San Fernando Valley singer and songwriter Cordelia Watson performs at the Cinema Bar on December 10, and she told the News about what she has in store for Culver City…
When did you start playing and performing?
I’ve been performing my whole life in different capacities. From community theater as a kid to completing a BFA in acting in college, I’ve always found a home on stage. While I worked on my degree, I also continued to develop my voice as a writer, performing at poetry open mics in my college town of Isla Vista and eventually forming a band that played small shows in the area. After COVID, I decided to refocus my energies on music once again. What started as a weekly ritual of fine tuning new songs each week at an open mic in North Hollywood soon snowballed into meeting other musicians and forming this band that I’ve been playing with since early 2023.
Describe your sound/style?
As a San Fernando Valley native, the Laurel Canyon folk scene has been a huge influence. I grew up singing Hank Williams songs as my lullabies and worshiping Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. My music blends some of those elements of classic acoustic folk with some more modern Americana and alternative styles.
What are your career highlights so far?
Since forming the band in 2023, we’ve been fortunate to play at some iconic LA venues, including The Viper Room, El Cid, and Hotel Cafe. We also rarely shy away from a good old fashioned yard party and have made some of our happiest memories and strongest communities playing alongside other up and coming artists in non-traditional venues from San Francisco to L.A.
What recorded music is available — particularly the most recent?
We have our first single out on all platforms, called “Easy Life.” You can also check out some live recordings on Youtube while we continue working on recording our first EP, coming out early 2025.
Have you performed at the Cinema Bar before?
We played a show at Cinema bar this October around Halloween. It was our first time playing there and we threw in some fun spooky covers and got all dressed up. It was a great experience with really good vibes and we’ve been looking forward to coming back ever since!
What can the audience expect from the set this time?
I’ve been working on some new music lately so you can expect some brand new songs that the whole band is really excited to play! Since we’re a relatively new band, I think something unique about this set in particular is that we’ll get the chance to play through several different eras of my music. There’s something in it for everyone.
What else do you have coming up?
We currently have a show on the books for February 4th at Bar Lubitsch in West Hollywood. We’re really excited to be recording and getting our music ready for release so we’re planning to play a ton more in the new year!
Cordelia Watson performs at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10 at the Cinema Bar. Go to thecinemabar.com for more information about the show.
Elsewhere this week
The Culver Hotel will be hosting the likes of Sylvia & the Rhythm Boys, and Scotty Bramer. Go to culverhotel.com for more info.
Boulevard Music hosts Susie Glaze & the New Folk Ensemble (with special guest Laurence Juber) at 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 7. Visit boulevardmusic.com for more info.