We had the pleasure of getting to know Manchester musician, singer and songwriter JP Cooper.
JP Cooper is wearing ASTEROID, from our latest Luxury Shearling Collection.
Tell us a bit about how you got into the music scene?
"I guess a lot of it had to be growing up in Manchester in the 90's really, obviously there was a lot of bands and music around at that time. I guess with the success of bands like Oasis, James and the Happy Mondays, a lot of my friends bought guitars or had guitars lying around the house. One of my closest friends and his older brother started playing guitar and I started learning covers of bands that we loved. Without that I don't think I'd have got into it, there was no music in my family, I didn't come from a big musical household. I guess with that and the fact that the weather was so bad in Manchester!"
What does Manchester as a city mean to you and has the city influenced you at all?
"It's home, it's honest, it's hard working, it's vibrant, it's colourful, it's been my stomping ground, Manchester is an amazing place. I hold many good memories there, it raised me well and I'm grateful for the people."
Do you have a home away from home?
"I guess my home away from home now is St.Lucia in the Caribbean which is so, so different from Manchester. My wife and her family are from there so I've been spending a lot more time there over the past few years. It's really interesting to see the place not just as a tourist but as a part of a family. It's nice to really see a country as the locals see it, I feel like I've landed on my feet with that one. The seafood and the weather out there is just amazing and again its another great colourful place, I'm sure i'll be spending many more days there."
Aside from your BODA, what are your wardrobe essentials you always take on the road with you?
"One of the first things would be a neck tie or neckerchief, I have a massive collection of them in loads of different colours. Of course-hats, I love my hats from beanies to working class classic flat caps. I'm really into my vintage work wear and also I tend to wear quite a lot of Japanese stuff. "
