The Grape Room in Manayunk was filled with Temple students as one of their own took the stage. Cosette Gobat, 19, filled the room with soul-filled, melancholic lyrics putting the spotlight on her own style of alternative music. The crowd swooned in awe as a raspy voice was projected from her body, things we only hear from well-versed artists in the music field.
Having lived within a conservative community of Mennonites, the freshman media studies and production major was heavily influenced by gospel tunes unveiled to her by the Christian faith. She said the art program at her school was not a major concern.
“They didn’t support the arts in my schools,” Gobat said.
Due to these circumstances, she began self-teaching to sing and play guitar around age seven.
Upon stepping into a public school, she became a fan of musicians like Jewel, Crystal Castles and Nirvana. Performing at multiple community theaters around her hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania, she was able to develop herself into a musician writing her own songs. At 14, she was able to produce her first album, “Moving On,” with Harrisburg-based Decapolis Records.
She took the record deal after playing at her brother’s high school graduation ceremony, one of the spectators was a Decapolis producer.
After a six-month hiatus from her record deal in 2014, Gobat recently signed to KBM Productions. Within a year, she recorded and released her second album, “Blindside,” in June 2015.
Gobat applies synthesizers to her music. Embodying some of contemporary pop culture, artists like Halsey and Chromeo utilize this new style; a staple for the alternative music genre.
Many of her loyal followers were excited to see her perform on Sept. 14 at the Hard Rock Cafe in center city.
“I love her voice… it’s so unique and puts me in a trance whenever I hear it,” said Xendra Nara, freshman political science major.
Gobat may be new to Temple, but she has already created quite the buzz amongst the freshman class. Making many close relationships within just a short month, her friend group of friends often go out to see her shows.
Trekking to Manayunk later that week with Xendra and other friends, the group saw a new side of her come alive onstage. With the Hard Rock Cafe being a larger space, The Grape Room provided a smaller, creative outlet. This fostered a new beginning for Cosette, as she was able to connect and interact with the audience at a much faster rate.
Capturing our hearts with her somber lyrics in “Home,” The Grape Room transformed into an atmospheric space unlike any other. The crowd was able to pick up on a nostalgic factor later in the evening, as Gobat performed “Tongue Tied” from the popular indie-pop band, Grouplove. Her set closed with many tracks from her new album, including songs like “Run to You” and “Blindside.”
On almost every one of her tracks, Cosette uses either a guitar or piano in the background. Having been self-taught, she easily picks up new chords and rhythms to use in her songs.
“I thought it was great,” said Jeremy Del Valle, a freshman and new fan of Gobat’s. “She makes great use of strumming techniques, and her voice is just a perfect accompaniment for the acoustic guitar.”
Gobat may be new to Temple’s campus, but she is here to stay. She hopes to stay in Philly post-graduation, until eventually moving out to Los Angeles. The western city is known for its large influence in the music industry, with record companies like Atlantic Records dominating “the scene,” “I would love to be in [LA]… I have a lot of friends over there. The warm weather is definitely enticing.”
As she packed up to leave The Grape Room, her close friends with lovely comments and high praise immediately paraded Gobat. For a fairly new recording artist in the realm of music, she treats her work as though she’s been creating for years. She continues to write lyrics and poems each day to perfect her craft. Gobat possesses the talent to make it amongst the ranks of Jewel. Who knows when she’ll be making her way over the airwaves.
