Cooper is a self-made, self-taught musician who manages to exist effortlessly within two scenes generally considered to be at varying ends of the sonic spectrum. Learning his craft on the Indie Rock scene, but later connecting with the Sing Out Gospel Gospel Choir, Cooper’s exquisite vocal and adroitly played guitar seamlessly encompasses the best of both worlds. It’s Indie with soul, soul with heart. This is meaningful music from the mind of a man who’s lived life, loss and longing. He defines the idea of what it is to be a truly singular artist who both defies convention and resists comparison. “I don’t want to be seen as a singer/ songwriter because people lump you into that sulky troubadour box,” points out JP with a quick laugh. “I want to be a bit more than that. I want to make great music and grow. I’ve always loved and admired artists that evolve; people like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Björk. Hopefully I can be an artist who will explore and transform in a similar way.”
Though it might seem like music is in his DNA, JP wasn’t bought up in a particularly musical household. However, his Granddad, a commercial artist and dad, also an artist, taught him something that would prove invaluable to his own artistic endeavors in years to come. “My dad went to study at art school and my Granddad told him, ‘Never get a job in art ‘cause it’ll be something that you don’t love anymore. It’ll be a job not a hobby’. That really stuck with me years later when I began to teach myself guitar. You need to know your a,b,c’s, but the main thing is to have fun with it, to play with it like a child would, ignore the rules. The fact I’m completely clueless about what chords I’m playing works in my favour. I’m a complete blagger! But that’s really nice I think; I can stay wide-eyed about it.”
Bought up during the guitar-laden years of Britpop, like many young Manchester teens, JP played in various bands throughout school. Broadening his musical tastes beyond Oasis by regularly visiting eponymous record store, the Vinyl Exchange, it was there the young music enthusiast discovered everything from Björk to Aphex Twin, Donny Hathaway and Rufus Wainwright. Deciding to go solo while at college, JP was finally able to fully draw on his various influences and begin to experiment with the sort of artist he wanted to be. “I realised that I didn’t want to have to rely on anybody – as long as I could play and I could write then I’d be pretty self-sufficient. And I could make the music I wanted to make without having to compromise.” Teaching himself guitar, JP began testing his sound out at Open Mic nights and quickly started getting booked to play all over Manchester. Within a year he rose to selling out 250 capacity venue, the Deaf Institute. However, because he was a white guy with a guitar, he found himself increasingly booked at folk / indie / band nights. Ill at ease in a scene into which he was thrust, slowly his audience began to diversify as the subtleties in his music began to emerge. He joined Manchester’s Sing Out Gospel Choir and released a series of three mixtapes, noticing a growing fanbase within the urban world. Soon he was not only selling out venues like the Gorilla in Manchester, but he was hitting capacity at shows in London too. “As soon I found an outlet into the soul and urban world, everything changed overnight. Since then it’s grown and grown and I’ve found my audience. It’s really nice to be embraced by that world.”
Three years ago, he became a dad for the first time and a year later faced a difficult decision. Supporting himself by working in a bar so he could be with his son every morning and night, when Island Records offered him a development deal, he knew it would mean a lot of travel to London. “I didn’t want to miss any of my son growing up, but I also had to build a future for us both. It got to the point where I’d had this massive dream of doing music and all this amazing stuff was happening, but at the same time I was away from all of the things that are home to me.”
It’s a subject he covers on Closer, found on his 2015 EP, When The Darkness Comes. After signing to Island Records 18 months ago, JP released two EP’s, which combined have had over 5 million plays. The first, Keep The Quiet Out, was produced by the Confectionary [Bonkaz, Jacob Banks]. The most recent (When The Darkness Comes), produced by the duo One-Bit, features six perfectly executed vignettes. The EP is deeply personable yet utterly relatable. “It’s about relationships, people’s struggles, family and the human mind, the weirdness of it, the complexities of it,” explains JP.
He not only has a large online following, but he has a large and loyal live fanbase too. Last year, he sold out four headline shows in London, including the The Scala the Village Underground and Koko. The EP’s, along with his engaging live performances, have won JP a legion of fans as disparate as his sounds; the likes of Boy George, The Cast Of EastEnders, Maverick Sabre, Sean Mendez and Stormzy have all sung his praises, while recent collaborations with the likes of George the Poet have seen Cooper diversify a little into the spoken world arena. “It’s not my world at all but it’s taught me loads,” he muses. “The whole imagination behind it all inspires me to want to be better.”
Next up is JP’s debut album proper which promises to be bigger and bolder affair, while retaining a sense of simplicity and honesty. Featuring elements of Hip Hop, stand-up soul and Country-inflected guitar, there will also be some unexpected twists and turns. JP isn’t an artist that deals in the formulaic, the predictable or the conventional. “It’s going to be bold,” he decides. “I’ve enjoyed some spot plays on Radio and I know I’m lucky to have those because what I do really doesn’t sound like anything else on there. I’d like to carry on down that route. I don’t want my music to sound like everything else that’s being put out at the minute.”
JP Cooper isn’t the sort of artist to list his ambitions as being awards and accolades. That’s not why he makes music. He’s isn’t here to make cookie-cutter sounds that cynically appeal to a mass market. Rather he wants to challenge the idea’s of what music people should – and shouldn’t – be making. “There’s no façade. I’m just somebody who lives life and writes about it. It’s a human experience. I’m not untouchable,” he points out. “I think people trust what I do because of the way that I am; there’s no front. I think that makes people want to find out more. Hopefully when they do find out more, they’ll like what they hear. I know nothing’s promised, and I know I’ve been doing this for a few years now, but it feels just like the beginning. And that’s really exciting.”
