Pink, green, yellow and blue. These were the colors of the miniature translucent ducks that up-and-coming artist Corie Brynn brought to our photoshoot in late October. As Brynn and I wandered campus searching for spots of good lighting to poke and prod to our advantage, I realized it is impossible to avoid her soft buzzing charm and punchy wit. This is clearly reflected in Brynn’s discography, which blends a colorful combination of intimate guitars and pleading pop sounds into catchy melodies and heartfelt lyricism.
Originally born in Queens, New York, Brynn has grown up intertwined in a life of music. From her first pink toy guitar, Brynn has since learned how to utilize songwriting and acoustics as an emotional outlet and mode of self expression. In taking online courses in 2020, she also became entranced by inner workings of electronic music production and has been producing her own mixes since. Taking influence from the sparkling sounds of 1980s synths, breezy bedroom pop, and hazy folk, Brynn’s breadth of talent transcends genres. As clearly seen in the flow from her tender song “Distant Crown” into her vibrant “Stuck Here,” she is able to evolve with every new release. The artist’s self-described “dreamy-pop” style focuses heavily on reverb, widening the sonic space and enriching the overall sound with a “sparkle” that can be heard throughout her work.
You’re likely to find Brynn nestled on the floor in a calm, quiet space, away from the world and entranced by her metallic-white Epiphone guitar. Brynn finds songwriting to be an impromptu process, a spontaneous adventure of words awaiting to be written and rewritten for the perfect tune. A low pressure scene, she allows the ebb and flow of making music to guide her, unafraid of changing tempo or even the entire atmospheric energy of a project as she goes. As clearly reflected in her music, Brynn uses her years of songwriting skills to not just hear a song, but to truly listen to it, piecing together a cohesive, fine-tuned synergy between elements.
Inspired by “everything,” Brynn’s music acts as a fluid medium to articulate herself, her emotions, and her creativity. Her music surpasses the actual topics at hand; it is an amalgamation of her experiences, the people around her, where she is in her life and even the artists that inspire her. An act of storytelling, Brynn is able to pull from these craters and create meaningful and raw work that details a wide range of subjects. While she initially began writing of the tribulations of both platonic and romantic heartbreak, she has been able to adapt her writing style as she has grown as both a person and an artist. Now, Brynn finds herself moving away from the melancholy of her past work and into a healthier era of production.
Currently, Brynn is in the process of mixing, producing, and writing for a first EP, but also hopes to release an album within the next year. She also plans to engage with the local D.C. community and perform both on and off campus, sharing her fresh work with those around her. ‘
Feature image by Sophia Casey