Music at COTC

August 23, 2024
by Tim Linley

Music at COTC

Unbeknownst to most, music actually plays a huge role at not just COTC, but all cafes! Luckily, at COTC, the staff have creative freedom with regard to the music, generating a more personal atmosphere in the shop.

Music is the unsung hero (no pun intended) of COTC, it brings the team together, as well as sparking connections between the staff and customers. In a way, music is similar to coffee: everyone’s taste is different!

As much as music may bring us together, everyone at COTC has a different music taste; so let’s do a deep dive!

Sav:

I love all music (boring I know) but the genres I play the most in the cafe are indie, neo soul, and jazz rap. My top three favourite artists are King Krule, Alex Turner, and Fontaines D.C. I think the best thing about having creative freedom in the cafe is when customers enquire about the music; it solidifies to me the difference that music makes to the atmosphere in the shop. Tim said it right: when the music stops working, there’s a mutiny at bay.

Tim:

Tim’s music taste can only be described as sad-girl music. Tim is a huge Radiohead fan (as are we all) and loves the Cranberries. One of the best Tim moments was when I played Linger by the Cranberries and he sang along to every word. In terms of his love for melancholy music, Tim once said to me that he ‘likes to know there is someone who has it harder than me’. As bleak as this may sound, I find it an interesting perspective; it shows how music undoubtedly impacts someone’s emotions and mood, making it much more than just background noise.

Kat:

Kat’s music taste is probably the most unique out of the COTC team. She loves high energy music, including hyperpop and punk-rock music. The artists I’ve heard her play the most in the cafe are Chapell Roan, Charli xcx, Avril Lavigne and Paramore. I can see the impact music has on Kat and the expression of her identity; it makes me smile when she sings along to songs on shift. Her music taste also brings to light the political impact music has; for example, the rise in representation of female and queer artists in the music industry. Kat also has a soft spot for nostalgic music; evident in ‘Spice Girl Tuesday’s’ - a fun one for the staff and the customers.

Nathan:

Nathan would describe his music taste as ‘the best’ (of course he would). Me and Nathan definitely bonded over discussions of different artists and albums, and we show each other new songs every shift. Nathan enjoys jazz funk and triphop, but is also a sucker for indie music. His top artists are Massive Attack, Dean Blunt, and Sault. He is the best on aux during the park run; never failing to uplift the mood during that busy period. It is so important to create a bubbly atmosphere during the park run, as we want to welcome as many runners as possible to reward themselves with a lovely coffee after their hard work. My favourite fact about Nathan is that the best artist he has seen live is Tom Jones - he’s an old soul at heart bless him.

Owen:

Owen’s music taste is a difficult one to describe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked him who his favourite artists are - he still hasn’t given me an answer. He loves timeless folk classics, such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Americana such as Kevin Morby, Waxahatchee and Jake Xerxes Fussell, as well as jazz artists like Matthew Halsall and Joe Henderson. Owen and Kat probably have the most contradictory music taste, and there is always a battle over the aux when those two are on shift.

Fun facts:

There are two (formerly three) COTC team members who did music production at University. Can you guess who there are?

When we close the shop, we can blast the music as loud as we want to get us through the closing tasks. Mine and Kat’s favourite to play is Charli xcx.

Tim is a huge fan of Phoebe Bridgers - I wasn’t lying when I said he loves depressing music.

Guess who:

Can play the Pirates of the Caribbean theme tune on the Cello: