GROOVE DOWN is an Edinburgh-based five-piece band fronted by vocalist and lyricist Lou Cooper. They've recently released their second single, “Somebody”, and we're keen to find out more. Well known at the forefront of the local music scene, they regularly play venues around the city. Lou took time out of her busy schedule to talk to us about the band's ambitions and her own inspirations.
Lou, you’re originally from Nassau in the Bahamas, what brought you all the way to Edinburgh?
I came to Edinburgh in September 2021 to study a Masters in International Development at the University of Edinburgh. I completed my undergraduate studies in North Carolina but wanted to see more of the world and decided a Masters would be a good avenue to allow me to settle somewhere different. A cousin of mine had previously studied at the University of Edinburgh so I decided to start looking there. I found the program description to be everything I was looking for so I stopped looking there!
The press release states that Groove Down's goal is to revive the local funk and disco scene – is there a music scene like that where you're from?
The music scene in Nassau is very diverse. There are a lot of local gospel artists, but also a lot of soca, RnB and trap artists. I think funk and disco are forgotten genres in the Bahamian music scene. My mom and her brothers loved going to discos as kids, but these genres weren't as common when I was growing up. My love for these two genres came from my mom's family, because disco hits were always played at family gatherings.
What are your musical influences?
It's always changing! Performance-wise, Eric Burton from Black Pumas is a big inspiration for me because of the way he connects with the audience and uses his instruments. Other influences are Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige, and Hannah Williams. They are all strong female vocalists that inspire me to strengthen my vocal abilities.
Your first two singles (Walk On By and Somebody) deal with a kaleidoscope of raw emotions: love, lust, longing, disappointment, etc. Were the lyrics inspired by personal experiences or did you choose these themes because they have universal appeal?
For both songs, we wrote the lyrics during a collaborative songwriting session. The lyrics for Walk On By just came to me by chance, while Somebody is loosely based on a personal experience. I'm a wimp when it comes to love, but despite its universal appeal, I consciously try to hone my songwriting skills by writing songs on other themes. It's very difficult, but writing songs about love is very easy for me!
All of the members of your band are from different ethnic backgrounds, how did you meet and does this diversity contribute to fresh and unique ideas in the songwriting process?
During the last semester of my Masters I realised I was serious about becoming a singer and so I put an advert on Facebook in the “Edinburgh Musicians for Hire” group chat expressing my desire to form a Funk & Soul band and find enthusiastic members. Through that post, little by little, the five original members came together. The line-up has since changed but that was the path to finding the members of Groove Down today.
Who has the most opinion and voice in the band?
This is a tough question! I'm in charge of a lot of the logistics and branding of the band, so practically I would say I'm in charge of a lot of things. But we are ultimately a unit, so it's not a situation where anyone's opinion is better than the other person's. We all want what's best for the band, so I've been careful to create a band environment where everyone can speak up and suggest anything, and we can discuss future directions together. In that sense, it would be misleading to say one person has “the most” opinion or voice.
What do you think about the current music scene and how knowledgeable do you think the younger generation is about funk, soul and R&B?
The modern music scene, at least from what I see in Edinburgh, is made up of people who want to get back in touch with the wonder of live music. It's not typical for today's younger generation to be familiar with funk, soul, RnB or disco, but they are open to anything. If it's good music, they're there! It gives me hope to know that there is room for the fusion of music we're doing to be accepted across generations.
If you could become a famous female singer for one day, who would you choose and why?
I would choose Rae. She seems so wholesome. Her voice is amazing and her songwriting talent is amazing. She's doing music because she loves it and doesn't seem too caught up in the celebrity world. She's also very outspoken about songwriters' rights and standing up against the big labels that take advantage of people trying to get into the industry. She seems to be in the best situation all around!
Read our review of Groove Down's new single “Somebody” in the “Reviews (Singles)” section.
Photo credit: Marina Blau