Here Are the Songs Bethany Cosentino Is Playing for Her 6-Month-Old Daughter: The Byrds, ‘Elmo’s Song’ & Absolutely No Kidz Bop
“As a musician, and as somebody who is very musical, I listen to music a lot throughout my day,” Bethany Cosentino tells Billboard. “Whether I’m working on stuff around the house, or I’m cleaning or cooking, I like to have music on.”
The pitch of that tune has tremendously shifted over the while six months, next Cosentino and her husband welcomed a daughter, Luna, in December. Round-the-house playlists naturally advanced for the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter — who poor via as one-half of the indie rock duo Best possible Coast within the early 2010s, notching 4 LPs at the Billboard 200 albums chart, together with the supremacy 40-charting units Lunatic for You (Incorrect. 36, 2010) and The Most effective Park (Incorrect. 24, 2012). She additionally excused a fascinating solo debut, Herbal Crisis, in 2023.
Since changing into folks, Cosentino and her husband are arising with extra foolish songs of their very own, leaning into Sesame Side road and Raffi — but additionally taking part in Luna, who became six months timeless previous in June, a few of their decades-old favorites. A batch of the ones songs were on repeat, to mention the least: “With kids, you just end up listening to the same song 9,000 times,” she says with fun. And as they’ve been performed again and again, Cosentino has received a unused adoration for the songs, together with probably the most Sesame classics that she grew up with herself.
Under, Cosentino takes Billboard via a excursion of the tune that’s been dominating her family since her daughter was once born, in her personal phrases, and explains how motherhood had already affected her inventive instincts. (Ed. notice: this interview has been edited for readability.)
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Population-Rock Classics
The early days of that new child, postpartum bubble, we have been simply in mattress all of the day. As soon as she began to react a minute bit extra, when she was once a pair weeks timeless, we began placing tune on. We began being attentive to the Byrds a batch, like Sweetheart of the Rodeo, as it’s simply simple tune, and he or she gave the impression to reply to it. I really like the Byrds, and I listened to them a batch when I used to be pregnant together with her, so I used to be like, “Maybe she’s familiar with this.”
We transitioned into alternative varieties of folk-rock stuff. We needed to evacuate when she was once 3 weeks timeless, for the fires — fortunately, it wasn’t related our residence, however the smoke was once so unholy. So we drove right down to San Diego, absconding those severe fires, and we have been making an attempt as easiest as shall we to stay quiet and provides the go back and forth a excellent vibe. We have been being attentive to a batch of Bob Dylan — I believe the film had simply pop out — and he or she in reality gave the impression to reply neatly to ‘Like a Rolling Stone,’ so we’d simply play games it again and again.
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Sesame Side road Staples
As her character began to show itself a minute bit extra, I’d placed on Sesame Side road, and her visuals would get huge and he or she preferred it a batch. Nearest I’d get started taking part in her probably the most Sesame Side road songs, and after it was once Chipmunks and alternative stuff from my youth. Nearest I lost in the Raffi international, discovering these kind of alternative random children songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and a few from the ‘60s and ‘70s.
There’s a safe of ‘Drive My Car’ that Elmo does that we adore to play games for her. One era we have been riding someplace and we have been seeking to hold her wakeful to stick with her diversion regimen, so we put at the ‘Drive My Car’ safe by way of Elmo, and he or she was once simply so stoked, taking part in with all her toys within the backseat.
“After all, ‘Elmo’s Tune,’ too. My mother simply were given her this bizarre Elmo doll that’s like, Rock ’n Roll Elmo, and that’s the most disturbing factor I’ve ever heard in my future. He does ‘It Takes Two,’ and he says, ‘Elmo has left the building,’ and he has a guitar and drums. It’s good-looking hilarious.
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Incorrect Pristine Child Songs (Sorry, Kidz Bop)
We struggle to persuade cloudless of any of the trendy children stuff, as it’s simply too MIDI and tinny-sounding. We struggle to play games her random issues that I in finding on-line, however like, Kidz Bop and stuff like that? There’s negative means. We’re gonna struggle not to let her ever know about that.
