Getting ahead in the music business can be a big mountain to climb, but local artist Cotterell has already left base camp and is looking towards the summit.
He has proven himself to be a quadruple threat, able to produce and write songs, play instruments and sing. His work has not gone unnoticed by international recording stars, as he has now co-written a Machel Montano number – ‘Teacher’ – which was released on 19 March.
Early days
Born Stephan Cotterell in Florida to Jamaican-Caymanian parents, he discovered a love of music at a young age. By the time he was in middle school, he and his friends were working on pieces together.
“We were freestyling, beatboxing and knocking out rhythms on tables throughout middle school and high school,” he said.
The artists that inspired him at the time were also powerhouse producers. Pharrell Williams and Timbaland were definitely at the top of his list – multi-talented leaders in the industry.
By the age of 16, he had written his first song. At the same time, he was learning how to record and produce music, while also honing his skills on the piano and guitar.
From the start, he wanted his lyrics to inspire listeners.
“I write songs to help people believe in themselves, and get into a motivated mindset,” he said. “Even if it’s about a relationship that’s gone bad, I write about getting through it.”
ThE iZ
From 2008 to 2012, Cotterell was a member of the band, ThE iZ, which also had Lonney Love McField and Jason Gilbert on its roster. Gilbert is known by his nickname JG, and is a Caymanian record producer, songwriter, mixing engineer and DJ who won a Grammy Award for his production work on Eminem’s ‘Recovery’ release.
The band’s first album – ‘Beach Club’ – debuted in April 2010, and in May 2011, ThE iZ performed in Miami at the Best of the Best Music Festival. They also had a big local following whenever they took to the stage in Cayman, and recorded music videos set in spots around the island.
Going solo
After the group disbanded, Cotterell went on to record a solo album – ‘Poinciana’ – which hit digital music stores on 16 Nov. 2014. It listed 15 tracks, and featured collaborations with the likes of Josh Pearl, Jaybass, Andrea Rivera and Darren G.
It highlighted the young artist’s ability to be a frontline performer, but he admitted that being on stage is not necessarily his comfort zone.
“I grew up fairly shy,” he said. “I like all aspects of the music business, but being behind the scenes and showing others how to do the work is more my thing. I love writing and producing.”
Machel Montano collaboration
In case you weren’t aware, Trinidadian musical artist Machel Montano is a legend when it comes to soca music. He has won just about every award for the genre there is, including Bob Marley Entertainer of the Year, Power Soca Monarch Champion, Best Caribbean Entertainer and The King of Soca. In 2011, he was nominated in the Best Caribbean Performance category for the song ‘Bend Over’ at the Soul Train Awards. Other nominees were Rihanna, Vybz Kartel, Movado and Kes.
About 10 years ago, ThE iZ had a mutual friend who was producing for Montano. He loved the band’s stuff, particularly as the members had a fresh approach to soca music, which they had never done before.
Their subsequent first soca song, ‘Whine’, was sent to Montano with a request for him to sing a verse.
“We didn’t know if he actually would,” said Cotterell. “Or, if he was willing, whether he would charge a lot to do it.”
Montano liked the song so much that he agreed to be featured for free. It was released in 2011. As a result, the band wrote and produced a few songs for him, such as ‘Represent’, which was nominated for an award for its music video.
This early relationship blossomed over time, which has now led to Cotterell and JG co-writing ‘Teacher’, part of Montano’s new album – ‘Wedding’.
Cotterell describes the track as being a reggae dancehall/soca mix, and although he has written tracks for the soca king before, he is particularly excited about this one.
“I feel this song is different for him,” Cotterell said. “It’s a definite departure from his normal style. I just think it’s a really great number and ‘Wedding’ could go far.”
Of course, a Grammy nomination is the dream, and it’s certainly not of the pipe variety. Montano has previously been nominated for Best Album in the World Music category in 2013.
“It would be amazing,” Cotterell said. “I think the album has the potential for it.”
Ongoing projects
The artist is not sitting around on his laurels until nominations are announced. He has many irons in the musical fire right now.
For starters, he opened his own business – Keep Kreative Studios – last month. Located on Airport Road, it is a recording studio and space for videographers and photographers to rent out if they need access to specific backdrops, lighting or just a professional area in which to work.
Cotterell’s university studies in sound engineering and the entertainment business, not to mention experience working in studios in London and Florida, have put him in an excellent position to expand his horizons with this new venture.
That being said, he is still working on his own music.
“Having access to my own studio means I never have an excuse to not be producing,” he laughed. “I’m working on a couple of singles at the moment and I’m excited to see what the future brings.”
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