Shane Cooley

"I've worked in radio since 1963, and over the years I've learned to recognize talent. I heard Shane Cooley at a coffeehouse, outside in the Austin summer. There was something in his sound that made me want to listen. The more I did, the better I liked him. He's also got the drive that I think, combined with his singing, playing, and songwriting talents, makes him someone to pay attention to."

~John Aielli, host of "Eklektikos," KUTX NPR radio, Austin, TX - KUTX NPR radio (Austin, Texas)

Concert helps Red Cross
By Abby Walter
Northern Neck News Student Intern
Although the students change, the teachers come and go, and the school programs differ, fall and the beginning of school are a constant.
Last week, Rappahannock High School began a new school year with Jesse Boyd as the new principal and Jason Strong as the new vice principal. The annual Student Council Association held their meeting with all grade levels and introduced all the clubs and new teachers to the student body.
Among the myriad activities going on at the beginning of the school year, there is one that stands out. Inspiration Elevation, an open mic and poetry reading program that was begun last year and continued through the summer, had its first regularly sched uled event of the school year at Java Jacks Coffee House. Shane Cooley was the featured performer. The event was developed by RHS English teacher, Grover Cleveland Winfield III and Mimi McComb, owner of Java Jacks, and has really grown a following in the past few months. The program was launched for visual artists, musicians, poets, novelists, comedians, and rappers.
The free show held Sept. 10 took up a collection of donations for the River Counties Red Cross. The River Counties Red Cross helped people affected by Hurricane Irene when the Northern Neck was hit two weeks ago.
Winfield said that raising money for the Red Cross was purely Cooley’s idea. He described Shane as a very caring person.
“I think we are truly blessed to have someone so passionate about his craft and talented in what he does come to support our venue. Shane Cooley is an extraordinary talent and one of my favorite artists,” he said.
Shane Cooley, a graduate of RHS and son of former principal, Jack Cooley, is a professional musician. He just recently returned from “The Heart on a Suitcase Tour” that spanned the Northeast with singer and songwriter, Rosa Wallace. Before that, he was on a 45-day tour which consisted of 49 shows. While in the area, Cooley spoke with local radio station, 105.5 WRAR FM, to promote his performance at Java Jacks. Cooley also just came out with a new album, West Land.
In the past, Cooley has performed locally at RHS to raise money for children with muscular dystrophy and to raise awareness about teen suicide. He also performed to help with donations for Zoar Baptist Church after they were devastated by the tornado in Deltaville.
“I became adamant about making music my career when I realized that I could do things like this,” he said.
As Winfield introduced Cooley to the stage he explains what an inspiration Shane has been in his life. When Cooley takes to the stage he bellows a loud “Hello Tappahannock!” and soon afterwards jokingly says, “Not many people get to say that.” Watching this local musician, it seems he is completely in his element as he cracks jokes between songs.
“There is nothing else for me. Over the past couple years I’ve undergone a bit of a metamorphosis, where I’ve realized just what I need to do in order to actually make this music thing happen. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of my art,” he explains.
Cooley brought a high level of energy to the night. The success of the open mic night sparked another program, Deft Poetry Society. Deft Poetry Society is a club founded by Grover Cleveland Winfield III, Alessa Leming, a local poet, and John W. Ashley, pastor of Tappahannock Memorial United Methodist Church. For those who are passionate about poetry in their everyday lives, the first meeting of the society will be Wednesday, September 14th at 6:00 p.m. at Tappahannock Memorial United Methodist Church.
Since Cooley has spent a lot of time on the road, returning to his hometown is a big deal.
“Over the past two years, I’ve received a fair amount of messages about when I’m performing in the area again. Well, here I am!” - The Northern Neck News

A pair of benefit concerts over the May 21-22 weekend netted more than $8,000 for recovery efforts happening in the wake of month's destructive tornadoes.

A May 21 concert by songwriter Shane Cooley raised nearly $6,200 to help rebuild the tornado-wrecked Zoar Baptist Church in Deltaville.

"It went great, a nice big crowd. I'd say half the town showed up," said Cooley, speaking from Nashville where he's spending a few days writing songs. "It was a lovely evening, the show was held at a ballpark with the stage right on the pitchers mound. A very all-American kind of venue."

Cooley grew up on the Northern Neck. He said one of his high school teachers is the wife of the pastor at Zoar. When the tornado hit, the couple ran into the church to take shelter and somehow survived although much of the church was crushed.

In the wake of the disaster, Cooley called and offered to play a free show to help raise money to rebuild the church.

"It was good to be helping out a cause," Cooley said. "I just wanted to help. I'm glad people were game about it."
- The Daily Press

Concert helps Red Cross
By Abby Walter
Northern Neck News Student Intern
Although the students change, the teachers come and go, and the school programs differ, fall and the beginning of school are a constant.
Last week, Rappahannock High School began a new school year with Jesse Boyd as the new principal and Jason Strong as the new vice principal. The annual Student Council Association held their meeting with all grade levels and introduced all the clubs and new teachers to the student body.
Among the myriad activities going on at the beginning of the school year, there is one that stands out. Inspiration Elevation, an open mic and poetry reading program that was begun last year and continued through the summer, had its first regularly sched uled event of the school year at Java Jacks Coffee House. Shane Cooley was the featured performer. The event was developed by RHS English teacher, Grover Cleveland Winfield III and Mimi McComb, owner of Java Jacks, and has really grown a following in the past few months. The program was launched for visual artists, musicians, poets, novelists, comedians, and rappers.
The free show held Sept. 10 took up a collection of donations for the River Counties Red Cross. The River Counties Red Cross helped people affected by Hurricane Irene when the Northern Neck was hit two weeks ago.
Winfield said that raising money for the Red Cross was purely Cooley’s idea. He described Shane as a very caring person.
“I think we are truly blessed to have someone so passionate about his craft and talented in what he does come to support our venue. Shane Cooley is an extraordinary talent and one of my favorite artists,” he said.
Shane Cooley, a graduate of RHS and son of former principal, Jack Cooley, is a professional musician. He just recently returned from “The Heart on a Suitcase Tour” that spanned the Northeast with singer and songwriter, Rosa Wallace. Before that, he was on a 45-day tour which consisted of 49 shows. While in the area, Cooley spoke with local radio station, 105.5 WRAR FM, to promote his performance at Java Jacks. Cooley also just came out with a new album, West Land.
In the past, Cooley has performed locally at RHS to raise money for children with muscular dystrophy and to raise awareness about teen suicide. He also performed to help with donations for Zoar Baptist Church after they were devastated by the tornado in Deltaville.
“I became adamant about making music my career when I realized that I could do things like this,” he said.
As Winfield introduced Cooley to the stage he explains what an inspiration Shane has been in his life. When Cooley takes to the stage he bellows a loud “Hello Tappahannock!” and soon afterwards jokingly says, “Not many people get to say that.” Watching this local musician, it seems he is completely in his element as he cracks jokes between songs.
“There is nothing else for me. Over the past couple years I’ve undergone a bit of a metamorphosis, where I’ve realized just what I need to do in order to actually make this music thing happen. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of my art,” he explains.
Cooley brought a high level of energy to the night. The success of the open mic night sparked another program, Deft Poetry Society. Deft Poetry Society is a club founded by Grover Cleveland Winfield III, Alessa Leming, a local poet, and John W. Ashley, pastor of Tappahannock Memorial United Methodist Church. For those who are passionate about poetry in their everyday lives, the first meeting of the society will be Wednesday, September 14th at 6:00 p.m. at Tappahannock Memorial United Methodist Church.
Since Cooley has spent a lot of time on the road, returning to his hometown is a big deal.
“Over the past two years, I’ve received a fair amount of messages about when I’m performing in the area again. Well, here I am!” - Rappahannock Record

Concert helps Red Cross
By Abby Walter
Northern Neck News Student Intern
Although the students change, the teachers come and go, and the school programs differ, fall and the beginning of school are a constant.
Last week, Rappahannock High School began a new school year with Jesse Boyd as the new principal and Jason Strong as the new vice principal. The annual Student Council Association held their meeting with all grade levels and introduced all the clubs and new teachers to the student body.
Among the myriad activities going on at the beginning of the school year, there is one that stands out. Inspiration Elevation, an open mic and poetry reading program that was begun last year and continued through the summer, had its first regularly sched uled event of the school year at Java Jacks Coffee House. Shane Cooley was the featured performer. The event was developed by RHS English teacher, Grover Cleveland Winfield III and Mimi McComb, owner of Java Jacks, and has really grown a following in the past few months. The program was launched for visual artists, musicians, poets, novelists, comedians, and rappers.
The free show held Sept. 10 took up a collection of donations for the River Counties Red Cross. The River Counties Red Cross helped people affected by Hurricane Irene when the Northern Neck was hit two weeks ago.
Winfield said that raising money for the Red Cross was purely Cooley’s idea. He described Shane as a very caring person.
“I think we are truly blessed to have someone so passionate about his craft and talented in what he does come to support our venue. Shane Cooley is an extraordinary talent and one of my favorite artists,” he said.
Shane Cooley, a graduate of RHS and son of former principal, Jack Cooley, is a professional musician. He just recently returned from “The Heart on a Suitcase Tour” that spanned the Northeast with singer and songwriter, Rosa Wallace. Before that, he was on a 45-day tour which consisted of 49 shows. While in the area, Cooley spoke with local radio station, 105.5 WRAR FM, to promote his performance at Java Jacks. Cooley also just came out with a new album, West Land.
In the past, Cooley has performed locally at RHS to raise money for children with muscular dystrophy and to raise awareness about teen suicide. He also performed to help with donations for Zoar Baptist Church after they were devastated by the tornado in Deltaville.
“I became adamant about making music my career when I realized that I could do things like this,” he said.
As Winfield introduced Cooley to the stage he explains what an inspiration Shane has been in his life. When Cooley takes to the stage he bellows a loud “Hello Tappahannock!” and soon afterwards jokingly says, “Not many people get to say that.” Watching this local musician, it seems he is completely in his element as he cracks jokes between songs.
“There is nothing else for me. Over the past couple years I’ve undergone a bit of a metamorphosis, where I’ve realized just what I need to do in order to actually make this music thing happen. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of my art,” he explains.
Cooley brought a high level of energy to the night. The success of the open mic night sparked another program, Deft Poetry Society. Deft Poetry Society is a club founded by Grover Cleveland Winfield III, Alessa Leming, a local poet, and John W. Ashley, pastor of Tappahannock Memorial United Methodist Church. For those who are passionate about poetry in their everyday lives, the first meeting of the society will be Wednesday, September 14th at 6:00 p.m. at Tappahannock Memorial United Methodist Church.
Since Cooley has spent a lot of time on the road, returning to his hometown is a big deal.
“Over the past two years, I’ve received a fair amount of messages about when I’m performing in the area again. Well, here I am!” - Rappahannock Record

Shane Cooley is a product of the times. For his sound, the music that acts as influence goes back to when the times they were a changin’. Back to a world where the singer/songwriter was offering wisdom and experience on a mainstream level. From rural Virginia,twenty-three year old Shane has built a career in song and on stage for close to a decade. Touring takes him across the country that he, in turn, name checks on his recent release, ‘West Land’.

The songs each have a backdrop that looms large in the story line. The “College Town” referenced is a universal place. The geography is flexible, it takes in a lot of territory but the feelings inside never move beyond one goal, heading out and finding something better. When Shane crawls into the skin of Jim Bowie to tell a personal tale of “The Alamo”, he breaks down a history of America, one that birthed a state, to the inner thoughts of a man who is less myth and very human. A character who ‘tonight doesn’t want any trouble” and is seeking some quiet time where he can “cut this Jim Bowie act for a while”.

It is good story telling that can let the scenery be already in place before the song begins. We can use our own knowledge of the end as a character in a tale that is just beginning. Continuing the wider picture approach, Shane uses “San Diego” and “California Nights” as images and characters. While “Window Shopping” he falls back in time, letting an act lead to a memory, the reflection clears from a blur and the long lost lover search is on.

‘West Land’ showcases Shane Cooley’s dedication to the art of the song as much as it reflects his life on the road in America, bringing music to one city at a time. The album that he envisioned when he partnered with producer Stewart Myers gives a generous nod to the folk and rock and roll of the 1960’s and 1970s. Shane plays most of the instruments himself, crafting an album that he feels is “the first record that truly sounds like me.”

Singer/songwriters tend to look inside as much as they point their pens on the world. What could pass for an autobiography on Shane Cooley is lodged on ‘West Land’ in the track “21st Century”. In the story, the narrator reveals himself early, “my heart isn’t broken, it’s frozen, in a century where I don’t belong”’ showing us “battle scars on my skin, but not as many as I may deserve, I attempt to defend the spirit within but I don’t have the guts to really get hurt”. Like Shane, the advice he could have gotten away with this in ’68 but he is forty-years too late. He sees the towns that go by, the laws we live under, with same vision of fire that came from the songs of writers who had the benefit of people listening when they sang. His patron saints are the poets who spat in society’s face only to know that he “cannot afford that fate in the 21st century."

It is the age old question of who took to the road first, the singer or the song. The yin and yang of the traveling troubadour is the tales they carry. - The Alternate Root Magazine (first print issue of the online publication)

Shane Cooley is a product of the times. For his sound, the music that acts as influence goes back to when the times they were a changin’. Back to a world where the singer/songwriter was offering wisdom and experience on a mainstream level. From rural Virginia,twenty-three year old Shane has built a career in song and on stage for close to a decade. Touring takes him across the country that he, in turn, name checks on his recent release, ‘West Land’.