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The Just right, The Wicked & The Random
I will be able to simply construct up random songs for her. I believe one of the vital advantages of being a songwriter and a mother is that, at the fly, you’ll be able to be like, “I’m just gonna write a weird, random song for you.” When she was once first born, my husband and I’d simply sing random songs to her, as a result of we have been so emblem unused at it. We have been like, ‘I think she likes when we sing to her in the bassinet,’ so we’d actually remove up lyrics to Thankful Useless songs, or Bob Dylan. Now it’s like, Mother is freestyling!, seeking to hold the window between getting fed and happening a minute sane.
Hilariously, there was once one era the place she was once in reality fussy, and I simply began whistling at her, and he or she was once enamored by way of the whistling. So I used to be like, “Okay, what are songs that have a lot of whistling in them?” And the one one I may recall to mind was once The Just right, The Wicked & The Unsightly track. So I put it on, and he or she was once guffawing and smiling and so excited. Now we play games her that track such a lot of instances a era, and on the finish of the era, after we’re in that terminating wake window and simply determined to hold her entertained, I’ll simply put it on repeat and do bizarre interpretive dances for her, and he or she simply cracks up. That’s most probably the most-played track in our residence at this time.
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Raffi Jams
In truth, I really like Raffi. I grew up being attentive to Raffi, and I believe he’s improbable and an important songwriter and simply a fantastic particular person. Once I put it on for her, I’m like, “Damn, this song is so good!” I believe “Writing in an Airplane” is my favourite, and after “Banana Phone” is a vintage — that’s any other person who we’re doing interpretative dances to.
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Any other Youngsters’ Brochure, One day?
In 2018, Best possible Coast issued Best possible Youngsters, a youngsters’s book excused as an Amazon Unique that featured a mixture of classics like “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Rock-a-Bye Baby” and originals just like the inclusion anthem “Cats & Dogs.” Cosentino says that, since changing into a mother past due terminating month, the considered creating a Best possible Youngsters follow-up has undoubtedly crossed her thoughts.
It was once so amusing after we made that, and at that day, I had negative plans of getting a kid. However now that I in reality have a child, it will be so amusing to do one thing now as a mother — to construct tune that I’d need to pay attention to together with her, and my buddies would need to pay attention to with their children. So I’d like to do extra children’ tune once in a while.
“I actually really want to make a folk-rock covers album of Raffi songs. That’s my goal and dream, eventually. But I do think that another Best Kids album would make a ton of sense, so I would say that the likelihood of it happening at some point is pretty high. I just have to find time to do it first.”
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Till Nearest, Crowd Hour (With Some Songwriting Blended In)
I’ve been in a position to do a few writing periods, which has been great. I believe at this time I’m nonetheless looking for my bedrock. I’ve indubitably had moments the place I’ve been like, “I need to get back to it,” and after I’ll let fall and journey incrible. And after I’m like, “Wait, I miss her! I just want to go home and be with her!”
I’ve a fellow musician buddy with a toddler, and he or she mentioned to me, “There’s no rush. Your kid’s only gonna be this young once. If you have the ability to take time off, you might want to do that.” I’ve been seeking to incline on that recommendation once I begin to get in reality agitated and really feel like I want to develop. My egotism would like to simply journey construct any other document and be out on the earth, however I believe the mother in me — and likewise the lady that’s remodeling into this complete unused particular person — is like, “No, I actually just want to spend time with my kid.”
So my objective is to spend as a lot day together with her within the first month that I will be able to, and after with a bit of luck get again to creating tune. I indubitably need her to peer me as a performer, to peer me do what I do. I used to be raised round tune — my dad’s a musician — and it was once in reality cool for me to get to journey see my dad play games gigs. I believe it’ll most probably be a date till we get there, however I would like for her to get to revel in that aspect of me.