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Even For A Shadow Release 03 May 2024

‘Even Like A Shadow’ is the fifth solo album from singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ray Cooper and comes twelve years after leaving Oysterband with whom he spent two decades recording and touring the world.This album has a road theme and features guest appearances from Kathryn Roberts, Ben Paley, Emma Härdelin, Sunniva Bondesson and many others.

Ray says: ‘A journey, and a long one, over forty solo tours in the last twelve years and a lot of time to think. I get many of my song ideas when I am driving; it is also the only time I listen to music.
These songs are my memories, imagined conversations and thoughts.
This album is like a car journey and the kind of radio I would like to hear, but rarely find’

Although Ray recorded most of the instruments himself, using piano, guitars, cello, bass, harmonica, harmonium, mandolin, percussion and kantele, he got support from John Eriksson (Peter Björn and John) on drums, Gustav Andersson on piano, Ben Paley on the fiddle, Anders Peev on the nyckelharpa and Hamburg church musicians on trumpets and trombones. He also recorded vocal duets with three different singers: Emma Härdelin (Garmarna, Triakel), Sunniva Bondesson (Baskery) and Kathryn Roberts (Equation, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman duo).

After the eight original compositions and three traditional songs newly arranged by Ray, the album ends with the well-known Jimmy Webb song “Adios”.

The album was recorded in Ray’s studio in Sweden. Additional overdubs were added in Devon, Hamburg and Berlin. Al Scott was at the mixing desk in Brighton.

In 2024, Ray Cooper will be touring in the UK in October and in Germany for two tours in May and September.

Biography:

Ray Cooper started playing in bands at the age of sixteen. After studying at Art College in Brighton, he became a member of the punk band Amazorblades, moved to London and began working with other bands and genres. He was already an experienced session musician and had worked with producers such as Steve Lillywhite, Martin Rushent, Phil Chevron, Joe Jackson, Pete Bellotte, Aki Dean, and Edwin Starr when he became a member of 3 Mustaphas 3 in 1982.

He then moved repeatedly between rock, punk, pop and world music, working as a singer, bassist and cellist before joining the Oysterband and embarking on a long journey to his own roots. In 2000, Cooper moved to Sweden, but continued to work with the Oysterband, with whom he performed in 27 countries and recorded many albums. In 2012 the band won three BBC Radio 2 “Folk Awards” for Best Group, Best Album and Best Traditional Track, appeared on the Later with Jools Holland show and were declared one of the three “Icons of Folk” by FROOTS magazine. Despite the great success, Cooper decided to leave the band in 2013 and start a solo career, which he has since successfully pursued with four albums to date. Two of them were nominated for the German Record Critics’ Prize.

Reviews of Ray Cooper’s latest album Even For A Shadow:

Spirit Rocks

‘This album is sure to captivate fans of folk music as well as those who appreciate thoughtful song-writing and masterful musicianship’

Folking.com

“Even For A Shadow is a sublime singer-songwriter album from Ray Cooper, … this music has the always relevant attitude, with many a melody to burn.”