The songs each have a backdrop that looms large in the story line. The “College Town” referenced is a universal place. The geography is flexible, it takes in a lot of territory but the feelings inside never move beyond one goal, heading out and finding something better. When Shane crawls into the skin of Jim Bowie to tell a personal tale of “The Alamo”, he breaks down a history of America, one that birthed a state, to the inner thoughts of a man who is less myth and very human. A character who ‘tonight doesn’t want any trouble” and is seeking some quiet time where he can “cut this Jim Bowie act for a while”.

It is good story telling that can let the scenery be already in place before the song begins. We can use our own knowledge of the end as a character in a tale that is just beginning. Continuing the wider picture approach, Shane uses “San Diego” and “California Nights” as images and characters. While “Window Shopping” he falls back in time, letting an act lead to a memory, the reflection clears from a blur and the long lost lover search is on.

‘West Land’ showcases Shane Cooley’s dedication to the art of the song as much as it reflects his life on the road in America, bringing music to one city at a time. The album that he envisioned when he partnered with producer Stewart Myers gives a generous nod to the folk and rock and roll of the 1960’s and 1970s. Shane plays most of the instruments himself, crafting an album that he feels is “the first record that truly sounds like me.”

Singer/songwriters tend to look inside as much as they point their pens on the world. What could pass for an autobiography on Shane Cooley is lodged on ‘West Land’ in the track “21st Century”. In the story, the narrator reveals himself early, “my heart isn’t broken, it’s frozen, in a century where I don’t belong”’ showing us “battle scars on my skin, but not as many as I may deserve, I attempt to defend the spirit within but I don’t have the guts to really get hurt”. Like Shane, the advice he could have gotten away with this in ’68 but he is forty-years too late. He sees the towns that go by, the laws we live under, with same vision of fire that came from the songs of writers who had the benefit of people listening when they sang. His patron saints are the poets who spat in society’s face only to know that he “cannot afford that fate in the 21st century”.

It is the age old question of who took to the road first, the singer or the song. The yin and yang of the traveling troubadour is the tales they carry. - The Alternate Root Magazine (first print issue of the online publication)

Shane Cooley is a product of the times. For his sound, the music that acts as influence goes back to when the times they were a changin’. Back to a world where the singer/songwriter was offering wisdom and experience on a mainstream level. From rural Virginia,twenty-three year old Shane has built a career in song and on stage for close to a decade. Touring takes him across the country that he, in turn, name checks on his recent release, ‘West Land’.

The songs each have a backdrop that looms large in the story line. The “College Town” referenced is a universal place. The geography is flexible, it takes in a lot of territory but the feelings inside never move beyond one goal, heading out and finding something better. When Shane crawls into the skin of Jim Bowie to tell a personal tale of “The Alamo”, he breaks down a history of America, one that birthed a state, to the inner thoughts of a man who is less myth and very human. A character who ‘tonight doesn’t want any trouble” and is seeking some quiet time where he can “cut this Jim Bowie act for a while”.

It is good story telling that can let the scenery be already in place before the song begins. We can use our own knowledge of the end as a character in a tale that is just beginning. Continuing the wider picture approach, Shane uses “San Diego” and “California Nights” as images and characters. While “Window Shopping” he falls back in time, letting an act lead to a memory, the reflection clears from a blur and the long lost lover search is on.

‘West Land’ showcases Shane Cooley’s dedication to the art of the song as much as it reflects his life on the road in America, bringing music to one city at a time. The album that he envisioned when he partnered with producer Stewart Myers gives a generous nod to the folk and rock and roll of the 1960’s and 1970s. Shane plays most of the instruments himself, crafting an album that he feels is “the first record that truly sounds like me.”

Singer/songwriters tend to look inside as much as they point their pens on the world. What could pass for an autobiography on Shane Cooley is lodged on ‘West Land’ in the track “21st Century”. In the story, the narrator reveals himself early, “my heart isn’t broken, it’s frozen, in a century where I don’t belong”’ showing us “battle scars on my skin, but not as many as I may deserve, I attempt to defend the spirit within but I don’t have the guts to really get hurt”. Like Shane, the advice he could have gotten away with this in ’68 but he is forty-years too late. He sees the towns that go by, the laws we live under, with same vision of fire that came from the songs of writers who had the benefit of people listening when they sang. His patron saints are the poets who spat in society’s face only to know that he “cannot afford that fate in the 21st century”.

It is the age old question of who took to the road first, the singer or the song. The yin and yang of the traveling troubadour is the tales they carry. - The Alternate Root Magazine (first print issue of the online publication)

Shane Cooley is a product of the times. For his sound, the music that acts as influence goes back to when the times they were a changin’. Back to a world where the singer/songwriter was offering wisdom and experience on a mainstream level. From rural Virginia,twenty-three year old Shane has built a career in song and on stage for close to a decade. Touring takes him across the country that he, in turn, name checks on his recent release, ‘West Land’.

The songs each have a backdrop that looms large in the story line. The “College Town” referenced is a universal place. The geography is flexible, it takes in a lot of territory but the feelings inside never move beyond one goal, heading out and finding something better. When Shane crawls into the skin of Jim Bowie to tell a personal tale of “The Alamo”, he breaks down a history of America, one that birthed a state, to the inner thoughts of a man who is less myth and very human. A character who ‘tonight doesn’t want any trouble” and is seeking some quiet time where he can “cut this Jim Bowie act for a while”.

It is good story telling that can let the scenery be already in place before the song begins. We can use our own knowledge of the end as a character in a tale that is just beginning. Continuing the wider picture approach, Shane uses “San Diego” and “California Nights” as images and characters. While “Window Shopping” he falls back in time, letting an act lead to a memory, the reflection clears from a blur and the long lost lover search is on.

‘West Land’ showcases Shane Cooley’s dedication to the art of the song as much as it reflects his life on the road in America, bringing music to one city at a time. The album that he envisioned when he partnered with producer Stewart Myers gives a generous nod to the folk and rock and roll of the 1960’s and 1970s. Shane plays most of the instruments himself, crafting an album that he feels is “the first record that truly sounds like me.”

Singer/songwriters tend to look inside as much as they point their pens on the world. What could pass for an autobiography on Shane Cooley is lodged on ‘West Land’ in the track “21st Century”. In the story, the narrator reveals himself early, “my heart isn’t broken, it’s frozen, in a century where I don’t belong”’ showing us “battle scars on my skin, but not as many as I may deserve, I attempt to defend the spirit within but I don’t have the guts to really get hurt”. Like Shane, the advice he could have gotten away with this in ’68 but he is forty-years too late. He sees the towns that go by, the laws we live under, with same vision of fire that came from the songs of writers who had the benefit of people listening when they sang. His patron saints are the poets who spat in society’s face only to know that he “cannot afford that fate in the 21st century”.

