Today, Montreal-based indie alternative artist and producer Koko Love shares his uninhibited debut album, The Cost of Freedom, out everywhere now after being sold only on Bandcamp and vinyl. Alongside the full album, the artist brings fans to the electrifying live show with select tracks performed live in a Montreal basement-turned-venue Late Valentine.
Before bringing it to streaming to increase accessibility, the album lived in the real world first, organically building a fanbase from the ground up, in person and sold by hand after playing live. On the importance of physical media and the live music experience in the ever-changing digital landscape, Love shares, "Physical media matters to me because it slows things down. In a world that feels oversaturated and disposable, I think people, artists and listeners alike, are craving tangible things and real-life experiences–vinyl, CDs, shows, face-to-face moments."
He continues, "This project is as much about that feeling as it is about the songs themselves. Lyrically and sonically, it came from a very honest place, and letting it live this way felt like the most truthful way to put it out."
WATCH: The Cost of Freedom (Live At Late Valentine)
The writing of the title track brought the project together and captures the musician's lived experiences. Reflecting on its meaning, Love says, "I was thinking about how all good things come at a cost. Even freedom. Freedom is paradoxical. It liberates, yet it demands immense discipline, and it can even be paralyzing at times. Freedom isn’t free."
Produced by himself and musician and close friend and collaborator Soran Dussaigne, the musician says the record's creation was an all-encompassing, formative experience that resulted in exactly the art they both aspired to make. "This album was a team effort and the biggest learning experience of my life so far. It touched every part of me, financially, musically, and spiritually. It taught me about teamwork, committing to ideas, and finishing what we start."
LISTEN: The Cost of Freedom
Together, the pair never compromised. He continues, "We created exactly the music we wanted, without outside opinions getting in the way. We didn’t start with a goal, only after recording every song did we realize we had an album. A pure expression of who we are (or were)."
Koko Love has spent the last year on tour in the U.S. and Canada with R&B/soul artist Kyle Dion after producing multiple tracks across his last two projects. Love's fan favorite track, "Man I'm Not," featuring Zach Zoya, peaked at number 3 on CBC Radio nationwide, and made their 100 Best Songs of 2025 list. In addition to working and touring with Dion, Love has collaborated with artists like Chiiild, Medasin and Souly Had and shared stages with Laundry Day, Renforshort and Soran.
Koko Love's raw debut LP, The Cost of Freedom, is out now. Connect with the musician on Instagram YouTube and Facebook for more. | 
EMAIL me at AlexLaurence @ AOL (dot) com "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, inf...
No comments:
Post a Comment