Interview with Baby Cool: Psychedelic and Folk Music

Baby Cool is the solo project of Grace Cuell, who also co-leads Nice Biscuit. It launched in February 2023 with the album “Earthling on the Road to Self Love.” The project melds psychedelia, folk, and country and has been lauded for its dreamlike ambiance and introspective tone. Baby Cool made its entrance with singles such as “Magic”, “Poison”, “Daydream”, and “The Sea,” swiftly earning a spot in the indie music landscape. Drawing on her fine arts background, Grace integrates visual art elements into both the thematic and aesthetic aspects of her music. Baby Cool has opened for notable bands like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Babe Rainbow and has appeared at significant festivals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH5LUyBZ_rY

What started your initial interest in music, and what motivated you to start creating your own songs?

For as long as I can remember, I loved to sing. Performing always felt terrifying to me, but singing was something I could do when no one was around. I didn’t have a particularly musical upbringing, so I guess my love for music grew as I grew. It is a part of me just as much as my arms and legs.

Could you discuss any non-musical influences that inspire your music, such as film, literature, or visual arts?

I’ve often felt split in a few directions when it comes to my creative ventures. I studied fine arts at university and spent this time focusing on screen printing and paper-making, and more recently, I have found a love for ceramics. I’m inspired by almost anyone who uses art as a vehicle to make sense of themselves or the world. The colours and themes in the work of Hilma Af Klint are really present in my album. I was completely floored by Af Klint’s work when I encountered it for the first time at the Guggenheim in 2018.

What inspired the transition from Nice Biscuit to your solo project Baby Cool, and how has this change influenced your live performances?

Nice Biscuit is still very much at the forefront of my musical life. But how I describe it is that Baby Cool was a separate side of myself that I needed to share. Billie Star (NB co-front woman) put it beautifully when she said, “We’re just folk musicians that happen to be in a psych rock band”.

Performance-wise, the two projects give me completely different things. In Nice Biscuit, I embody a real witch energy, whereas Baby Cool seems to be more vulnerable and tender.

Read the full interview with Baby Cool at Retrofuturista.com