode wrapping up even newer music! I have spent so many months touring the past couple years that I’m taking a little break from that to further invest in new songs and my sanity. There is a lot to come that I can’t wait to share! In the meantime, feel free to listen to the new project and watch all of our visualizers and live videos that have come alongside the songs. I’m very proud of the creative world we built around them.

Cece Coakley is carving out a space in the indie music world with her heartfelt storytelling and genre-blending sound. As she continues to grow as an artist, her ability to connect with listeners through honest lyrics and captivating melodies remains at the core of her work. With the release of her EP, Soft Again, and even more music on the horizon, Cece’s journey is only just beginning. Be sure to stream Soft Again and follow Cece as she brings her stories to life—one song at a time.

You can pre-save ‘Soft Again’ here and follow Cece on Instagram.

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Nicolle Knapova is a little bit of everything. She is a freelance translator, content creator. She loves indie music and is always browsing through Spotify to find the next amazing artist to obsess over. Her love for storytelling means she’s always writing something and she’s not afraid of any genre. Her biggest dream is to be a published author. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly.

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