It is the age old question of who took to the road first, the singer or the song. The yin and yang of the traveling troubadour is the tales they carry. - The Alternate Root Magazine (first print issue of the online publication)

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Nationally-touring singer/songwriters Shane Cooley and Rosa Wallace have been on the scene as solo artists for quite some time. Now, they have decided to join forces. The Heart on a Suitcase Tour is their first tour as a duo, making stops throughout the Northeast and New England. The artists will be performing their solo material, as well as their newly co-written work. Rosa's performance has been described as "physically and emotionally unable to stop listening to," (Jellyfinders Podcast), as Shane has been described as "giving the audience all that we could ask for - short of setting his guitar on fire," (Magazine 33).
The Heart on a Suitcase Tour will be performing on Tuesday, August 2 at The Saint, located on 601 Main St. Also on the bill will be Los Angeles singer/songwriter Sharif.

Shane Cooley, who is no stranger to Asbury Park, is particularly excited to return. "I've fallen in love with it, and I've made it a tour stop ever since I performed at the Wave Gathering in '08," he said. "I think it's important that touring artists continue to pass through and help in spread the word about Asbury's vibrant music scene." Cooley recently won 2nd place for "Best Male Artist" in the International Acoustic Music Awards.

Rosa Wallace, a North Carolina native, has been writing and performing music since age twelve in various bands. With a background in musical theatre, she is now pursuing a full-time career as a singer/songwriter. Both artists have toured the U.S several times.

After a week of writing and performing in Cooley's home state of Virginia, both artists were excited to hit the road as a collaborative act. "The first thing that struck me about Rosa is that she is just as determined as I am," said Cooley. "We are both very driven artists, and we challenge each other. We also have a musical chemistry, which is something that cannot be faked." Their personal chemistry is also evident in their stage banter.

Although Wallace and Cooley's solo material is mostly in the folk rock vein, Motown is also an influence for their duo work. The Heart on a Suitcase Tour is named after one of the first songs they wrote together, which symbolizes their lifestyles as travelling musicians. - New Jersey Stage

D.C. - Shane Cooley, the man with a smooth name and a sound to match, brought something special to the stage at Ebenezers Coffeehouse in Washington D.C. With his harmonica blowing, feet stomping, and guitar shredding, Shane Cooley lit the night up and gave the audience all that they could ever ask for - short of setting his guitar on fire. Singer, songwriter, and veritable one-man band, Cooley wears many hats. Literally speaking, he was wearing a very smooth hat during our interview, which distracted me a bit with thoughts of how I would look in the same headgear. With that being said, Shane is many things, though the title of "workhorse" surges to the forefront of my mind. I was floored when he humbly conveyed to me how he just finished touring and performing 49 shows in 45 days … I repeat - 49 shows in 45 days. Coast to coast, I might add. Seeing as how he will be touring all the way through 2012, it is undeniable that Shane Cooley is a man on a mission. With his dynamic performances and burgeoning cult-like following, Cooley will soon have his mission accomplished.

33: What genre of music do you consider your sound to be?

Shane Cooley: I get that question a lot. My answer is retro-folk rock. I sort of, as a person and a musician, feel misplaced in the twenty-first century.

33: How late do you think you are?

SC: Forty, fifty years late. I resonate from the sixties and seventies a lot, that’s sort of the music I grew up on. I listen to some modern stuff, but I really try to bring back the classic singer/songwriter vibe.

33: Who did you listen to growing up?

SC: Dylan was definitely a huge influence. I listened to a lot of Hendrix and Zeppelin, and then as I got older I started listening to jazz and some hip-hop. Stuff you wouldn’t really hear in my music, but it’s still very influential. I can tell it’s there, even if other people can’t.

33: Is that where you draw your inspiration?
SC: Yeah, I listen to a lot of music, but I’m a very lyrical person. I read a lot of poetry, I read a lot of novels.

33: Do you write all of your songs?

SC: I do.

33: Your album West Land came out in February. How’s that working for you?

SC: It’s going well, getting some radio airplay. It's actually been picked up by Clear Channel now. I’m hoping the airplay will get more extensive in the near future. It’s on XM radio, too. The cool thing about it is one of the songs from Westland, "Last Love," got me second place for best male artist at the international acoustic music awards. That’s really gotten me a lot of exposure.

33: How’d you feel when you found out you won?

SC: Pretty good, man. I never win contests. I’m one of those guys who seem like they have the bad luck of the draw. I don’t know, I lucked out on that one.

33: Where do you see yourself in five years?

SC: I wanna go absolutely as far as I can go. I want to have some diehard fans. I’m not really interested in the whole American Idol, Top 40-type thing. I wanna have the comfort of knowing that whether or not I’m getting a lot of radio airplay, there are still people following my music.

33: Are you under a label?

SC: No, I’m completely on my own, but the way I did the tour was pretty interesting. The tour was called the Home Sweet Home Tour. I got together with some acts from different parts of the country - the Melillo Brothers, Adam Smith from Nashville, and Adam Webb from Philly. We just went to everybody’s hometown, so we all had a free place to crash, and we had everyone’s home crowd. So if my draw in Philly was weaker than it was in Virginia, Adam Webb could hook me up with his people. It was a cool concept, having collaborations instead of competition. We were able to make it worth it.

33: Do you have groupies?

SC: No comment [laughs]. There are definitely followers - I don’t know if they would appreciate being called groupies or not - but they're there.

33: Tell me about your song “California Nights.”

SC: It was about the first time I had been on the West Coast. I just wanted to write a rock 'n' roll song, man. I really wanted to represent the excitement of being out there for the first time. It had been a while since I had written a real rock 'n' roll song, and I’m very proud of it. It’s got that sort of classic rock 'n' roll vibe.

33: Do you come from a musically inclined family?

SC: Actually, my dad’s playing drums tonight, so that’s cool. Basically, how I got started was my dad was playing guitar - I was, like, ten - my dad said, "Shane, get on the drums," and halfway through he stopped and was like, "Shane you got it." So I just kept going from there.

33: What other instruments do you play?

SC: I play guitar, harmonica, bass, a little bit of piano, and drums.

33: You mentioned earlier you have a lead guitarist coming on tonight.

SC: Yeah, his name is Curtis Prince. He’s a solo artist from Charlottesville. I played a few shows with him - Magazine 33

Shane Cooley ’10: Home Sweet Home Never Sounded So Sweet

BY HAYLEY SOOHOO ’12

October 6, 2010


WMAA HEADLINES
Grand Marshal Carol Achenbach Hardy '49 to Lead Homecoming Parade
William & Mary celebrates 83 years of welcoming alumni home
Fall 2010 issue of the W&M Alumni Magazine online
Flip through the W&M Alumni Journey 2011 catalog
William & Mary dedicates memorial garden
In high school, Shane Cooley ’10 was “that guy” — the quiet kid who kept to himself and was somewhat of an outcast. In Cooley’s case, while everyone else was playing sports, he was playing music.

