SDC in SLC: Shauna Dean Cokeland Brings Real Activism Back into Indie Punk 

On March 4 the Rare Americans North American Tour came to Soundwell with openers Hotel Mira and Shuana Dean Cokeland. K-UTE writer and longtime Shuana Dean Cokeland fan Elizabeth Griffee attended this show and interviewed Cokeland. 

Shauna Dean Cokeland, or SDC, is a 21-year-old, bleach-blonde self-described “ex-emo kid” from Maryland. She started as a musician on TikTok in 2020 when a video of her singing an original song, “Moving in Place” went viral. Fans were instantly obsessed with the midwest-emo punk revival ballad that SDC sang passionately while playing her guitar covered in BoJack Horseman character stickers. The song was officially released a year later as SDC’s debut, following high demand from fans who posted viral covers and leaked audio files. 

“Moving in Place” showcases everything that makes SDC so special. Her lyricism is grounded in nostalgia, articulating emotion that cannot be put into words while retaining a concise and beautiful quality that conveys layers of homesick melancholy and serene contentment. Cokeland sings,

“The world just ain't ready for us yet, that's it"

Says the guy to your left, you would die for that kid

Watch his eyes as they get sorta distant and different

And we're moving in place again, we're moving in place again

It sure is fun to hate something you'll love when it's gone

This time, it's everywhere and everyone at once

From moving in place to moving on

SDC’s sentimental words are sung in her refreshingly novel style that somehow blends traditional drawn-out notes with rapid-fire line riffs that come close to rapping while being undeniably distinct from the genre. She riffs, 

Unfairly pass the blame and claim it was generational

Predisposition tourney prestigious, invitational

Like, don't look at me I wasn't even conceived

When the scheme, the game became operational

SDC sings with a compelling sound as her vocals and timing avoid polished perfectionism in a way that feels intentional and genuine, mirroring the likes of fellow indie emo-rock bands McCafferty and The Front Bottoms. After just one listen it’s apparent that her songs sound different every time they’re played, but SDC’s inconsistency is the kind that indicates quality rather than sloppiness, like home-made food compared to mass-produced non-perishables. 

A key aspect of who SDC is as an artist is her outspoken political involvement, which has not diminished as her platform has rapidly expanded. She has always been publicly outspoken even for movements that advocates are scrutinized for such as Palestinian liberation and trans rights. SDC paused the music in the middle of her set and used the time and attention to appeal to these larger causes in a coherent 2-minute speech that offered real community-based solutions to the unstable state of America. 

“I want to share something from this book that really inspired me. This was written by Huey P Newton, the co-founder of the Black Panther Party. In his book, ‘Revolutionary Suicide,’ he compared the Black Panther party's programs to a raft and essentially said that people can't organize and physically fight back while they're drowning in poverty and exhaustion, and what communities need in the meantime, is a raft. I know nobody has a lot of free time right now, but that's on purpose, because there was a time when education was more accessible and the cost of living wasn't so damn high, and people could get together and demand things of their government,” Cokeland said. 

SDC’s actions continue to support her words as she collected donations at her merch table to support a local immigrant family from her hometown in paying for an immigration lawyer. In a post-show interview, I asked SDC why she finds it so important to incorporate activism into her music.

“I figure people are listening to me. So I don't know if I should use that time just for me. Then I would feel like I'm acting on my own privilege. If people are listening to me, I want to be saying what's important,” Cokeland said. 

SDC writes about her political resistance in her recently released demo, “The Rest of Them.” 

“Gravestones barely laid 

The show is smiling picture on the evening news at eight

Saying, ‘violence ain’t the answer when will people learn?,’ 

But in a million different churches a million candles burn 

For a million different people who waited for their turn

In Baltimore

And in LA  

And in New York 

And in Houston 

And in Gaza 

And in Haiti

And all across the planet 

When your only claim to freedom is easily denied 

You work yourself to death just to keep yourself alive 

Haven’t picked a gun up since 1965

The changes that they promise us 

The rich men all attest to them 

I hope we get the rest of ‘em

I hope we get the rest of ‘em”

“Please join a group like food, not bombs. Get together with your friends. Join or start a group providing jail support,” Cokeland said during her mid-set speech. “Ask your neighbors, especially your immigrant neighbors, what they need. You can only do what you can, but you can do it guided by the people who got it right.” 

Today “Moving in Place” boasts over 40 million Spotify listens. Shauna Dean Cokeland has released nine other songs that yield over 63k monthly listeners. The Rare Americans North American Tour is her first-ever tour, and she is planning the release of her freshman EP, “Cokeland County,” by the time it ends. 

“I just want you to know that whoever you are your life is a fucking gift to this world and you deserve dignity and safety and peace,” Cokeland said.