J.P. (John Paul) Cooper already has a UK number two hit to his name. He wrote the lyrics and provided the vocals for Jonas Blue’s 2016 summer smash, Perfect Strangers.
The song was a top ten hit in 18 more countries. It reached number one in Mexico and Poland while also taking pole position on America’s Dance Club Songs chart.
“I have to thank my record company for hooking me up with Jonas Blue,” smiled 33-year-old J.P. “His manager was in a meeting with the people at Island Records and mentioned Jonas was looking for someone to work with him. They told him about me and I found myself receiving this great instrumental track.
“I had the idea for the song lyrics and sent back a rough version of Perfect Strangers. Jonas loved the story I was trying to tell, worked his amazing production magic and there I was with the new experience of performing on a smash hit single.”
Having found fame through his work on Perfect Strangers, J.P. is delighted to be back in the UK top ten with his solo single, September Song.
“I think music fans are taking note of the featured vocalists on hit singles. Singers such as Jess Glynne, Foxes, Sam Smith and John Newman are just a few of the people who had hit records in their own right after becoming known for providing the vocals on songs by other artists.”
His success now is in stark contrast to most of J.P.’s years in the music business.
“I started out in bands at school. I was always committed to whatever I did in that I’d moan at other band members if they didn’t practice because I always wanted to be the best I could be.
“Although I’ve become known for soulful songs, my early musical love was for the type of grunge music performed by bands such as Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.
“But there was a lot of blues and soul beneath the loud guitars. I got deeper into that style of music discovering artists such as Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway. But I actually have a very wide musical taste. I always say I enjoy all kinds of music from Bjork to Bill Withers.”
His home city of Manchester also played a part in J.P.’s musical heritage.
“I grew up in the 1990s when Britpop was at its height. Many of the top bands around that time came from Manchester so all the kids wanted to follow in their footsteps. I don’t think I’d have gone into music if I hadn’t been in such an exciting environment.”
J.P. was also able to cultivate his eclectic musical tastes.
“It was so multicultural. I spent several years singing in a gospel choir. At the same time though, I was playing in a rock band and performing acoustic solo songs in folk clubs.”
J.P. eventually decided to pursue a solo career but with more soul-based songs rather than folk. His handful of followers gradually grew after posting his songs online. He performed well-attended shows in small venues but worked in a bar to guarantee a steady income.
“It wasn’t until about five years ago that I decided to take a real shot at having a music career. I self-released an EP as a digital download. This sold pretty well as did two more EPs.
“The Dutch dance music producer Don Diablo used my vocals on his track, The Artist Inside. This was a song for his father who had passed away from cancer. The video was dedicated to the best dads in the world with all proceeds going to the Dutch Cancer Society.
“The people at Island Records had seen me in concert and heard my EPs so I was delighted to sign with the label in 2014. My last two EPs and singles were released on Island and, as I said earlier, I have them to thank for my involvement with Jonas Blue on Perfect Strangers.”
J.P. describes his current hit, September Song, as “sweet, simple and innocent.”
“It’s a nostalgic look back to childhood when the biggest problems you had were missing your high school crush over the summer holidays and looking forward to September when you were back at school and could see them again. It’s also about remembering all the people you knew at school, wondering what they might be doing now and how it would be if you bumped into them.”
With his singles chart success over the last six months and his debut album in the pipeline, those who fondly remember J.P. from his time at school must feel very proud of their erstwhile friend.

IN BRIEF
Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga’s performance during half-time at Super Bowl 51 has been met with almost universal approval.
The game may be remembered as the first Super Bowl to be decided in overtime and for the New England Patriots staging the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. But Gaga’s show will also be remembered as possibly the best and most spectacular to grace the half-time slot.
Speculation had been rife that Gaga may have used her time in the brightest of spotlights to voice her disapproval of President Trump. But apart from briefly opening with a few lines from “God Bless America,” “This Land Is Your Land” and the American Pledge of Allegiance, Gaga performed a medley of her own songs accompanied by what seemed like thousands of dancers.
For those who have not seen her show, there are several postings on YouTube. Although the National Football League’s YouTube channel has garnered by far the most views, there is a post with better quality audio at www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LP0jApU1CM

Cold War Kids

American indie-rockers Cold War Kids release their sixth studio album, L.A. Divine, on April 7.
The LP has been preceded by lead single, Love Is Mystical, which is available now. The accompanying video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbe3oSfUG00
L.A. Divine is the follow-up to 2014’s Hold My Home. Although not quite as successful as two of the band’s previous LPs, the album spawned what is by far their biggest single.
First topped both Billboard’s Rock Airplay and Alternative Songs charts. It spent eight weeks in pole position on the latter and remained in the listings for 64 weeks. This made First the second-longest-running single in Alternative Songs chart history. The song video is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZzJ78FWjl8

Lisa Hannigan

A free EP download is available from Irish singer, songwriter and musician Lisa Hannigan.
She began her career as a member of Damien Rice’s band but decided to become a solo artist in 2007. Her work has received considerable critical acclaim and she has enjoyed enormous chart success in her native country.
Lisa’s 2008 debut album, Sea Sew, peaked at number three on the Irish chart while 2011’s Passenger and 2016’s At Swim both hit number one. All three albums also sold well in Britain.
The free download consists of the album track, Undertow, and live performances recorded for the Philadelphia radio station WXPN of Anahorish, Snow and a medley of Fall and Prayer For The Dying.
The EP is titled Live In Philadelphia. It is available from (no www.) noisetrade.com/lisahannigan. Click on the EP cover photo to access the download page.
Only brief previews of each song are posted there. However, the live songs can all be heard in full online. Anahorish is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4iz5p_NX3E
Snow can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfs0g_CbyQc while the Fall/Prayer For The Dying medley is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLUIlkd7vKI
There is an official video for Undertow. It can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSnaQAv77JE

Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono is co-producing a film which will depict her relationship with the late John Lennon.
Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten will provide a script exploring Yoko and John’s creative collaborations and often complex love story. The project is still at an early stage so it will almost certainly be 2018 before the film hits cinemas.
Meanwhile, despite turning 84 on February 18, Yoko is still active with her own music. Her most recent release is a remixed version of her 1985 single, Hell In Paradise. The remix has proved hugely successful taking top spot on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. The accompanying video is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK_YKPQ9Sq4