Cooley got his first musical experience when his father, a guitar player, let him play along on the drum set in the garage. His dad noticed his musicality and set his son up with a guitar. Soon, 10-year-old Cooley was writing songs, playing guitar, and learning how to play bass and piano.

In just a few years, Cooley released his first recording, Introducing Shane Cooley, and from 2001 to 2010 he released many more recordings and six studio albums. He stayed involved in a few bands as well. Though his musical career was going very well, Cooley knew he wanted to attend college and get a degree. After winning his high school’s William and Mary Leadership Award, he was able to visit the College of William and Mary for a weekend and was “pretty much sold.” He loved the campus, explaining that it was “so beautiful” and that he “figured there would be a lot of places for [him] to sort of hide away and write some music.”

Cooley was accepted to the College, and excited to attend. He was a little concerned though — most college freshmen don’t start school with an established career to worry about. Though he knew it would be difficult, he reminded himself that it was a smart thing to get an education as well as continue his musical endeavors. Cooley chose to pursue an English major, knowing it would help him with lyric writing.

While at William and Mary, Cooley formed the William and Mary Musicians Union, which was an organization that made it easier for student musicians to find practice space and set up shows. He also coordinated an effort to raise money for the media center in the library.

During his sophomore year, Cooley released what he calls his first breakthrough album: Whirlpool. This CD got him on the map, and since then he’s been doing follow-up EPs, waiting for the right time to make a full-length album. He notes that doing so is difficult now because people are “so obsessed with digital downloading,” which makes singles much more attractive than entire records.

The busy student-musician also found time to perform at the 2010 South By Southwest Music and Film Interactive (SXSW), a well-known music festival held annually in Austin, Texas. He earned his spot there through the USA Songwriting Contest. Cooley explained that performing at SXSW was “a blast,” and that he met a lot of musicians and got to spend time with some of his favorite bands.

Cooley went on a West Coast tour with singer-songwriter Adam Smith. Not long after, Cooley hit the road again, this time on the Home Sweet Home tour, which he calls the “highlight of his career” thus far. He traveled and sometimes performed with three other artists: The Melillo Brothers, Adam Web and Adam Smith. The idea of the tour was to play in each of the groups’ home states, taking advantage of the support and hometown enthusiasm. After 17 shows in 18 days, Cooley emerged with new friendships, experience, and the realization that every time he is on tour he feels like he is in “the exact right place” he needs to be in — as he put it, “I thrive on it.”

The Home Sweet Home Tour’s great success provided some great opportunities to Cooley and his tour mates, such as being asked to serve as panelists at the Millennium Music Conference and the Singer-Songwriter Cape May conference. Cooley recently performed at the Virginia Beach Public Library on behalf of the Tidewater Friends of Folk Music, and is excited to come home and share what he has been working on. He will be performing at the National in Richmond on Oct. 16.

He is also reconnecting with the members of the Home Sweet Home Tour and preparing for another one. Cooley likes working with the group because he says they are “working as a team … a small label almost. We are pooling connections and fighting for this on our own.”

Though Cooley’s career has been successful for quite a few years, his identity as a musician is really starting to solidify. In terms of songwriting, Cooley notes that the process isn’t the same as it was when he was younger; he explains, “When I was younger I would write songs left and right. Now I’m starting to sort of take my time and make myself stop writing a song and come back to it later.”

His sound has changed too — his music is often generally classified as folk, but Cooley remarks that elements of rock and country have come into and out of his songs in the last few years as - WM Alumni

SHANE COOLEY "WHIRLPOOL"
Overview: A William and Mary student takes a creative step forward on this new collection of rock originals.

Backstory: Cooley, who grew up on Virginia's Northern Neck, has been writing and recording his own songs since age 13. For almost as long, he's been doggedly chasing a career in rock music. Now, at age 20, he's in college and still pushing for an artistic and commercial breakthrough. On "Whirlpool," his creative partnership with bassist and producer Stewart Myers continues to bear fruit.

Highlights: "Ides of March," which recalls Americana favorite Ryan Adams; the sarcastic "Indie Rocker;" "Speed of Life," a grooving rock song built around honest emotion.

For fans of: Wallflowers, Ryan Adams, Matchbox Twenty

Sam's take: Cooley's enthusiasm has always been infectious, but his artistic reach has sometimes exceeded his grasp. Several songs on "Whirlpool" suggest a bright future, though. "Speed of Life," for example, is a winner and his strongest track yet.

More info: www.shanecooleymusic.com, www.myspace.com/shanecooley - The Daily Press

Shane Cooley at the Saint
John Pfeifer, Aquarian Weekly 2009

I first met Shane Cooley at the 2007 Wave Gathering. A quiet and likeable guy, Shane proceeded to impress all of us with his Americana, alt-country style and folk sensibilities. He’s released a fewCDs, including 2005’s Flying Naked with producers Chris Keup and Stewart Myers (Lifehouse, Jason Mraz, Mandy Moore) as well as 2007’s Whirlpool.

Shane is once again making the trek to New Jersey this month to ply his latest to the Jersey shore’s receptive scenesters. His new disc is entitled The Midnight Oil and it is entirely a solo acoustic effort. Stewart Myers, who also produced Whirlpool, again produced the disc.

Shane has performed from New York to Nashville both solo acoustic and with an electric band; and he has become an expert at engaging the audience and playing a completely original show each time. During his 2007 outing he shared the stage with headliners such as Carbon Leaf, Bruce Hornsby, Ricky Skaggs, and Tim McGraw; should be an interesting Tuesday night show. Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is a mere $8. Check out the schedule over at shanecooleymusic.com.

