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.
Halo
JP Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause when you have got it
Oh lord, the pain in your heart
You can let go
And lord knows you have it
I want to help you find you halo
When you were born you had it
When you're shining
Far to bright for this world
They will hold you down
Just like they did with that little girl
And in time she's forgetting
She was meant to be a light for this world
She thinks so low of herself
But inside her there's a pear
And I want to help her get her halo
'Cause when she has got
Oh lord, the pain in her heart
She can let go
And lord knows she has it
I want to help her get her halo
When she was born she had
But people, people will stoop so low
So I'm trying
If I see her now and then
Just by smiling
I can show her what we need
And anytime she forgetting
All the lies that she been told
'Cause with built in love in your eyes
Now we can never grow old
So won't you help me find my halo
'Cause when I have got it
The pain in my heart
I can let go
And lord knows I have it
I want you to help me find my halo
I was born with it
I want you to help me find my halo
'Cause when I have got it
Oh Lord, the pain in my heart
I can let go
And lord knows I have it
I want you to help me find my halo
I was born with it
JP Cooper's song "Halo" is about the effort of helping someone find their inner light and strength to overcome their struggles. The song begins with the singer expressing his desire to help someone find their "halo" which is a symbol of inner peace, hope and positivity. He believes that when the person gets their halo, they will be able to let go of the pain in their heart. The singer also acknowledges that it's not easy to be shining bright in this world, as people will stoop low and try to hold you down.
The song then transitions to the story of a little girl who was meant to be a light for this world but was brought down by other people's negativity. Although she is forgetting her inner light, the singer believes that by smiling and showing her love, he can help her remember who she truly is. He wants to help her find her halo so that she can let go of the pain in her heart and shine bright once again.
The chorus then shifts to the singer himself, expressing his desire to find his halo too. He acknowledges that he was born with it but sometimes forgets it. He wants the listener to help him find his halo so that he too can let go of the pain in his heart.
Overall, the song is about the human condition of struggling through life's challenges and trying to find inner peace and hope in the midst of it all. It's a reminder that we all have a halo within us, but sometimes need help finding it.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to help you get your halo
The singer wishes to assist the listener in regaining their self-worth and positivity
'Cause when you have got it
When the listener has regained their sense of self-worth
Oh lord, the pain in your heart
The emotional pain that can come from feeling unworthy or inadequate
You can let go
The listener can release their emotional pain
And lord knows you have it
The artist acknowledges that the listener has the potential to feel worthy and positive
I want to help you find your halo
The singer wants to help the listener rediscover their inner positivity
When you were born you had it
The singer believes that every person has the potential to feel worthy and positive
And people, people will stoop so low
Individuals can be cruel and bring others down to feel better about themselves
When you're shining
When the listener is displaying their positive qualities
Far too bright for this world
Their positive qualities shine exceptionally bright, making them stand out to others
They will hold you down
Individuals may try to bring the listener down from their positive state
Just like they did with that little girl
A past experience where someone was brought down from their positive state
And in time she's forgetting
The little girl is slowly starting to lose her sense of positivity
She was meant to be a light for this world
The little girl had the potential to bring positivity and light to the world
She thinks so low of herself
The little girl has lost her sense of self-worth
But inside her there's a pearl
Even though the little girl feels negative, she has an inner beauty worth acknowledging
So I want to help her get her halo
The artist desires to help the little girl regain her positivity
And lord knows she has it
The singer acknowledges that the little girl has the potential for positivity
So I'm trying
The singer is making an effort to help the little girl
If I see her now and then
When the artist occasionally comes across the little girl
Just by smiling
By simply showing kindness and positivity
I can show her what we need
The artist can display the benefits of a positive mindset
And anytime she's forgetting
When the little girl is starting to lose her sense of positivity
All the lies that she's been told
The negative thoughts and opinions that others may have projected onto the little girl, making her feel unworthy
'Cause with built-in love in your eyes
By showing love and kindness through their eyes
Now we can never grow old
The benefits of having a positive mindset are endless and will never fade
So won't you help me find my halo
The singer asks the listener to help them regain their positivity
'Cause when I have got it
When the artist has regained their sense of positivity
The pain in my heart
The emotional pain caused by feeling unworthy or inadequate
I can let go
The singer can release their emotional pain
And lord knows I have it
The singer acknowledges that they have the potential for positivity
I want you to help me find my halo
The artist desires the listener's help in regaining their inner positivity
I was born with it
The artist believes that they have always had the potential for positivity within them
Writer(s): John Paul Cooper
Contributed by Adeline V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jacq Marincas
My goodness gracious. My ears, your voice, for these things today I am grateful. Thank you
Grey Ghost
i wish he had released this, such sad and powerful song
Kinzicco
Aidean Campbell It was on EP2 which is available on band camp.
LaLa Tee
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SONG!!!!
paalani27
What an amazing voice!
Alex Smith
Absolutely brilliant!!!
Leggs
@jpcoopermusic You are so truly amazing! I am in awe of your natural raw talent. You are one of a kind for sure🙌🏾💜🙌🏾💜🙌🏾💜🙌🏾💜
#JPCooper
1BarbaraJohnson
Refreshing....you literally take my breath away
Leggs
@jpcoopermusic #jpcooper Ok so you know when a girl is so pretty that they look better without makeup then then the do with it.... I feel like that is the way JP is with his music! Like his voice is SOOOOO good that it doesn't need anything else. All his music is amazing but the best stuff is when it's just his beautiful voice and his guitar/uke or a piano. Love me some JP Cooper! He can do no wrong in my eyes and 💜🙌🏾🙏🏾🎶
Daniella Evans
love love my ears heart and soul smile for the beauty in your voice and words