For Ross Cooper, getting out of Music City to spawn his creativity seemed like the right thing to do when recording his new album Lightning Heart due out September 29th. Despite the city being inundated with transplants and dreamers, Cooper earned his cowboy hat years ago. Hailing from Texas as a second-generation competitive horse rider and musician, he was raised with an insatiable love for both the thrill of the rodeo and the power of music, which resonates in his profound sound that echoes from the era of George Strait and Randy Travis.
“I knew I wanted to get away from Nashville, which may sound counter-intuitive given the direct access to studios, musicians, gear, etc, in this town. But we all live here, and all have lives to go to after we leave the studio. I wanted to record somewhere where all we had to focus on was recording, so I hollered at my buddy Josh Serrato in Stephenville, TX, at Melody Mountain Studios, and we cut the first half of the album there in an ice storm,” says Cooper.
The album, born out of Cooper’s personal experiences and reflections, delves into the cornerstones closest to his heart, including his hometown, his wife, his family, and the values instilled in him. Drawing inspiration from the traditions of Western culture, Cooper infuses his songwriting with raw energy and heartfelt storytelling, inviting listeners on a thrilling ride that intertwines the ruggedness of cowboy life with the emotional depth of his music.
“My last album came out during the end of COVID, but all of the songs were written before the pandemic when we were all still innocent about what was coming. Lightning Heart feels like a completely different album from my last. In a lot of ways, it’s more serious. In some ways, it’s not. You know, it was supposed to be an acoustic album that I was going to record in my home, but the songs started taking shape, and I realized I was writing for something bigger. This album gave me a goal to shoot for and, in a lot of ways, was a light at the end of a tunnel. I’ve learned so much more about life between these last two albums,” says Ross Cooper about his growth as an artist since his last album Chasing Old Highs,” adds Cooper.
Glide is premiering the picturesque and melodic “Gone Are The Days,” which is a country anthem in the making in a perfect radio world. Cooper delivers melancholy with a natural story-telling approach that makes him a true artist with a promisingly authentic Nashville future.
