For Addie Costain, songwriting is not simply an artistic activity, it’s a second language. Growing up in a musical family in Pacific Palisades and Topanga, the creative environment of the Santa Monica Mountains has transformed her guitar into an extension of her heart. A self-taught guitarist who began playing during the Covid quarantine, Costain’s music exudes joy and depth, as she’s channeled herself into song. At 18 years old, she’s only getting started.
“Songwriting is my favorite thing. Ever. When I don’t have the words for an experience, or I don’t know how to process it, I write a song about it.”
Songwriting is a natural inclination for Costain, a storytelling mechanism through which she processes and integrates her world, connecting with listeners and audiences. Her acoustic melodies are flavored with an impressive singing voice, confident in style and inviting to the ear. What’s notable about Costain’s approach is the authentic manner with which she sings: her voice veers away from a derivative style, and instead embraces her own natural timbre, producing a whimsical, seemingly effortless sound. Her vocals feel both familiar and pleasantly original.
Costain released her first single “Nothing to You” at age 15, having written and recorded the song the previous year at a summer program. “Little Plaid Skirt” soon followed, an ode to her years attending a Catholic middle school. “I consider those two singles as sister songs,” she commented.
Costain released her third single “Basements & Bedrooms” in February of this year, a love song grounded in an indie pop style with lush vocal layering. This young artist holds herself with a sense of professionalism and ease as she accumulates material for her upcoming EP.
Drawing inspiration from Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Jake Minch, Costain has developed an acoustic aesthetic with lyrical and introspective style, reminiscent of contemporary artists Lizzy McAlpine, Adrienne Lenker, and Clairo, but with a combination of a youthful and mature sense of soul that’s completely her own.
“Songwriting is like a dirty tap,” she said evocatively. “The more you let it run, the more it’ll run clear. The first few songs you write are going to be muddy and gross, but the more you run the water, the clearer they’ll be, and the better you’ll understand them.”
With her prolific repertoire of released and unreleased songs, she’s played at Open Mics and local venues throughout the mountain range, including Malibu’s Aviator Nation Dreamland, Topanga’s Corazón, and Topanga Days music festival, and was recently a performer for the Brandy Melville instagram account.
“Music—especially songwriting—is a means of connecting people on a real level,” she said. “I can navigate how I’m feeling through my music, so I create this thing that other people can identify with. It’s beautiful.”
Like so many in these mountains, Costain was affected profoundly by the Palisades Fire, having lost her Pacific Palisades home.
“There was so much loss on so many levels,” she reflected. “The community came together, and even though I lost so much, there are things that are irreplaceable, like family, friends, music, songwriting.”
Guitar in hand, Costain braved this time and processed the experience lyrically, channeling the shared Pacific landscape of grief into music of personal profundity.
“The fires brought me a new level of resilience and tenacity,” she said. She’s been implementing these qualities in her music-making, the unthinkable challenges contributing to a broader artistic persistence as she propels herself forward in the music industry.
Addie is leaping into the songwriting world with a creative vision and an irresistible joy that radiates through her lyrics, lovely voice, and acoustic talent. Her eyes light up just at the thought of music, and the room lights up when she sings. Listen to her on Spotify and follow @addiecostain.music for updates.
