By Emma Weidmann | Arts and Life Editor
Decked out in colors head-to-toe with a rainbow shirt, an orange hat and purple pants, singer-songwriter corook is a blast of sunshine in a world that can be very bleak. Born Corinne Savage, corook went viral in recent months for their song “if i were a fish,” which was written as a response to hate they received on TikTok.
Having just released a new EP, “serious person part 2,” corook is ever positive and eager to embrace the things that make them unique. They took the BMI stage on Sunday for their very first Austin City Limits performance and gave their thoughts on Austin and having a viral song after the set.
Q: Your song “if i were a fish” was turned into a children’s book! Tell me a little bit about that.
A: Whenever we did the song, we had a bunch of DMs from publishers, right? And then once we committed to somebody to see it happen, it was like, “Oh my god, like, why did these lyrics read just like Dr. Seuss?” It’s crazy. It feels like such a natural progression for the song.
Q: Tell me about your experience with having something go viral like that. What that was like for you?
A: The craziest year of my life… It’s been amazing seeing that so widely. I’ve been super busy, which is a little bit bittersweet because I love being home. But like, besides that, it’s been awesome. It feels like the song is creating a little community.
Q: What was the impetus or the inspiration that prompted writing the song?
A: It was the first time ever that I was getting a lot of hate on a TikTok video, and I brought it to my girlfriend, and I was like, “I hate that I don’t fit in.” Like, why don’t I fit in like everybody else does? And she’s like, “I love that you’re weird and that you don’t fit in.” So I want to write a song about OK, cool, what’s the weirdest song idea that you have — If I were a fish, all the weird things about me would be really cool.
Q: Is this your first ACL? How are you liking it?
A: I’m enjoying it. This is kind of all I’ve seen of Austin because we got here this morning, so I’m excited to like check out the festival. Everybody’s been super awesome and nice — I really can’t wait to eat. So excited [for the barbecue]. Everybody’s saying it would be good barbecue.
Q: What was it like being able to perform?
A: I did, at the BMI stage. It was awesome and it was really nerve-racking. Yeah, we went a little late, so I was nervous. It was so awesome to see just the tons of people there.
Q: Is ‘if i were a fish” similar to the rest of the songs that you sing, or would you say that it’s a little bit different, something that’s aside from your other projects?
A: Honestly, I just like to do whatever I want to do. I think that I have a couple other songs that are similar to “if i were a fish,” a bunch of other songs that are nothing like it. I try not to think about genre too much. It’s more about the story and the sound the story is supposed to have… it’s really all about storytelling, and if I can find a story that I feel started when I was younger and finishes now, it always makes a really wonderful song. I try to make a song that moves through an emotion rather than just sitting in it.
Q: Would you say that “if i were a fish” is one of those songs or was there another song that you think that’s a good example of that process?
A: I think “if i were a fish” was written in a month that had been really hard for me while doing my very best to be positive about the situation, and I think that’s why it kind of connects. I think we’re all sitting in a little bit of muck around self-acceptance and self-love. So a song where we’re like, “No, this is amazing” really connects.
