What’s your stage name and where are you from?
Andre Cordova – I’m from (Western) Sydney, Australia
What’s the story behind your stage name?
It’s literally just my name, and I think it sounds intriguing within the category of artists using their actual names (if that makes sense). The combination is quite rare, and I have my mother’s surname to thank for that.
Describe your musical journey in three sentences.
Fresh out the gate, I was scammed while grieving my mother and taken advantage of by people in the industry to the point of making future projects difficult to fund. In the process of recovering and struggling through life, I developed my sound and my confidence. Now, I can genuinely stand-by my talent, my skills, and my sense of self; embracing both my power and my identity (albeit still broke asf, but I’m happy so idc).
Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.
Cry About It’ was way funnier than initially anticipated. I conceptualised the Sydney Trains intro at the end of production cos it felt like something was missing, and was absolutely cracking up whenever I heard it. Between that genius move and reading my enemies to filth with the outro, I had a lot of fun.
What message do you want to convey through your music?
I’m very big on empowerment via rebellion. I’m angsty, confrontational, and I keep it real. So, while the message I convey through my music varies according to the subject matter of the material, it will always inspire you to fight for yourself and for those around you.
Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.
Honestly, ‘Cry About It’ had a very fast turnaround time, and it was a challenge to ensure that I didn’t sacrifice quality for the deadline. I wanted to make sure this song released in the middle of Mardi Gras (which it did, the day before the parade) to remind everyone that this event always has been and always will be a protest for our rights. It’s my contribution to the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s my love letter to the incels, bigots, and pick-me’s who hate us. Sticking it to them with a banger track was the motivation to overcome this hurdle.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
Chappell Roan, for obvious reasons. We’re quite similar people in terms of our attitude, advocacy, and defiance. Plus, her music is incredible.
Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?
I’m really hoping that I can finally break through the gatekeepers of the industry by blowing up online; thus resulting in new opportunities to showcase my music.
What’s the next big step for you as an artist?
Keeping gigs consistent, or like, cleverly scheduled to grow in relevance. It sounds like a standard step that I should’ve already achieved by now, but the handicap of multiple mental health conditions majorly impacts “easy” things like this. I feel way more in control and am in a much better place to manage it now.
Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?
https://open.spotify.com/track/0V6fm5ACETB0CK1DiehfjG
https://music.apple.com/au/album/cry-about-it/1797184000
https://linktr.ee/andrecordova
