There’s a transparency that comes with growing up in a town in the Midwest. First of all, everyone knows you. Or your mama. Second, you have to have a certain amount of self-awareness and honesty about yourself. When a simple trip to the mailbox in winter can be death-defying, miscalculations can carry a heavy price. As a songwriter growing up in that environment, Drew Cooper learned to tell stories with a clear-headedness that makes them immediately relatable. He then sets them to music that’s not quite country, not quite rock and roll. His first album, White Horse, gained him some loyal fans in the music world. One thing led to another and Cooper was invited to record his next album at the Foo Fighters studio in LA.
That album became a double album, This Life, and the first half of it gets released next month. It’s mostly original material, with a couple of dynamite covers. All the songs convey an honesty that marries well with a fuzzy guitar and Cooper’s hard-won baritone vocals. Although most of the tunes relate to the tougher parts of life, there’s a notable exception. Whiskey And Smoke is about life’s simple pleasures and the ability to just enjoy them at face value. We’re so pleased to be able to premiere that song here.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.