As a young girl growing up in the Big Apple, New York-born singer Caroline Cotto couldn’t get enough of “(She’s) Sexy + 17,” “Rebels Rule” and “18 Miles To Memphis.” The songs were off the riveting 1983 album Rant n’ Rave with the Stray Cats by the iconic rockabilly trio from Massapequa, New York. And Cotto loved the imagery of the rebel rockers. Now, Cotto has to be pinching herself as her latest rockabilly-leaning single features one of the Stray Cats, Slim Jim Phantom. The result is the catchy, groove-fuelled single “Lone Man.”
“Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom were the perfect trio to me,” Cotto says. “So when I found myself years later in the studio with Slim Jim, this was a dream come true.”
“Lone Man” shines with punchy, rockabilly-leaning goodness thanks to Phantom’s back beat and Cotto’s own guitar work in the bridge. Old-school influences like Little Richard, Presley, and Buddy Holly can be heard as it slowly builds before launching into a glorious, closing foot-stomping rave-up.
Cotto, who was also a fan of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, and Elvis Presley, saw a bit of herself when she discovered the Stray Cats. “When I first heard Stray Cats, I was inspired immediately by the revival of rockabilly with their unique flair,” she says. “Though Stray Cats and I grew up decades apart, I felt a kinship to them. Throughout all my travels from New York to Paris to London to New Orleans, their music was a guiding light.”
Cotto sent the track to Phantom, figuring he’d be the perfect fit to produce and play drums on it. “We both loved Elvis Presley’s Sun Sessions and have a kinship to ’50s rock ‘n’ roll,” she says. “Jim is an absolute legend and icon. We completed the song in a few hours over a span of two days. It was just straight rock ‘n’ roll — just guitar, voice, bass and drums.”
Lyrically, Cotto says “Lone Man” is “about being in a relationship with someone who is stuck in darkness and cannot see the light around them — and no matter what one does to help them, they continue to stay stuck there.” The song originated from a conversation Cotto had with someone and their self-imposed deadline, namely “if they didn’t make it into the music industry by the time they were 30, they would move to New Orleans and play loud guitar and drink.” Cotto felt the idea was sad “to not see the light of a dream and be consumed by drugs and alcohol.”
Cotto and her “red, glitter guitar case” flew to Los Angeles this past January to record the single in Sherman Oaks, California at former Guns N’ Roses member Gilby Clarke’s studio. Clarke co-engineered “Lone Man” alongside Barry Pointer. With Phantom obviously playing drums, Cotto was also accompanied by bassist Tom Slik.
Cotto grew up reading literature and writing poetry, becoming inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee.” But she moved from writing poetry to music, inspired by her father playing The Beatles songs on guitar and teaching her. After transferring from Connecticut College to New York University, Cotto became a regular at Sidewalk Cafe in the city’s East Village. Prior to departing for Paris in 2015, the musician released her debut EP entitled Devil in Me. After moving from Paris to London to play the blues, she moved again to New Orleans.
In 2023, she released her debut album Bayou Sun which earned her the 2024 Independent Blues Award for Best New Artist and Best New Artist Release. Meanwhile, her material has appeared on Little Steven’s Underground Garage and BBC Radio 2’s The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews.
Now with “Lone Man,” look for Caroline Cotto to not just rock New York, London, Paris, New Orleans or Los Angeles but any town she chooses to!