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Time to dive a little deeper with one of our most dedicated members, Francis Coop and his latest song submission 'All that is left is loneliness'.
Let’s start off by you telling our readers what song we’re diving deeper into (All that is left is loneliness) and the general story behind the lyrics…
Well, this was originally intended to be a duet constructed around a traditional call and response (think ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ or ‘Summer Nights’) – the lyrics would then describe a failed relationship sung from the point of view of each male/female protagonist – But I decided to merge the two together so to speak and although the song sounds like one person’s feelings, it’s actually two interwoven….And they finally both agree that loneliness is all that’s left (but with the subtle difference in the way they say it….)
Your vocals are absolutely on fire in this song, and as mentioned during Sunday nights listening party – you’re really starting to push boundaries. Do you feel yourself becoming more confident with your voice?
First of all, thank you – And yes, I’ve really worked hard on my vocals this year – I’ve found that as my song writing has matured my melodies have informed the use of certain keys – As a young performer (back in the last Century!) I had a vocal range of around 5 octaves (6 at a push) and had very little concern about the key of the songs I wrote or wanted to sing – but at 56, my range has understandably reduced so the songs I write can often be at the very limit of my ability to sing them…which means pushing the boundaries…
Are there any parts of your song that you’re particularly proud of?
I’d say the lyrics are just how I’d hoped they’d be – brief lines that articulate strong emotion or feelings that are simple but intimate much more – Then the outro, the
stacked melody came (as it almost always does) right out of the blue but I think compliments the story really all the same….
If you could go back and start this song from scratch, what would you do differently?
Hmmm…. that’s a loaded question – I’d write either Frank Mc Bride’s or Debra Murphy’s song submissions….
We’ve spoken on many occasions about your influences and music hero’s, it would be great to list a few for our readers. Who are your biggest musical influences?
I have so many influences – a full list would go on way too long but I remain a devoted fan of The Beatles (as shown in the Abbey Road cameo) – However, I do have a core of songwriters that I regularly reference in my work and continue to be inspired by:
Mike Viola – A prolific singer-songwriter and producer - also known as the man behind Candy Butchers writing songs like ‘Girly Worm’, ‘Falling into Place’, ‘Good Ideas Grow on Trees’ – he was also the co-composer of ‘That Thing You Do’ (for the Tom Hanks film) his gift for the ‘unusual perspective’ in song is legendary...
Neil Finn – Founder member of Split Enz, Crowded House, Finn Brothers and Pajama Club – his songwriting is often steeped in 60s influences portrayed in tunes like ‘Fall At Your Feet’, ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’, ‘Weather With You’, ‘Four Seasons In One Day’ – He has more recently been the Lead guitarist in a revamped Fleetwood Mac as well as working on ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ film score with Peter Jackson….
Adam Schlesinger - Songwriter/producer Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne fame is the talent behind songs like ‘Stacy’s Mom’, ‘Hackensack’, ‘Strapped for Cash’, ‘Someone to Love’ and ‘All Kinds of Time’. Adam also had a hand in helping Mike Viola in the co-composition of ‘That Thing You Do’….
William McAuley – Better known as the Artist Bleu (no, not that one) the multi- talented Solo singer and collaborator can be heard in albums ‘Six Tape’ ‘To Hell With You’ ‘Four’ and ‘A Watched Pot’ showing off his unerring habit of creating ear candy as addictive as raw sugar – He is the also the driving force behind projects like Loud Lion, L.E.O. and The Major Labels…
Tell us a little about your musical journey up until this point… (any bands you’ve been in, any music you’ve released, your relationship with music as a kid, etc.)
My first memory of performing in front of an audience was when there was ever a ‘Family get-together’ – As both my Parents came from very large Irish Families there were always a couple of dozen children in attendance (including my younger sisters and myself) who were ‘encouraged’ to do a turn, sing a song or dance etc. so I can only think that’s where the ‘musical performing seed’ was sown.
As I’ve mentioned in my ‘5 or More’ Bio my relationship with music goes back as far as I can remember – I was always playing records and listening to Reel-to-Reel tape recordings made of the hits from ‘Top Of The Pops’ as a young child which dates things back to around 1969 or 1970 and I continue to be hooked to this day…
After teaching myself to play guitar and piano at around 14, my first Band was made up of School friends but that swiftly ended after leaving Secondary School for an Engineering Apprenticeship in 1982 – It wasn’t until 1986 that I really had a Band that performed regularly in and around the Preston area for paid gigs. Later in the 1980’s I joined a professional Band called ‘Empire State’ that recorded several singles but never quite made an Album – However, I did get to meet several members of 10cc during the sessions as we used their Strawberry Studios near Salford.
Up to date I’m in two projects – one ‘all Electric’ five- piece that performs Classic Pop/Rock covers and Band originals and the other an ‘all Acoustic’ quartet that performs Classic tracks from the ‘Lauren Canyon’ era along with some originals
too…
What’s your experience with COMUSO been like so far?
The fact I’ve been (kindly) invited on ‘Between The Waves’ shows the impact of COMUSO on my songwriting in just 8 short months – The Community is an invaluable source of experience, technical support and inspiration…
Finally, any COMUSO artists we should check out?
I can highly recommend the songwriters that I’ve been checking out myself over the last year or so that some might have missed the first time around: Ellie Masterman, Matt McNab, Debra Murphy and Sam Skelton
To hear 'All that is left is loneliness' and every song submission by Francis so far, head over to the COMUSO Player and check out his 'Five or more club' page (you must be a member to access the COMUSO Player).
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