Cece Coakley
Tennessee’s “Hummus Queen” Talks Her Impressive Debut Single & Plans For 2021!
By Kenneth Tse
Cece Coakley’s debut single may be titled “Cliché,” but her music is quite the contrary. The “Hummus Queen of Tennessee” is touted as one of indie’s most exciting up-and-comers following early streaming success and social media virality. With just a guitar in hand, the artist gifts her original songs to a growing TikTok fanbase. Her account handle, @cecespizzabuffet, is a fitting name for what has become a true banquet of lyrical prowess and creativity.
Inspired by early 2000s rom-coms, “Cliché” serves as the anthem for romantics everywhere. “I wanted it to embody the idea of how the cheesy romances may seem over the top but they’re classic for a reason,” she said. “Everyone deep down yearns for a love that makes you wanna be all cheesy and gross.”
This sentiment continues to be well-received; since the song’s release on July 15th, Coakley has earned over 38k TikTok followers and an impressive 132k monthly Spotify listeners. We spoke to the artist about her debut single, plans for the rest of 2021, and more!
Hey Cece! Thank you so much for speaking to us today. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Thank you for having me! I’m a 20-year-old singer-songwriter who just moved to Nashville, TN from my East Tennessee home. I’m currently in my junior of college studying Music Business!
How did you get started making music?
I’ve been trying to make music since I can remember, as I used to force my family to listen to me perform the whole “Little Mermaid” movie almost every night. As I grew up I realized how good it felt to write my own songs to figure out how I was feeling and turn my emotions into some sort of art form. I’ve been writing and performing since middle school talent shows.
What an incredible debut for you. Congrats on the success of “Cliché”! What has the feedback been like over the past couple of weeks?
Thank you so much! It’s been absolutely insane to see the feedback to the song. Months ago, I would have never believed this many people cared or let alone enjoyed any project I put out into the world. It’s been a super humbling experience to have so many people be so supportive of the track.
Can you walk us through the inspiration for the track?
To be quite honest, I am a simp and a sucker for early 2000s rom-coms, and I feel like this song really encompasses that personality trait of mine. I wanted it to embody the idea of how the cheesy romances may seem over the top but they’re classic for a reason! Everyone deep down yearns for a love that makes you wanna be all cheesy and gross. I think the funniest part is that I wrote this song when I was intensely single, so I guess you could call it a manifestation??? Hahaha!
@cecespizzabuffet has never had more customers with over 38k followers! What’s it like to blow up on TikTok?
Ahh, thank you for the support of my dying pizza chain! Tik Tok is a crazy place, but I owe it a lot. I feel like the videos that blow up are the ones you have zero faith in doing well, so it’s always a pleasant surprise to see a video getting a lot of traction. I think the funniest part is I’ll see comments from people like my 2nd-grade teacher finding me on her For You page which is my favorite magic of social media (Hi Mrs. C).
You are THE hummus queen of Tennessee! Do you feel that your local music scene has affected your style at all? How so?
I think the music scene I was surrounded by growing up absolutely influenced my current style. I find myself sometimes leaning into more country progressions or styles due to being raised in the south with country music being a key element of my childhood radio. I also think the music scene I began playing in Knoxville, TN helped me find a sound through all the different styles of rock and indie I found by playing shows with my friends.
Who would you consider three of your greatest musical inspirations at the moment?
Currently, I’m finding myself heavily influenced by Lucy Dacus, Faye Webster, and Julia Jacklin both lyrically and stylistically. I find that these three women have such a poignant way of saying things in such a simple manner that can just cut your heart out. I think they are the perfect example of how sometimes less is more in what you say and how you say it.
If you could have any artist cover “Cliché,” who would that be and why?
I would love to hear Adam Melchor on the track because his voice is so sweet and I feel like it would perfectly match the tenderness of the song.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
I usually start a song by coming up with a phrase or set of lyrics and jotting them down in my Notes app or voice memos. I usually flesh that out on guitar or try to form a whole verse or chorus from just the words which usually helps me find a melody. But if I’m being completely truthful, the process is a little different every time!
When is the perfect time to listen to a Cece Coakley song?
In my humble opinion, the perfect time to listen is golden hour driving with all the windows down.
What are some things you enjoy doing outside of the studio?
Some of my favorite things to do are go on long walks on the greenway listening to an album or annoying all my friends on FaceTime. Getting ramen is also another favorite pastime of mine.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
My figure skating coach growing up gave me this advice and it’s stuck with me for years: “Practice doesn’t make perfect; Perfect practice makes perfect.” I think this is a great way of saying that to actually get better you have to give 100% when you’re working on something to see any growth or success.
Lastly, what can we expect from you for the rest of 2021?
I have a lot of fun announcements coming up this fall that I can’t wait to share and
lots of music on the way!!
When Cece Coakley makes it to LA, she will be putting on a lot of sunscreen because she is very, very pale.