Cope are currently gearing up to release their debut EP Challenge Oppression // Pursue Equality. We caught up with guitarist and lyricist Josh Bowles to find out more about the band.
Can you introduce yourself and tell me a bit about the band?
Hey man! I’m Josh Bowles, one of the guitarists and lyric writer of the band. We’re a 5 piece punk/riff cocktail with a political edge, based in London.
How did you get started?
We actually found each other through an online forum/message board for people looking for other musos to start a band. At the time, we had all been on a sort of ‘hiatus’ from music, and having all been in previous touring bands, we had the itch to get back into it again. Plus, we were all fucked off with the state of the country and everything else that’s going on in the world, so it was time to vent the anger we’ve felt for the past few years and actually channel it into something positive.
You’re currently getting ready to release your debut EP Challenge Oppression // Pursue Equality. Can you describe the writing and recording process for it?
The writing process started way before the band was even a thing! I had been penning lyrics for about a year prior, and both Ross & Ed had songs written that we eventually turned into songs featuring on the EP (Think Now Or Never & Here’s Hoping). The recording process was staggered across a few weekends, and we had a really fun time doing it. Our producer knows just how to get the best out of us, and now we consider him a good friend of the band. A LOT of coffee was consumed!!
Were there any songs that were more of a struggle to get right or did everything go to plan?
To be honest, most aspects of it actually went to plan! Haha I know that’s not very exciting, but we didn’t encounter too many issues during the recording process. We actually got things sounding better than we originally intended, so it probably went better than we had planned! Like I said, our producer knows his shit, so as soon as we sat down with him and did the songs a few times, he had a good idea of what we were trying to achieve, and made some suggestions which totally lifted the record.
What has been your best experience in the music industry so far?
Ha! That’s a tough one, because I actually work for a major label, so I’ve had plenty of experience with the industry! But I think from the bands point of view, the best experience we’ve had so far is just all the lovely things people are saying about us, and the fact that people are paying attention to our music, despite us being relatively unknown still!
And what’s the most difficult thing about the industry?
Staying current and making the right noise. Anyone and everyone can release music independently these days, so I think the challenge lies in being heard through all the bullshit. It’s really down to how you sell yourselves, and how you go about doing things.
What bands/artists inspire you?
There’s just so many, so its hard to write them all down! We’re all influenced by a vast array of music, spanning across multiple genres, so I think we like to take a bit of everything that makes us tick and try to incorporate that within our music. Obviously though, we’re all punks at heart, and that will always remain the core of our music. We also take inspiration from the world and our daily lives, which is where much of our lyrical content comes from. You only need to listen to one track to understand that we’re angry, and we’re not gona keep our mouth shut any longer.
What can fans expect from a Cope live show?
They can expect a lot energy and some good laughs! Whilst the content of our music is absolutely serious, as is our attitude towards a lot of social issues we face in this day & age, we all need to laugh! We have a great sense of humour and try not to take ourselves too seriously. Besides, if we didn’t laugh, we’d cry right!?
Have you got any shows in the pipeline?
We’re currently putting together a string of shows, so there’ll be more news on that as it develops. Due to other commitments though, its looking likely that won’t happen until at least December, but we’ll see!
And finally what’s in store for Cope for 2017?
We’re currently already working on the follow-up to Challenge Oppression, so that’ll be coming around Spring time. We’ll also have another video out by then, and will be doing some of the festivals here in the UK, and possibly Europe too. So lots on the cards!
