There’s no shortage of cross-talk about authenticity in country music, but Ross Cooper is one of the few Nashville songsmiths who is an actual rodeo cowboy. Cooper’s upcoming album Lightning Heart is as much a celebration of his literal cowboy youth as it is a reflection on the journey that’s brought him here. In our interview, Cooper explains the jarring medical condition that inspired the album’s name and how he’s just trying to live in the moment.
Explain the title of your album.
Lightning Heart – A couple of years ago, I started having these spells on stage that felt like heart attacks. I would feel my body start to sweat, my heart rate start spiking, and every now and then would see dark clouds like I was going to pass out. It scared the hell out of me, so I went to the doctor to try and get it figured out, but not much luck. It kept happening. Every show the same thing. It even happened on my wedding day….I was standing at the altar looking my wife in her eyes, and my heart rate was somewhere north of 250 BPM. Come to find out; I have a heart condition that was misdiagnosed for a long time that I’ve since had a couple of procedures for, although my condition can be treated, neither procedure has been successful, so I take meds every day until I can have another surgery. But in knowing it’s not going to kill me, I’ve had to look it in the eyes a couple of times when I’ve had an episode…when I’ve felt it come on, I almost challenge it to do its worst. It’s not stronger than I am, so I try to call its bluff, and mentally, at least, for whatever reason, that works. My arrhythmia is caused by an abnormal current. I call it a bolt of lightning. Even though I’m stronger in spite of it and not because of it, either way, it’s a lightning heart.
How do you manage having a good time at shows but also trying to stay mentally and physically fit?
To me, longevity in anything means trying to be your best. These days, I don’t drink much, especially on stage. I might have a shot before I get on stage with the rest of the band, but that’s about it. I keep a routine as much as I can on the road, and that helps a lot. I also usually have a band of folks who like to get up and go work out, eat right, etc. When I was younger, I’d fooled myself into thinking that I had to drink on stage to have a good time, and now at 34, I can tell you that I’m having more fun just living in the moments. Everything in moderation, for sure. And there are still times when I’ll have a few drinks, but more often than not, I wake up earlier and start the day with a healthy routine.
Do you play covers at your shows? Why or Why not?
In a 90-minute set, we usually play MAYBE 2 covers. They’re often songs that you’ve forgotten, you know. We put a lot of time into figuring out which ones make a set, and sometimes they don’t work. Right now, the covers are “Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing” by Chris Isaak and “Tonight We Ride” by Tom Russell, but we’ve worked in The Strokes, Thin Lizzy, Danny O’Keefe, and on and on. I usually stay away from anything too cliche.
And honestly, I’ll put a couple of covers in because it makes the band and me happy. They’re fun, especially if you can rethink the arrangement and/or make them your own. Now, having said that I’ve been to shows where it’s felt like I was watching a cover band. Not for me. I understand the business behind it, but I’d rather fail with a setlist of my own songs than succeed with someone else’s.
Tell us about your favorite show you’ve ever played.
It was actually probably a whole run of shows. Last year, my band and I supported Sam Outlaw in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and The Netherlands. To be able to go play your songs in front of respectful crowds in beautiful countries that I’d never seen was truly something I’ll never forget. I remember looking out into the crowd in this 100-year-old theater in Kristianstad, Sweden, thinking, “there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.” I had a lump in my throat that whole show for whatever reason. That feeling of finding that universal bond through music with people across the globe is one I’ll never take for granted.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
This is a great question, and I’ve found my answer changes with the seasons. Right now, I’m going to say “When You Wish Upon A Star” (yes, the one sung by Jiminy Cricket…or Cliff Edwards) and “Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell. Both are beautiful songs. Clever poetry with beautiful melodies. But more than that, the perfect ones make you feel it. I’m not sure there’s a science to it more than that…you either feel it or you don’t sometimes. Plus, Wichita Lineman has one of the best lines in any song ever written in it, “…and I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time”.
Lighting Heart will be out on 9/29.