____________________________


Whirlpool Review
Jersey Beat Fanzine


Hailing from Virginia, SHANE COOLEY opens
up “Whirlpool” (shanecooleymusic.com) with describing his home town as “My
Asbury Park,” which of course is going to get the attention of a magazine named
Jersey Beat (even though this reviewer is currently
in/from Brooklyn). It also helps that the song is so, well, for a simple
superlative, great. In the Kevin Devine style, Shane successfully walks two
grounds: his catalog, sung with full band as it is mostly here, consists of
good rockers; when in just a boy-and-guitar mode, such as with “Breath Sped,”
are strong singer-songwriter material. I am on my third time through the CD,
and find much to keep my interest, like “Whirlpool,” “Kamikaze,” and
“Double-Edged Sword.” Shane’s voice is strong with an occasional warble at the
end of the lyric line. Certainly, I can see him catching on, especially as a
start with college radio.
- Aquarian Weekly, Jersey Beat Fanzine

Shane Cooley, a singer-songwriter and William and Mary student, was in Austin, Texas, over the weekend singing and circulating at the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival.
Often described as spring break for the music industry, the 23-year-old SXSW has evolved into the largest gathering of unsigned rock and Americana talent in the nation.
Cooley didn't play the festival proper, but a satellite event put on by the USA Songwriting Competition. He was one of five performers picked to play the contest's showcase.
"It was a blast, a great time," said Cooley, who is on track to graduate from William and Mary this spring with an English degree. "I rubbed a lot of elbows, did a lot of networking. I had a great experience." It was his first visit to SXSW, but it won't be his last, he predicted. "Austin is so musician friendly. And there was such a large congregation of unsigned artists there. It was really refreshing to see."
Cruising the streets and clubs of Austin, Cooley ran into his friends in the band Red Wanting Blue from Columbus, Ohio, and spent some time with the Washington, D.C. group Honor By August.
"But I also saw bands just playing on the street that blew my mind," he said. - The Daily Press

"Shane Cooley writes strong songs with nice hooks and is very dedicated to his career."

-Chris Keup, producer/songwriter (Jason Mraz)


“[Shane]’s beginning to take his self-taught talents to the next level, largely because he’s one of those guys who matches his growing skills with equal doses of hard work.”

-Rob Hedelt, The Free Lance-Star

"Shane Cooley showed I was right for making sure I didn’t miss his set. He was one of my pre-Wave favorites and he definitely delivered. Cooley, from Virginia, gave a set highlighted by the song which apparently
caught the attention of the Wave Festival folks enough to bring him here. The song was called “My Asbury Park” and it was simply wonderful. Ironically, he wrote it without ever being in Asbury Park before, so he was excited to be able to perform it here."

~Gary Wien



"We inadvertently caught Shane Cooley's set at the Twisted Tree Café, but both Lazlo and I were glad we did. Shane is a young singer/songwriter from Virginia who came up to Asbury for the weekend. He’s a sharp dresser with a pleasing, mellow style that reminded me a bit of the young James Taylor. Coincidentally, the first track on his new CD is called “My Asbury Park,” which isn’t about Asbury at all but rather about his own hometown, written and sung as a homage to Springsteen. It was definitely the highlight of his well-received set."

~Jim Testa, Jersey Beat Fanzine



"Shane is an artist committed to his craft and his positive
outlook and drive will take him where he wants to go.
When you see him perform, you'll see what I mean."

-Steve Bassett, producer/songwriter



“Oh, It’s time I went on a limb again and predicted the next big thing…..This guy is 18? Such emotion and I dare say….wisdom? I’m going to need a copy of his birth certificate as proof!”

-Ken, RadioisDead.net


"Hailing from Virginia, SHANE COOLEY opens
up “Whirlpool” (shanecooleymusic.com) with describing his home town as “My
Asbury Park,” which of course is going to get the attention of a magazine named
Jersey Beat (even though this reviewer is currently
in/from Brooklyn). It also helps that the song is so, well, for a simple
superlative, great. In the Kevin Devine style, Shane successfully walks two
grounds: his catalog, sung with full band as it is mostly here, consists of
good rockers; when in just a boy-and-guitar mode, such as with “Breath Sped,”
are strong singer-songwriter material. I am on my third time through the CD,
and find much to keep my interest, like “Whirlpool,” “Kamikaze,” and
“Double-Edged Sword.” Shane’s voice is strong with an occasional warble at the
end of the lyric line. Certainly, I can see him catching on, especially as a
start with college radio."

~Rober Barry Francos, Jersey Beat Fanzine

"Here's a guy to watch for in the future. Cooley has a rich voice and writes nice acoustic ballads. He's a diamond in the rough, but not for long."

-Bill Bass: Ninevolt Magazine

- Radio is dead, producers, etc...

“Genuine sounding. I felt like I was listening to a movie soundtrack for something from the late 60's….Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, sweet Baby James…Shane is in his own world in 2010 and writing music that is unique and refreshing to listen to.…this is cult following folky listening."

~Angela Hutchinson, ANRGirl: review of The Vagabond EP - Angirl

by Will Murphy

Last Friday I saw Shane Cooley perform at the Capital Alehouse, and thought I would tell you all about it. Shane is very good at singing - he has a good sense of phrasing. The way he writes the words and the way he writes his melodies, they make a very good blend. The tone of his voice and the feeling of the words and the feeling of the music all coincide pretty nearly all the time. This concordance of aspects of his music is key. It's a real asset of Shane's, and it reminds me of two people, who don't necessarily remind me of each other: Bob Dylan, and Chris Thile.
Of course, Shane Cooley is a guy with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, so everyone is going to compare him to Bob Dylan, but I have a specific point here. Bob Dylan is one of those artists who have been famous for so long that everyone takes his fame for granted. If you ask someone why they like Bob Dylan, the person will just say, "because he's Bob freaking Dylan," and look at you like you're an idiot, but I want to mention one of the things that makes Bob Dylan good: he's managed to create an alignment of content and form. He does a good job, sometimes stretching the English language a bit to pull it off, but he has interesting poetic forms in his songwriting - you can almost imagine Dylan's songs lining up into different stanzas. Shane does something similar.
As I said, the other person I would like to compare Shane to is Chris Thile. I don't know how many of you have heard of Chris Thile by himself. He was the mandolinist for Nickel Creek before they went on "permanent hiatus," which as far as I can tell means they are going on a coffee break that will never end and not talking to each other. What Chris Thile does, especially on the album Deceiver, is change everything about the song to go along with the words. The instrumentation, the dynamics, and the tempo all change drastically to match the content of the song. Shane does this pretty well.
During Shane's set, all the songs had different feels. He had a song that was in a Flamenco rhythm, one that was straight blues, a few which were folk or alt country, Ryan Adams type songs. What I mean is that Shane is not a one-trick pony. He may not have much on stage with him besides an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, but he manages to keep all his songs quite different from one another. I think it's an achievement, as a performer, that he can get up there and have good enough control over his guitar work and over his voice that the audience can feel like they're in a smoke-filled beatnik barroom in one song and a gunfight in Mexico in the next.
I spoke to Shane before his show. Shane is kind of a quiet person. A lot of times when I interview a band, I only need one question. I'll say, "What's your favorite band," and they'll talk for an hour and a half. Shane is a little different. I had to pick his brain a little bit to get him talk. Shane has been doing the singer/songwriter thing for a long time, and I think sometimes separating his art from himself to talk about it doesn't come naturally to him. Still, I got some good tidbits out of him.
For a 22 year-old, Shane is a very experienced performer. He's been devoting a good bit of his time to musical performance since he was 13. I asked Shane if there was any particular moment in his life when he knew that he wanted to actually try to be a professional musician, when the desire passed from being a childhood dream to a concrete goal. I was surprised to get a real answer. Shane told me that he wrote a song to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, and that he was asked to play the song at a VFW convention. Shane told me that performing for men in uniform and seeing them respond with gratitude and enthusiasm to his performance meant a great deal to him, and that he decided then that music would be the focus of his life.
That brings me to what is, in my mind, the main point about Shane Cooley. He has a good heart. That might seem like a silly thing to say about a singer/songwriter, but he really does. The gist of the interview with Shane, I realized when I was listening to my tape of it, is that Shane wants to be successful, but giving back to the community, staying close to his family, and helping out where he can are more important to him than financial success.
Shane has a very personal understanding of his music. His songs are about real events and real emotions, and he hopes that by listening to them, people will be able to find comfort in their own lives. More than any particular charity or volunteering, Shane sees this comfort as the focus of his music - he creates, as an artist, joy and beauty that weren't there before. This is a gift that should not be underestimated, and its conscious use is a powerful force. The bottom line is that Shane is a hardworking, honest, and good-hearted musician out to do his best in the world. He writes clever songs, plays his guitar quite well, and puts on an en - Magazine 33, Richmond, VA

