When "Pushing Through" Stops Working: Rainbow Kitten Surprise on Reinvention

What happens when pushing through stops making you stronger and starts getting in the way of the art?

Justin Tranter sits down with Rainbow Kitten Surprise's lead singer/songwriter Ela Melo and her partner and movement director Cat Cogliandro to unpack how movement, trust and recovery changed the way Ela and the band perform.

They trace “Devil Like Me” from a homemade recording built with cardboard-box stomp claps to its live reinvention, revisit the 2022 Red Rocks performance that forced Ela to confront how far she had pushed herself, and talk honestly about sobriety, creative conflict and knowing when to ask for help.

It’s a conversation about building a better show, but also a more sustainable way to keep making art without buying into the idea that suffering is what makes an artist great.

Credits:

Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter

Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart

Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart

Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart

Director: Morgan T. Stuart

Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary

Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri