Conversations with Chelsey Coy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsey Coy.

Hi Chelsey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My path into licensing and supervision was not a straight one. I knew I wanted to work in music, but always had my sights on performing. I graduated from USC’s music business program and then went on to pursue my own music career. After a move from NYC back to LA, I decided to take an online course on music licensing and quickly realized this was an avenue I could pursue and do well based on my own background and interests in music. In that course, I learned as much as I could and met many friends and collaborators. Some of those friends and i decided to start a collective to pitch our own extensive music catalogs to music supervisors. From there it grew into what it is today – twoOHsix music – a music licensing agency with over 1500 artists and 13,000 songs and counting. We have gotten syncs for our own music as well as for many of our artists. We even started leaning in to music supervision and are starting work on our 3rd full length film this summer.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course not – is anything a smooth road?! Ha! Like I said, it wasn’t a straight path that led me into this field. I have always loved music and honestly thought I’d be a famous singer/performer by the time I was 25 (oh, to be young and naive), but sync and supervision always spoke to me. Looking back, I remembered that I used to listen to movie soundtracks constantly as a kid. That was one of the ways I discovered music back before streaming and social media. Soundtracks like “Clueless”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “Austin Powers” were at the top of my lists, and they all got me listening to stuff outside my small Orange County world. I’m grateful I found sync because I was really flailing about after moving back to LA from NYC in 2017. I wasn’t sure what to do with my time and music wasn’t getting me anywhere and I was struggling financially after spending all kinds of money on the albums I made with my band in NYC. It wasn’t fun – I was depressed and I debated whether I should continue at all down the music road. That’s when I came across the online sync course, I jumped at the chance to learn more in this world. Even getting into this world was a bit of a struggle though – I didn’t have any music specifically for sync, so I wrote and recorded some. I wrote so much during that time. I dove in and went to as many events and social gatherings as I could to meet other folks in this world. I spread myself very thin and struggled with the fact that after a few years, I still hadn’t had my own placements for my music. But I kept my head down and did the work and slowly started getting placements and moving the needle. It takes consistency and making the art you want to make even if you think no one cares.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in sync licensing and supervision, but I am also an artist/singer/songwriter. All of it goes hand in hand, I feel. I can pitch my own music, listen with a discerning ear to other people’s music, make music that fills a void or brief, make playlists for client needs, the list goes on.

Since I do wear many hats, I can touch on the things in my musical journey that have made me the most proud – getting a mention in the NY Times for the song “Scared to Move” on my last album, Three Generations of Leaving, with my Americana band, Single Girl, Married Girl. The music I make with this project is melancholy and heartfelt. It’s the music I am most proud of. I haven’t released a lot of music lately because I’ve been focusing on other avenues of my career, but I do have a long list of demos that are ready for another album when I get around to making more SGMG tunes. I recently started a country, female empowerment project called Shadow Canyon with two friends and we have an EP coming out soon though – I cannot wait to share that with the world! I am also very proud of each and every sync placement I’ve gotten as I know how hard they can be to get. Some highlights over the years include a regional campaign in the Northeast for PC Richard & Son with my song, “Home”, 911 Nashville, All Rise, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and Selling the City.

In my licensing/supervision career I think I’m most proud of the work I did as a music supervisor for the film, Adventure Tom. The music for this film is up my alley, so I ran with the director’s vision and it ended up being a beautiful story filled with the perfect soundscape of songs to tell the story. The director even picked a Single Girl, Married Girl song to be in the film!

Any big plans?
I plan to keep writing and keep doing the thing. I am looking forward to releasing music with all the projects I have – including Shadow Canyon and a dream pop duo called Lost Camera. I want to get more placements under my belt for my own songs, and grow my licensing agency even more. At twoOHsix, we want to do more supervision projects and get even more placements for our artists and make a name for ourselves in the industry as a trusted client. We want to delve into the ad, video game, and trailer space even more as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.twoohsixmusic.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/twoohsixmusic
• Other: https://www.singlegirlmarriedgirl.com

Image Credits
Anna Azarov