“Everything starts with a guitar and a loop pedal.”
Fresh from playing the iconic Falls Festival, a year of touring the world and developing his craft, Sydney based singer/songwriter Hein Cooper enters 2016 with bold intent in the leadup to the release of his much anticipated debut album, The Art of Escape.
The album comes off the heels of Cooper’s debut EP in 2015 (released on Indica Records), which serves as a teaser for what we can expect off the full length. Both records were recorded and produced in Montreal, Canada, with Marcus Paquin - who has worked with the likes of Local Natives, Arcade Fire and The National.
Cooper praises Paquin’s involvement in the record, “It was a really collaborative process, he had a lot of great ideas that built the songs up in a way that got the ideas out of my head and into the record.”
Paquin can be heard throughout the record, joining Cooper in playing all the instruments you hear, with the exception of Dominic O’Neil on Drums and added vocals from Laurel Sprengelmeyer and Thelma Plum.
Fans of Hein Cooper’s live show will already know what they have to look forward to on the record, as much of the album has been road tested over the last year. This has allowed Hein to develop the tracks with a full band and further explore his unique mix of indie and pop music, with his signature voice, emotive lyrics and an acoustic guitar bursting with character.
Hein says, “The sound of the record is definitely reflective of where I am now. Spending the year touring and playing live, definitely got me to the point where I’m able to replicate the sound of the record live, but I wouldn’t have been able to do that if we released the album straight away.”
As for what that sound is, the word “eclectic” comes to mind. Cooper says of his approach, “I don’t like to pigeonhole songs into one style to make them fit… it’s a collection of songs treated individually. I started with folk music, but now I have found myself exploring other styles and feelings.”
Hein will start 2016 on the road in Australia, before heading back to Canada & Europe for shows in the lead up to the album’s release.
The Art of Escape will be released through Indica Records and Naïve on April 15th 2016.
For tour dates and more on Hein Cooper, visit: http://www.heincooper.com/
