The brother-sister duo Cooper and Gatlin have gone above and beyond with their latest single “Fragile.”. The LA-based singers pull from their background in Tennessee to create a perfect blend of acoustic and electric sounds. As both songwriters and musicians, the duo strives to make their music personal and heartfelt.
In order to add another layer of art and emotion, the band partnered up with NBC’s World of Dance stars, Kaycee Rice and Sean Lew to create a stunning music video for “Fragile”. I had the opportunity to talk to Cooper and Gatlin about their relationship as bandmates and siblings, their single “Fragile”, and the process of filming the music video.
Ariel Zedric: Could you talk a little about the inspiration behind your latest single, “Fragile?”
Cooper & Gatlin: “Fragile” came from a place of really being honest about our own shortcomings and vulnerabilities. Relationships are hard and trusting another person to love you at your worst is a big ask. To a certain extent, everyone has a fear of letting someone in, because that’s when they can hurt you the most, but for the right person, it’s worth that risk.
Kaycee Rice and Sean Lew were featured in the music video! Were you able to work with them in the creative process? If so, what was that like?
Yes! We loved working with them! After a couple of game plan phone calls, Sean choreographed the entire dance in about 4 hours, which blew our minds. He asked us a couple of questions about the song and what inspired it, and then just got to work. When we saw the full dance on the day of the shoot, there seriously wasn’t a dry eye in the room…Sean and Kaycee exceeded our expectations times a million.
In what ways have your childhood experiences found their way into your music?
Our mom traveled for years with a band when we were little, so we got to be around music from pretty much day 1. Our dad is also a Grammy-nominated producer, and we were in his studio all the time…we even sang on a quite a few of his projects growing up. Our childhood experiences are so fundamental in our love for music that they find their way into and influence pretty much everything we do.
Tell me about your writing process. Do you both have different roles, or do you collaborate mostly? Would you say it’s easier or harder given you’re siblings?
We definitely have different roles in the writing process. Gatlin carries the lyrics, while Cooper figures out the chord progressions and instrumentation. We usually meet in the middle on melodies. It’s pretty cool creating music as siblings since we have a lot of similar experiences and influences, we often find ourself almost finishing each other’s ideas…especially with things like melodies or lyrics.
Courtesy of Cooper and Gatlin
How do you separate between siblings and being bandmates?
It’s not really that we separate the two, as much as the two kind of define each other. Being bandmates has definitely brought us closer together as siblings, and we’re much better bandmates because we’re siblings. If anything, working with family can be so comfortable that you forget to keep things professional, but so far we haven’t run into too many bumps in the road.
Explain the personal and professional struggles you’ve encountered in the music industry thus far. How have they molded you?
The music industry is definitely big and complicated, and we’ve had our ups and downs. Thankfully, we’ve been able to build a team that feels like family. The final product is important, but enjoying the creative process along the way is crucial too. We’re super grateful for the people around us.
Have you ever doubted your choice to form a band and pursue music? If so, what’s kept you going?
We’ve never really doubted the pursuit of a music career in general, but everybody has moments where they wonder if they’re doing the right things to make it happen. At the end of the day, we’ve realized that the only thing we can control is the music we’re putting out, so we just try to make something we love and are proud of.
Tell me about a moment in your career that has left you extremely proud.
Honestly, being able to release music has been a big deal for us. We had been in a situation where we weren’t able to put anything out, and that had been pretty frustrating. So, to finally be able to get our music out there and share it with the world was a great feeling.
Courtesy of Cooper and Gatlin
Who are your biggest inspirations? Why?
Our parents are really big inspirations for both of us. As we mentioned, they’re a big reason why we’re doing music in the first place. Also, they’ve supported us since day 1, and have done everything they can to help us succeed.
Do you have any exciting forthcoming projects that you can tease?
Yes! We aim to release a new single every couple of months or so. We already have the next few picked out, and we can’t wait for you guys to hear them! Keep on eye out on our socials for more info.
Do you have any advice for aspiring artists in the field? How has your success story panned out?
Just create as much a possible. Self-doubt is a big hindrance to creativity, so don’t listen to the negative voices in your head. At the same time, always be looking for ways to improve and practice your little butt off. Also, if you’re having trouble getting the ball rolling, try bringing in a friend (or sibling) to bounce ideas off of and create something special together.
Find Cooper and Gatlin on their website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Courtesy of Cooper and Gatlin
Feature image courtesy of Cooper and Gatlin
