I recently caught up with Lina Cooper, and the way this feature even started was just perfect. She reached out to me, and when I checked out her page, I immediately got hooked by a video she posted. It was one of those fun “What an independent artist eats in a day” clips—so funny and totally relatable. Full of struggle meals, barely anything in the fridge—really captures the reality of it all. I loved it because I see that side of the industry quite often with Lhyme—talking to artists from all over the world. It’s a tough journey, a real grind. So, seeing someone be that open and honest about it? I was like, yeah… I really want to chat with her. Somewhere in all of this, I already knew: Ukrainian summer soup. But before diving into the food part, let’s get into Lina’s story a bit more.
I started with “Supermarket Sushi,” which already had that food-and-music fusion I love—and the video pulled me right in. Then I checked out “Romance Is Dead,” and eventually her album Some Random Girl That Never Made It on the Internet. What’s really interesting about Lina is that her story starts early. She began making music at just eight years old, growing up in Ukraine, watching MTV and seeing artists like Katy Perry, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift, and thinking, “I want to do that.” But the only real path into music was through classical training. So she taught herself piano first—and after about a year of that, her mom was like, okay… she’s serious. That’s when they finally put her in music school. That became the foundation of everything. She started at a classical music school, then moved to a contemporary music college, and eventually began transitioning into pop music. Soon after, she took a brave step by coming to the United States at just 17, marking a huge transition in her life.
Growing up, her influences were everywhere. Her mom would play artists like ABBA and Queen on CDs in a boombox—those early sounds stuck with her. Then, as she started discovering music on her own, it was artists like Katy Perry—she talks about hearing “Hot N Cold” and “I Kissed a Girl” around age nine and just being completely drawn in by how colorful and fun it felt. Later on, that evolved into artists like Taylor Swift and Lorde—and bands like Paramore and Avril Lavigne. Strong female voices that really shaped her. And you can feel that influence now—because her energy is very unapologetic. Very raw and independent. It comes through in her music, visuals, and even just how she shows up online.
She’s already released ‘Some Random Girl That Never Made It’ on the Internet, along with songs like “Supermarket Sushi” and “TACO BELL (at 3 am),” and she has exciting new music coming out all summer long. She’s also just launched her very first Patreon, where she’s sharing demos and inviting her fans to help decide what’s next. It’s a collaborative, honest space that keeps her connection with her audience really close and genuine. Recently, she performed at The Viper Room on April 16, one of her favorite venues, and she described it as one of the best shows she’s ever played. She’s now busy booking more performances for the summer and openly sharing the challenges she encounters as an independent artist performing at LA venues.
Her long-term goal is clear yet ambitious: to become a successful musician. She aspires to do more than just get by; she wants to live comfortably doing what she loves. Her hopes include touring across the U.S. and eventually around the world, all while building a trustworthy team to support her journey. She dreams of growing a fanbase that feels more like a close-knit community—where people truly feel connected to her and her music. She remembers something Maggie Rogers once said that really resonated with her—this idea of balance. It’s about being able to sell out a place like Madison Square Garden, yet still enjoy sitting in a café the next day, unnoticed. That’s her dream. And when you listen to Lina’s music, you can see why people feel so drawn to it. It’s raw, vulnerable, and authentic—never trying to hide anything. She embraces the uncomfortable emotions—the ones people often shy away from—like jealousy. These messy, human feelings aren’t always beautiful, but they’re real. And when listeners say, “this is exactly how I feel, and no one’s ever said it like this before”—that’s what she loves most. That connection, that sense of release. Her music truly creates a space for the whole emotional range—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and gives everyone a safe place to feel seen.
And above all, her identity and connection to Ukraine are truly central to who she is. Having lived there until she was 17, she still has family still there and keeps in close contact. She’s even visited after the full-scale invasion, carrying with her a heartfelt pride and love for her people.
It’s such a vital part of her life—it influences everything she does. Whether it’s a birthday wish or a quiet moment, her thoughts always turn to hoping for peace for Ukraine.
