Exclusive Interview with PIPER COLE

With the release of her newest single, “Gravity,” Piper Cole is searching for a fresh start. Not so much to escape her current situation as to reappear; to remove and peal back all the barriers keeping her from being fully alive.

Written and produced by Cole in the bleak peak of Winter, at a time when she was so bogged down by the world and all the struggle in it. “I wanted to write a song that made me feel happy inside when I heard it. I thought of upbeat tempos, and I was drawn to retro synths and an uplifting chorus”, Cole explains. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

PIPER COLE: I grew up near Vancouver, BC. I moved to the UK in 2003 and then eventually came back in 2010. It is such a beautiful place to live and create. I would say that my musical beginnings came quite young. I started writing songs at a young age before I could even write words. I would draw “song pictures” in my little colouring books and then sing them to myself while walking to school.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

PIPER COLE: At age 12 I took guitar lessons from a teacher who was a rock guitarist. He taught me to play my favourite songs at the time which was Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots. I then started singing lessons at age 14 and my teacher was a classically trained opera singer. The other side of the musical spectrum! I then continued classical voice training and eventually got a Bachelors Degree in Music where I majored in Music composition. I immensely value my training in classical music but I think in my heart I have always wanted to be a singer songwriter.

3. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

PIPER COLE: I would describe my sound as Folktronica. I combine indie folk/singer songwriter with a strong electronic element. I love the sound the combination of these genres create.

4. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

PIPER COLE: I like music with a strong message. I tend to use music creation as a vehicle for my own growth and mental health and I think that then helps others. Also, yes, as a electronic music producer, I love to challenge myself technically which I find personally fulfilling.

5. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

PIPER COLE: I definitely loved working in my home studio. I did a lot of live performing over the years but I am enjoying taking a break from that. I am a bit of an introvert and as my music is electronic, it is a bit difficult to execute it live. However, if I could find the right musicians who can help me put together an electronic live show that would be fun!

6. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

PIPER COLE: I love both actually. I am happy for folks to know my intention and thoughts behind my words but I think as listeners we all go on an individual journey. I am happy for my listeners to do what feels good for them.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

PIPER COLE: Hard question. I put a lot of time in my production and have a hard time stepping back and calling it done. I can tweak the music endlessly and make the production complicated. On one hand that excites me but it is also exhausting. I do have a love hate relationship with my music creation and I often wonder if I am really loving the whole process. Creating music seems to be something I am compelled to do and so I will continue to do it. When I first released my first album, I did all the things you do when you release music. Publicity, social media, a release show, merch, the whole works! I then took stock and asked myself, what part of all if this do I actually enjoy. I realized that I love creating the music the most. So I have focused on doing just that. That has increased my fulfillment as a music creator.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

PIPER COLE: It’s tortuous! Lol. Like I said I can tweak the music endlessly and I tend to work on my own. I usually start with a synth pattern and drum beat. I then create the rest of the instrumental around that foundation. The vocal melody comes next and finally the lyrics are last. I have the hardest time getting the lyrics to come. I feel like the songs are emerging from some mysterious place and I have to be patient and just wait for them to arrive.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

PIPER COLE: I am a bit of a private person so I have found promotion to be hard.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

PIPER COLE: Honestly, I am proud that I have released music. For many years I longed to put my music out there and just didn’t have the ability to do it. I worked hard, studied music production at Berklee and figured out how to create the music I wanted.