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.
Landscapes
JP Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make you smile at me the way you used to
And I couldn't find the chords
To make you talk with me the you used to
So I'll find new pleasures in my day
Like running in the rain
Let it wash my sorrows
And I'll walk for hours
Through the woodlands that never stay the same
And I'll learn from the landscapes that everything must change
I'm sailing in stormy weather
I'll put myself back together
So I'll set off walking and I'm heading straight into the sun
And I'll pick my bags up and
I'll run turn that walk into a a run
And I'll see more clearly
I'll turn that frown into a smile
And I won't be impatient
'Cos I know these things take a while...
I'm sailing in stormy weather
I'll put myself back together
I know I can be strong
I can be anyone
I've done nothing wrong
My lifes just beginning
So I'll find new pleasures in my day like running in the rain
And I'll learn from the landscapes,
That everything must change.
The lyrics of JP Cooper's song "Landscapes" are about overcoming heartbreak and finding ways to move on. With lines like "I couldn't find the words to make you smile at me the way you used to," Cooper expresses his struggle to connect with someone he's lost. However, he recognizes that he cannot change the way things have turned out and focuses on finding new sources of happiness. He turns to nature and runs in the rain, letting it "wash my sorrows to the ground again." Cooper also goes for long walks through the woods, where he learns from the changing landscapes that "everything must change." Cooper then asserts his strength and determination in lines like "I know I can be strong, I can be anyone" and "my life's just beginning." Through these lyrics, Cooper conveys a message of resilience and finding joy in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
I couldn't find the words
I'm struggling to express myself
To make you smile at me the way you used to
I miss how you used to greet me
And I couldn't find the chords
I'm failing to connect with you
To make you talk with me the way you used to
I wish we could have deep conversations like before
So I'll find new pleasures in my day
I need to find new hobbies and interests
Like running in the rain
I find peace and joy in simple things
Let it wash my sorrows
I hope the rain can heal my sadness
To the ground again
I want to start fresh and be grounded
And I'll walk for hours
I want to wander and explore
Through the woodlands that never stay the same
I find beauty in the unexpected changes of nature
And I'll learn from the landscapes that everything must change
I want to accept change and learn from my environment
I'm sailing in stormy weather
I'm going through tough times
I'll put myself back together
I will overcome this and rebuild myself
So I'll set off walking and I'm heading straight into the sun
I'm determined to move forward and face challenges
And I'll pick my bags up and
I'm ready to start a new journey
I'll run turn that walk into a a run
I'll take risks and pursue my dreams
And I'll see more clearly
I'll have a better perspective on life
I'll turn that frown into a smile
I'll find happiness again
And I won't be impatient
I'll be patient and keep going
'Cos I know these things take a while...
I understand that healing and growth need time
I know I can be strong
I believe in my strength
I can be anyone
I have the potential to be great
I've done nothing wrong
I don't blame myself for what happened
My life's just beginning
I have a lot of opportunities ahead of me
And I'll learn from the landscapes,
I want to gain wisdom from my experiences
That everything must change.
I understand that change is a natural part of life
Writer(s): John Paul Cooper
Contributed by Luke C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
yann m
I wish this was still the kind of music he made ❤️ I love his new stuff but I always come back to these gems 💎
Occlusion61
Jp Cooper was for me the jewel in the crown at The Larmer Tree Festival last week. Beautiful lyrics and great singing . Word had it that his EP sold out that weekend.Good luck Jp , you have the talent.
Ro B.
Jp Cooper soothe my soul.. Such a talented Man.. Love you❤️❤️❤️❤️
SayAnything8
Wow....just wow... I am so Glad I found his music. It's breathtakingly beautiful.
Lockolike
What a voice:So much emotion in one song it's unreal.
Camelia Ciuhureanu
JP Cooper you are blessed with a special voice
Chloe Byatt
I am in love with this. Amazing.
Jonny Breakwell
Beautiful video and amazing song! Great job!
Faiz Basahil
Amazing JP Cooper...very emotional song
bevereva
JP your amazing if you don't make it big I'll eat my shorts. This guy is not just talented he's born with a gift.