Shane Cooley - Live!

By John at Independents Uncovered


Oh - to be 20 years old again.

When I turned 20, it was between my sophmore and junior year of college.

Having a dream and following your heart......yeh - I like that.

Shane Cooley is out there touring this summer in various places like Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, and, hopefully - Toronto Canada and supporting his latest release - Whirlpool.

It's funny saying that his sound matures - but how can it not as he goes from album to album and grows musically and also in his life.

New experiences.
Loves found.
Loves lost.
Love's moments forever etched in his mind.

I won't bore you with some long winded explanation of his songs or his sound, but I will tell you that Shane had a crowd around him around the stage at Celebrate Fairfax - all people he did not know - so I hope this is a sign of good things to come for him.

And, I met his family. How great is that. Family - supporting their son/nephew/etc... How awesome.

This photo is of Shane belting out my favorite song of his - My Asbury Park. And, whether he's playing this song with his band or acoustic - it's fantastic to hear him sing and play.

- Independents Uncovered

Shane Cooley–
Whirlpool In The
Garden State

by John Pfeiffer


One of the refreshing new faces at the Wave Gathering this year was Shane Cooley. Shane Cooley is a talented young singer songwriter from the south. Cooley grew up on Virginia’s Northern Neck and just absolutely loves the New Jersey music scene.For the past several years Shane has performed his collection of songs all over the country, and his recording career includes five home-recorded and six studio CDs that have received a great deal of radio airplay as well as being a favorite among the press. Shane lists traditional guys as his favorites when it comes to songwriters. The new record, Whirlpool, has a lot of Springsteen influence on it. I say influence because thankfully, it doesn’t sound like Bruce, it sounds like Shane. The first cut, “My Asbury Park,” is Cooley’s nod to his take on Springsteen’s style of hometown storytelling.The song doles out greasy helpings of rusty harmonica as Cooley sings about his mirrored existence in his neighborhood with the line, “This is my Asbury Park/this is my home town/and the only direction to go from here is down.” Shane is a big fan of real records and thinks that an album should come together like a coherent story. A song should always be good enough to stand alone, but a record should be treated as a true artistic entity. Shane’s prior 2005 release, Flying Naked, was done with producers/musicians Chris Keup and Stewart Myers (Lifehouse, Jason Mraz, Mandy Moore). Shane has also developed a working relationship with national producer/songwriter/recording artist Steve Bassett who says that Cooley “is an artist committed to his craft and his positive outlook and drive will take himwhere he wants to go.” His new disc, Whirlpool, received the master magic by Fred Kevorkian (Dave Matthews Band, The White Stripes, Ryan Adams) at Avatar Studios in New York City. His sound is decidedly poppy but agreeable as it squeezes out a variety of influential vibes like The Goo Goo Dolls and the honorable Bruce Hornsby.He also has the compositional skills of one of my favorite bands, LIVE. Sensible and visionary, his songs end up like a cat that jumps from the window landing soundly on the ground and in this case directly into the listener’s mind. Other notable songs on Whirlpool are “Deep Sea Dive,” featuring glassy piano work and ethereal B3 Hammond layering. Down-home guitar lines and vocals make this a sure fired “hit” on this disc .From Coltrane to Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Shane Cooley proves that he is a chip off the old block. Deeply rooted in Americana traditions, he’s an artist worth watching closely. I’m touched by his reverence for the Asbury Park history and how he sees’s it today. He sums up with the following excerpt from one of his recent blogs, “One thing’s for sure, these cats are hard, I mean, you can tell they mean business. These Asbury cliques are serious, friendly as hell, but very keen about what they accept. And it seems they accept some really worthwhile talent.The town might be the same in many ways, but somehow I don’t think the music scene was anything like this when Bruce was starting out. Asbury Park is what a good rock ‘n’ roll band town should be, dangerous and flamboyant. Tonight I experienced the feeling of wanting to fight for something.”Welcome to the APM family Shane. myspace.com/shanecooley


- Aquarian Weekly, distributed in NYC, Jersey Tri States, Conn. and Penn.

"Shane Cooley isn't waiting for the world of popular music to find him; he's driving out to meet it"

-Sam McDonald, Pop Music Reporter, The Daily Press.




June 3, 2006
NORTHERN NECK -- On board the Chick Magnet, the vibe is equal parts "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" and "Detroit Rock City."

A skull-and-crossbones air freshener dangles from the rearview mirror and a bobble-head version of Dr. Evil nods menacingly on the dashboard. The Chick Magnet's pilot, 18-year-old singer-songwriter Shane Cooley, smiles and reaches down to fumble with a cassette tape.

"You like Tom Petty?" Cooley asks before inserting the tape into a rickety portable deck resting between the seats. "Free Fallin'" bleats from the tiny speaker as Cooley pulls out of the parking lot at Rappahannock High School.

The sarcastically named Chick Magnet, a light blue 1989 Dodge minivan, has a lot to say about Cooley's personality.

It's definitely rock 'n' roll - as rock 'n' roll as a 1989 minivan could possibly be. Flame decals adorn the vehicle's hood and doors. A dozen or so bumper stickers scream slogans on the van's back and side panels.

Yet, the Chick Magnet is also practical. A van is what any young musician would need to haul gear from gig to gig, even better than a station wagon.

When the Tom Petty tune stops abruptly in mid-chorus, Shane reaches down gives the cassette player a firm tap. The music starts again. "It has a vintage sound," he said pointing to the portable cassette deck. "Some people would call that crappy."

There's something about the nearly obsolete sound of cassettes that Cooley likes. "I have a lot of respect for older music," he says. "A lot of my influences are '60s and '70s, even '50s. I grew up on rock 'n' roll."

