Trevor Cooke is no stranger to us at Born & Bred. We’ve been interested in him since he came across our radar last year with his Proudly West Virginian which saw him drop bars on a track that featured WVU’s marching band, The Pride Of West Virginia. The young hip hop artist has a fantastic social media presence and knows how to market as well as rap. When we found out he was doing a full live album, “Ego: A Live Album Performance By Trevor Cooke” we knew we wanted to talk to him about it and find out more about the project which is available on Bandcamp. We talked to him about the album and what motivates him.
How did you get into hip hop and what made you decide this is what I want to do?
My commitment lies more with music as a whole than any specific genre. I started writing seriously at around thirteen to cope with my own struggles with mental health, and it proved to be the most fulfilling pursuit I’ve found to date; it genuinely helped me like nothing else did. Once I started creating, even as an eighth grader, I knew with absolute certainty that I couldn’t dedicate my life to anything except music. It was kind of a “peace that passes understanding” moment for me, realizing that.
My love for the culture of Hip-Hop and the art of rapping began about a year or so later when I discovered Tyler, The Creator’s Wolf. That album gradually opened me up to a decades-long archive of some of the most passionate, well-written, compelling music I’ve found: Hip-Hop. I found myself infatuated with its artistry – that of both the vocalists and the instrumentalists. In the past few years especially, I’ve had people like yasiin bey and Jay-Z in heavy rotation. Naturally, what I write is linked to what I listen to; when the EGO era came together, it was a lot of Hip-Hop music.
Who are some of your obvious influences but who are some musicians that inspire you that people might not expect?
I like the way you worded that question; I think some of my musical influences are pretty obvious! I definitely draw inspiration from people like twenty one pilots, Tyler, The Creator, and Mac Miller – no surprises there. But my Dad’s love of Rush has found its way into my head, too, as has my mom’s love of Jimmy Buffett. I especially admire Buffett’s storytelling – I mean, how could I not? I also listened to a fair amount of One Direction for a while, and I try to channel some aspects of their work when I’m writing a hook. Pop music is good, man. It’s okay for songs to be catchy. I’m glad I got over my “I’m too cool for pop music” phase.
What made you decide to do a live hip hop album?
I honestly didn’t think of the project like that! I just thought of it as a Trevor Cooke live album, and a lot of my music happens to be Hip-Hop at the moment. I was motivated to do a live album because of the experience of doing shows, my personal love of live albums, and the importance of live shows in my career.
As a listener, I love live albums because they let me bring the experience of a concert with me wherever I go (one specific Tyler, The Creator performance was the soundtrack to my bike rides around Morgantown for a long time). As a musician, performing live is fulfilling, exciting, and invigorating like nothing else; of course I want to hold onto that moment for a little bit longer. So I recorded it! Finally, live shows are how I connect with the vast majority of new listeners. I do what I can online, but it’s a lot easier to captivate someone from a stage than from a phone. Being able to go up in front of people who don’t know me and get them to clap along with me is the best way I’ve been able to engage new listeners.
Who helped get this live project recorded?
Jay Redmond owns The Encore, the venue where we recorded the album, and he was kind enough to let us use the space for the evening. Truly, he was a pleasure to work with; he was really excited about The Encore being used to record a live album. His in-house live sound engineer, Audio Co Sound LLC’s Kyle Boyce, tracked the whole thing for us. He was phenomenal – I couldn’t have asked for a better live sound engineer. Before we started recording, my music mentor Ross Justice came through to check everything out and put my mind at ease. I’ve learned a million and one recording techniques and principles from him. Being able to credit Ross on this record is huge for me.
Video recording and color grading was handled by my uncle Dave Laishley. Dave – or “Dee” as I call him – has been my videographer for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid he helped me make movies with his GoPro in my grandparents’ yard. When I put out my previous record, What I Don’t Know, he shot my first music video. I admire Dee so much, and I wouldn’t want anyone else behind the camera for my first live album.
Did you learn anything from this that you will take forward with you or is there anything you would do differently?
If you watch the live record, you can see that between the songs Main Attraction and Sunshine I duck backstage to attempt an outfit change. The key word here is “attempt.” I wanted to put on a Hawaiian shirt for Sunshine, but I forgot to unbutton the shirt before the show. I didn’t have enough time in between songs to unbutton it and get it on, so I wound up rushing back onto the stage holding the shirt in my hand. So next time I bring a Hawaiian shirt to a show, I’ll make sure it’s unbuttoned before I try to change into it between songs.
I did eventually get the shirt on, though.
Where do you get your inspiration for what you write?
My motivation hasn’t changed much since I started writing. Seven, almost eight, songwriting years later I still find myself using the language of music to help me cope with my personal battles. Of course, those struggles have changed over time; things that used to really trip me up are now barely bumps in my road at all. Part of what I want to do through my work is to serve as living proof that life gets better, and using my music to showcase my personal growth lets me do just that.
What is your favorite track on the album and why?
What a tough question! If I had to pick only one it would be Doing Well LIVE. I started playing that song live at my second show ever – October 28th of ‘21. I played outside the WVU student recreation center for Fall Food Fest. Ever since then, I’ve ended all my sets with Doing Well. Wherever I go, whoever is there with me, whatever happens during the show, that song always grounds me.
I’ve been able to go from playing Doing Well outside the rec center to playing it in The Morgantown Art Bar during brunch for two or three people to now playing it for a room full of people at an event I booked, managed, and promoted – and people even sing along to the chorus now! I’m far from done growing, but Doing Well LIVE lets me take a breath and appreciate where I am right now – and more importantly the people here with me listening to what I have to say.
What’s next in the world of Trevor Cooke?
I think I’m gonna explore love languages – letting people know what they mean to me, trying to find words for it, stuff like that. Of course I have more of a plan than I’m letting on, but I guess you’ll have to stick around to see it happen for yourself.
I’m gonna keep recording and producing for other people in the meantime, though. Punchbowl Music, LLC. is my own small business where I offer all kinds of music recording and production services to other people. I love being onstage but I shine behind the board, too, if I do say so myself. I want to help other artists refine their crafts and be able to release work that they’re really proud of.
Where can people find your music?
Funny you should ask, I actually have a whole website just for that! People can keep in touch with me and listen to my music at www.TrevorCooke.com! You can also search my name on whatever streaming service you use, but the live record is exclusively available on BandCamp. The easiest way to get it is to go to my website.
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to what I have to say about this record, and music as a whole! It means a lot to me to be featured in a publication that’s so supportive of West Virginian art. I can’t wait to talk more in the future.