However, he was hailed as ‘Future Sound of 2015’ by BBC Radio One’s Zane Lowe, supported soul singer Angie Stone, sold out a UK tour of his own, and had a coveted slot at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
His EP 'When The Darkness Comes' was reviewed in 2015 as "combining folk, blues, soul and gospel, ... [showcasing] Cooper’s talent for both songwriting and lyricism which releases true emotion – not only for himself but also the listener."
Sources:
This info was taken from when he was featured in The Telegraph and listed for his gig at The Cluny in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Bits and Pieces
JP Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Covered in silence and concrete
People walked by, no one could hear me
Nobody knows what's underneath
Somehow, you found me
And now you're
Fillin' in the gaps with gold
You said you're never givin' up on me
I see your, fingerprints around my soul
Fillin' in the gaps with gold
You said you're never givin' up on me
You've built a home
You've built a home
You've built a home
From the pieces of a broken man
You've built a home
You've built a home
You've built a home
From the pieces of a broken man
I was pinned down, under my feelings
I've been down, dear, since the roof caved in
Cryin' out loud, kickin' and screamin'
I'd given up until you walked in
Somehow, you found me
And now you're
Patchin' up the cracks and the holes
Fillin' in the gaps with gold
You said you're never givin' up on me
I see your, fingerprints around my soul
Fillin' in the gaps with gold
You said you're never givin' up on me
You've built a home (yes, you did)
You've built a home (you've built me up, yeah)
You've built a home
From the pieces of a broken man
You've built a home (yeah, you did)
You've built a home (from the pieces)
You've built a home
From the pieces of a broken man
(You've built a home) patchin' up the cracks and the holes (yes, you did)
(You've built a home) fillin' in the gaps with gold (from the pieces)
(You've built a home) you said you're never givin' up on me (oh-oh-oh-oh)
(You've built a home) I see your, fingerprints around my soul (yeah, you did)
(You've built a home) fillin' in the gaps with gold (from the pieces)
(You've built a home) you said you're never givin' up on me (from the pieces of a broken)
In JP Cooper's song Bits and Pieces, the singer uses metaphorical language to describe his state of being before he met his lover/partner. He describes himself as broken, covered in silence and concrete, and nobody could hear him. He spent his time screaming to no avail and had given up hope until his lover came into his life. The singer is grateful that his lover found him and has stuck around even though he was in pieces. She has been patient with him, and instead of judging him for his brokenness, she has been working to patch up the cracks and holes in his life and fill the voids with gold. The singer recognizes the effort that his lover has put in, and it has allowed him to build a home from the broken pieces of his past.
The song is one about healing and finding love during a tough time. The lyrics convey a message of hope that no matter how broken one may feel, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. The singer describes his new (found) love as "patching up the cracks and the holes" and "filling in the gaps with gold," which shows that his lover is not only there for him during the bad times but is also helping to build something better for them both. The chorus, which repeats the line, "you've built a home from the pieces of a broken man," reinforces this message of healing, offering hope that true love can indeed help to "build a home" for someone who is hurting.
Line by Line Meaning
I was in bits, I was in pieces
I was completely shattered and broken.
Covered in silence and concrete
I felt completely isolated and unheard.
People walked by, no one could hear me
Despite being surrounded by people, no one noticed my pain.
Nobody knows what's underneath
No one truly understands the extent of my emotional turmoil.
Somehow, you found me
You came into my life unexpectedly and changed everything.
Patchin' up the cracks and the holes
You're helping me heal from my past wounds and repairing my brokenness.
Fillin' in the gaps with gold
Not only are you fixing my problems, but you're making me stronger and better than before.
You said you're never givin' up on me
You're committed to supporting me through thick and thin, and you won't abandon me.
I see your, fingerprints around my soul
You've left an indelible mark on my heart and I'm forever changed because of you.
You've built a home
You've created a sanctuary for me to feel safe and loved.
From the pieces of a broken man
My past struggles contributed to who I am today, and you've embraced every part of me.
I was pinned down, under my feelings
My emotions had overwhelmed me to the point of feeling helpless and trapped.
I've been down, dear, since the roof caved in
Since something traumatic happened to me, I've been struggling to cope.
Cryin' out loud, kickin' and screamin'
I've been expressing my pain in a very intense and public way.
I'd given up until you walked in
I was starting to lose hope until you came into my life and gave me a reason to keep going.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Paul Cooper, Benjamin McIldowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sheilanga
I am a Christian and I can't help but think about God while listening to this song😭 He builds homes from the pieces of broken Men❤
@mhalojami5010
❤️
@aishaprince973
Same here!!! 😊😊
@r.a6239
is it is not about God? One, will be utterly disappointed if they actually expected that from another human being.
@Young_Techiez
I think only God can do this...what the lyrics say
@sherinamaria4120
I feel the same way with his other one “we were raised under grey skies”
@devaleau
Amazing. It makes me want to leave work, head home and hug my spouse.
Loving someone, faults and all, leaves them stronger and better than when you found them.
Keep making soulful music. We need it.
@SoundHumility
As a Christian Man this song is Soo comforting...... Sometimes you feel like God can be Soo hard when you going through..... this song was comforting... Soo relatable
@dalenna_
Its so refreshing to hear a song about love, being in love, and being healed by someone.
@marthakirabo6695
It's actually about God