Teddy Cosmo On the Making Of “Wakeup Call”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Wakeup Call" and the story it tells?
I wanted to make a song that touched on my personal struggles with disability. I have Cerebral Palsy, and with that comes a lot of internalised frustration. I wanted to make something heavy and hard hitting to try and express that.
Was there any challenge that you encountered while making the track?
I think for me the toughest part was the guitar. It was super tricky and took the most time to get the hang of.
How do you feel "Wakeup Call" represents your artistic identity?
I've always wanted to make music in the punk rock and grunge realm, and I feel like this is the first release where I've come close to pulling it off. I want to show people that folks with disabilities can have an edge.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in music?
I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania where there wasn't a music scene, but I started playing around 12 years old after hearing The Beatles and immediately becoming obsessed with how I could emulate them. After high school, I moved to Pittsburgh and really cut my teeth in street performing. I decided to move to NYC about to years ago, as it's always been a dream to live here, and I'm so glad I did. The underground/DIY scene here is beautiful.
Can you walk us through your creative process when writing and composing music?
Honestly, it depends. Sometimes I'm up at 3AM writing on my acoustic, and sometimes (like with “Wakeup Call”) I'll go into a recording session and work through the song from scratch during the session. Either way though, my best friend and co-producer Chris Wood is a core part of the process. He's always able to bring an energy that really brings out ideas!
