Manchester’s JP Cooper is a self-made, self-taught musician who manages to exist effortlessly within two scenes generally considered tobeat varying endsof the sonic spectrum. Learning his craft on the Indie Rock scene, but later connecting with the Manchester Sing Out Gospel Choir, John Paul Cooper’ s exquisite vocal seamlessly encompasses the best of both worlds.This is meaningful music from the mind of someone who’ s lived life, loss and longing. The singer defines the idea of what itistobe a truly singular artist who both defies convention and resists comparison. “I don’ t want tobe seen as a singer/ songwriter because people lump you into that sulky troubadour box,” points out JP with a quick laugh. “I want tobe 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 bean artist who will explore and transform in a similar way.”Though it might seem like music isin his DNA, JP wasn’ t boughtupin a particularly musical household. However, his Grandad, a commercial artist and dad, also an artist, taught him something that would prove invaluable to his own artistic endeavors in years tocome. “Mydad went to study at art school andmy Grandad told him, ‘Never get a job inart ‘cause it’llbe something that you don’t love anymore. It’llbe a job not a hobby’. That really stuck with me years later when I beganto teach myself guitar. You need to know your a,b,c’s, but the main thingisto 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 inmy favour. I’m a complete blagger! But that’s really nice I think; I can stay wide-eyed about it.”Boughtup 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 Björkto Aphex Twin, Donny Hathaway andRufus Wainwright. Deciding togo solo while at college, JP was finally able to fully draw onhis various influences and begin to experiment with the sort of artist he wanted tobe.“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 outat Open Mic nights and quickly started getting booked to play all over Manchester. Within a year herose 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 beganto 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 urbanworld. Soon he was not only selling out venues like the Gorilla in Manchester, buthe was hitting capacity at shows in London too. “As soon I found an outlet into the spoken word, soul and urban world, everything changed overnight. Since then it’s grown and grown andI’ve found my audience. It’s really nice tobe embraced by that world.”
Three years agohe 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 developmentdeal, he knew it would mean a lot of travel to London. “I didn’ t want to miss anyofmy son growing up,but I also hadtobuild a future for us both. Itgotto the point where I’ d had this massive dream of doing music and all this amazing stuff was happening, butat the same time I was away from all of the things that are home to me.”It’ s a subject he covers onCloser, found onhis 2015EP,When The Darkness Comes. After signing to Island Records, JP released two EP’ s, which combined have had over 10million plays. The first, Keep The Quiet Out, was produced by the Confectionary . The most recent (When The Darkness Comes), produced by the duo One-Bit, features six perfectly executed vignettes. The EPis 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. Henot only has a large online following, buthehas 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 ofEd Sheeran, Maverick Sabre, Shawn Mendez and Stormzy have all sung his praises, while collaborations with the likes of George the Poet have seen Cooper diversify a little into the spoken world arena. “This world has taught me loads,”he muses. “The whole imagination behind it all inspires metowant tobe better.”After being hailed as“The Future Sound of Radio 1”by Zane Lowe, releasing his ‘ When The Darkness Comes’ EP,and creating a storm at SXSW, JP returned in 2016 with his incredible track ‘ Five More Days’ , featuring Avelino. This year has also seen JP release the smash hit ‘ September Song’ which has over 11 million global streams, support Stevie Wonder on the main stage at British Summer Time, along with performances at Bestival, T in The Park and Festival No.6, andnot forgetting his Platinum-selling collaboration with Jonas Blue, ‘ Perfect Strangers’. JP iscurrently on a 13 date tour across the country, including London’ s O2 Kentish Town Forum. Next upis JP’ s debut album, which promises tobe 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 anartist that deals in the formulaic, the predictable or the conventional. “It’s going tobe 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 ondown that route. I don’t want my music to sound like everything else that’s being putoutatthe minute.”JP isn’ t the sort of artist to list his ambitions as being awards and accolades. That’ s notwhy he makes music. He’ s isn’ t here to make cookie-cutter sounds that cynically appeal toa mass market. Rather he wants to challenge the idea’ s of what music people should –and shouldn’ t –be making. “There’s nofaçade. 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 tofind 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, butit feels just like the beginning. And that’s really exciting.”