Shane Cooley, at 18, has accomplished more in rock 'n' roll than musicians twice his age, more than some will pull off in a lifetime. He's recorded five full-length CDs, all of them self-released. He's made a few videos in New York City. And he's played gigs up and down the East Coast, ranging from festival performances to small clubs. On Friday, he'll perform at Harborfest in Norfolk, opening the festival at 12:30 p.m.

He's also managed to get a few spins on radio in the region, a difficult feat for an unsigned artist, even one with a big, powerful voice and a big, boyish grin.

What's more, the high school senior has achieved all this from a remote home base - his parents' home in the Northern Neck community of Mollusk.

Coming from quiet, rural Virginia, Cooley has pushed to get his music into the right hands and ears. He's gotten frustrated at times, but he keeps striving.

He sings about the battle in "Don't Want to Be in the City Tonight," a tune from his most recent CD "Flying Naked:"

Where I come from the people are simple

But where I come from you don't get anywhere

And I have something to say in this world

But no one really seems to want to hear

When Cooley talks about his goals in the music business, he sounds more like a seasoned pro than a starry-eyed, ambitious teen. "You have to be an entrepreneur," Cooley said. "You can't sit in the garage and play guitar and expect to get anywhere."

Politeness and persistence are his buzzwords. He uses e-mails, press releases and phone calls to make sure media outlets and music industry players know his name.

"Radio is a beast to conquer," Cooley said. "Radio is so corporate these days."

Yet even there, he's managed some amount of success including a live performance on WPYA-FM (93.7), Bob FM's "Sunrise on Sundays" show, hosted by Hunter Hughes.

"I like Shane. He's a real up-and-coming kind of kid," said Hughes, explaining that Cooley badgered him for weeks for a slot on the show before local singer Lewis McGehee recommended him as a legitimate talent.

"I think he's going to do well in this business, especially if he stays at it. He's very persistent. He's got a ways to go, but a lot of people do ... "

Musically speaking, Shane Cooley has grown up in public. He started songwriting at age 10, and began sharing his tunes with the world at 13.

"I recorded my first CD with a family friend and my dad," he said. "It was fun to do. At the time, I was not interested in pursuing it as a career. I was a 13-year-old boy. Then 9-11 came along."

Cooley wrote a song called "Live On U.S.A." "It's more of a rallying call than a healing song, I suppose," he said, looking back on the tune. "But I was angry that someone would do something like that. I felt that something had to be done."

"Live On U.S.A." led to a burst of local media coverage. That, in turn, led to invitations to perform the song for civic groups, PTAs, American Legion gatherings.

That's when something clicked.

"I realized, 'Hey, I really like this and, not only that, I can make a difference with this.' ... That's the power you can have with music. If you keep your head and pl - The Daily Press

"I first wrote about Shane several years ago when he was a freshman in high school. At that point, he'd already produced five of his own CDs and was starting to perform at small venues throughout the Northern Neck. I caught up with him last week in Williamsburg because he's beginning to take his self-taught talents to the next level, largely because he's one of those guys who matches his growing skills with equal doses of hard work."

-Rob Hedelt, The Free-Lance Star





2006:
______________

WILLIAMSBURG--Perched atop a stool in a corner of a bookstore, Shane Cooley smiled as he heard his name mentioned on Barnes & Noble's loudspeaker.

"Now appearing in the cafe: singer, songwriter, musician Shane Cooley," said the voice, inviting patrons to settle in for a listen, and informing them that two of his CDs were on sale in the store.

"Well, that sounds pretty good," said Cooley, an 18-year-old who just graduated from Rappahannock High School in Warsaw and is heading to the College of William & Mary this fall. "I guess now I have to deliver."

And deliver he did, running through an hour's worth of his original songs, accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica.

Chatting with a small crowd that listened intently from rows of tables or while browsing the latest titles, Cooley sang of love and heartache, hope and loss, doubt and delight.

In other words, the emotions blowing through the brain of a young songwriter with much of his life still out in front.

"My plan, if you want to call it that, is to come down here and take Williamsburg by storm," said Cooley, who was accompanied to the show by his girlfriend and two biggest fans, parents Pat and Jack Cooley. "I think this is a very musician-friendly sort of place."

I first wrote about Shane several years ago when he was a freshman in high school.

At that point, he'd already produced five of his own CDs and was starting to perform at small venues throughout the Northern Neck.

I caught up with him last week in Williamsburg because he's beginning to take his self-taught talents to the next level, largely because he's one of those guys who matches his growing skills with equal doses of hard work.

On that one-day visit to the colonial city, Cooley played an hourlong set at the college bookstore, another hour at a Yankee Candle store and then opened for another act before thousands of listeners at New Town After Hours.

That follows up a summer when he's performed at night spots and other venues in Virginia Beach, Annapolis, South Carolina and more.

Said his father, Jack, the principal at Rappahannock High, "He can sing his own songs for four or five hours straight. It's what he loves to do."

While a growing list of gigs is a testament to the way Cooley and his supportive parents have been promoting him and his talents, there are other indications that the young songwriter and performer is moving his music career forward.

Among them:

The arrival earlier this year of his latest professionally produced CD, "Flying Naked."

To make it, the soft-spoken young artist worked last summer with producers/musicians Stewart Myers and Chris Keup at their studio near Charlottesville. The producers have worked with the rock group Lifehouse, Jason Mraz and other successful artists.

Cooley called the weeklong recording session, in which he, Myers and Keup were joined by veteran musician Steve Bassett and others, "one of the highlights of my life so far. To hear my music backed up by these top musicians was almost surreal."

Doing double-duty on a trip to New York last fall to master his CD with Fred Kevorkian, who's worked with The Dave Matthews Band and more.

While there, the young singer from Lancaster County community of Mollusk also filmed two videos for Indigo TV, a new television presence in the Big Apple that features new musical acts and gives viewers the interactive opportunity to say what they think.

"They had me all over the city, in alleys, stomping in puddles, on the sidewalks in front of vendors," said Cooley, who noted that the videos aired on the New York show in the spring. "It was pretty exciting."

Selling his most recent CD at selected stores in Richmond, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg, as well as online through CD Baby and Plan 9 Records. He's also pushed to get it included on play lists for XM radio.

Making connections as he goes.

First, it was Richmond-area musician Bassett, who took a liking to the young artist and has served as a mentor.

More recently, a connection he made with Deltaville-based author Jean Hornsby put the young artist in touch with her nephew, none other than music star Bruce Hornsby.

"He called Shane and said he really liked his music," said Pat Cooley, who helps with things such as orders, sales and scheduling for the son she's so proud of.

In fact, it was a discussion Pat had with Jean Hornsby at a signing of her book, "Tree-Riffic," at a Northern Neck re - The Free Lance Star