When it comes to food, Lina’s the best kind of person to cook for—she loves everything. No real aversions, just fully open to it all. But when we started talking about food and nostalgia, everything led back to Ukraine. That’s home. And something I didn’t realize until talking to her—Ukraine actually has a huge sushi and pizza culture. Like, those are two of the biggest international foods there. She mentioned that cuisines like Chinese and Thai have only become more common in the last few years. But when it comes to her food—the food that really hits emotionally—it’s Ukrainian dishes. That deep, nostalgic connection. She talked about borscht—which, like a lot of us with childhood foods, she hated as a kid. And then grew to love it as an adult. A big bowl of it with a garlic bun, sour cream, and fresh dill? That’s comfort. She also loves anything pickled—cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms… all of it.
And then there’s one dish that really stood out to me: Okroshka—this Ukrainian summer soup that’s super fresh, super bright, and honestly just feels like the season. It’s made with chopped vegetables, boiled potatoes, cucumbers, eggs, sometimes ham, and a ton of fresh dill—then brought together with kefir. It’s cold, creamy, a little tangy… and kind of unexpectedly addictive.
She said her dad makes an amazing version—and her boyfriend is completely thrown off by the idea of dairy in soup, which honestly made me laugh. But I get it. Being Persian, we have yogurt-based soups too—it’s that same refreshing, tangy, comforting vibe. So this immediately clicked for me. She also talked about Ukrainian dumplings—soft, pillowy, and incredibly versatile. You can go savory with potato, cabbage, or mushroom… or sweet with cherry, raspberry, or whatever fruit is in season, topped with sour cream. And I’m not gonna lie—the cherry version really got me. It opened me up to a whole new side of Ukrainian food I hadn’t explored before.
Beyond that, Lina loves to bake—it’s her love language. Banana bread, cinnamon rolls, apple pie, biscuits… she’s always making something for other people (even if she doesn’t eat much of it herself). She also cooks a lot—chicken and dumpling soup, pasta bolognese, pan-fried chicken, fish like salmon, cod, and tilapia, and lately she’s been experimenting more with vegetable-based dishes. She’s also a big snacker—everything from veggies and dip to fruit, yogurt, cookies, candy… and chips—but never plain chips. Always flavored. Ranch, barbecue, sour cream, and onion. And when it comes to dessert, she leans toward creamy, slightly tangy flavors—things like tiramisu, panna cotta, key lime pie, mint chocolate chip ice cream, cookie dough… even apple pie à la mode. So we definitely overlap there.
But for this feature, I really wanted to center her. With the season—and everything she shared—Ukrainian summer soup just felt right. Fresh, colorful, layered with texture—potatoes, eggs, herbs, that tangy kefir base—it made sense. So I found myself in the kitchen, bringing it to life. I loved making this one. There was something about it that felt aligned with Lina—unexpected, vibrant, a little different, yet completely grounded in something real. And then, of course, I had to style it. I had this kitchen cloth gifted to me by one of my best friends, who’s also a musician, that read “Bitch, I am the secret ingredient”—and it just felt like her. That unapologetic, independent, punk energy she carries so naturally. It all came together in a way that felt very… Lina. If you’re into yogurt-based dishes, refreshing summer meals, or just trying something new, this is one to make. And let’s be real… when am I ever going to get another excuse to make Ukrainian summer soup? Check out the recipe below, and be sure to stream Lina Cooper on all platforms.
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Okroshka (Ukrainian Summer Soup)
Prep Time: 20 minutes| Cook Time: 15 minutes |Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 medium gold potatoes, peeled & diced
- 4 large eggs
- 3 Persian cucumbers, finely chopped
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cooked ham, diced
- ½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- ¼ cup green onions, chopped
- 3 cups kefir
- 1–2 cups cold water (to thin to your liking)
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Extra fresh dill for serving
- Crusty bread of choice
Directions
- Boil diced potatoes in salted water until fork-tender (10–12 minutes). Drain and cool.
- In a separate pot, boil the eggs for about 10 minutes, then cool, peel, and chop.
- Finely chop cucumbers, radishes, herbs, and ham. Keep everything small and uniform, which makes for a better texture.
- In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, cucumber, radishes, ham, dill, and green onions.
- Pour in the kefir, then add cold water until it reaches a light, soup-like consistency. It should be creamy but still pourable.
- Add salt, pepper, mustard, and lemon juice. Mix well and taste. At this point, you can adjust salt and acidity as needed.
- Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes before serving.
- Ladle into bowls, top with extra dill. Serve ice-cold with bread on the side. Enjoy!
