Courtney Robbins is the guitarist for the Cordials and Seashell Radio, two local, indie-rock four-pieces. Catch her with the Cordials (see page 46) this Saturday, March 9, for the band's CD-release party at 8 p.m. at the Whistle Stop Depot, and again the following night with Seashell Radio for a "reunion of sorts" show at Plush.
What was the first concert you attended?
The H.O.R.D.E. festival at the Meadows in Hartford, Conn. when I was about 14. I went with my sister and her friends, and I ended up with a sunburn and strep throat.
What are you listening to these days?
Aimee Mann, Lost in Space; Birds & Batteries, Stray Light; Joni Mitchell, Court and Spark; The Low Anthem, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin; Pearl and the Beard, Killing the Darlings; Gregory Alan Isakov, This Empty Northern Hemisphere; podcasts like Throwing Shade and WTF with Marc Maron.
What was the first album you owned?
I bought a Beach Boys "Best Of" tape at CVS. It was about $3 with one of those "Nice Price" labels.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?
So many. Jack Johnson and his laid-back jerk pals, the Doors, "Piano Man" ... and what is a Skrillex?
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Led Zeppelin.
Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Words cannot adequately express my love for the Aerosmith song "What It Takes" off of the 1989 album Pump.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
Dolly Parton, "I Am Ready."
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
My bandmates in Seashell Radio: Fen, Cassie and Esmé. They're all incredibly talented and hilarious, and with them I rediscovered how joyful and rewarding it can be to make music with other people. It's a privilege to know them. And, of course, Richard Marx.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Right now—Beck, Sea Change. It's devastating.
