Cobbler is an electronic musician and producer from Sheffield, UK. He has two full albums and a mini-album already in stores, as well as ongoing collaborations with the poet Luke Wright (under the name The People Who Run The Country) and the singer-songwriter Michael Vickers (under the name Dogs Don't Deal). His collaboration with the singer Nathalie Miranda on the dance tune Under My Skin was warmly received by critics. His third album, Songs, Delayed, is the first to feature his own vocals. Most of the songs were originally composed in his twenties on acoustic guitar. He played a few open mic nights but, by his own admission, his lack of self-confidence prevented him from taking them any further.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Cobbler. What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
Hi, nice to talk to you! I think my biggest strength is my ear for a melody. I love a good pop song, and the thing that takes pop to that next level is the melody. It’s an indescribable thing, that alchemy, that bit of magic that takes a song from “hmm, yeah, ok” to “fuck yeah!”.
Who inspired you to make music?
My biggest inspiration is a guy called Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E, frontman of Eels. It was his stitching together of samples that made me want to try and do something similar. Before that, as a kid, my mum had a relationship with a guy called Alan Smyth, who would later go on to produce the Arctic Monkeys’ early stuff. He turned me from a kid with a trumpet to a kid with a dream of pop stardom.
Your latest release is 'Songs, Delayed'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
The majority of the songs on the album were written in my teens and twenties, originally on acoustic guitar, and performed singer-songwriter style. I never set out to remake them, but as I was starting to work on instrumental beats, I began to experiment with some of the old melodies over the top and the concept began to take shape.
Most of the unusual things that happened are things within the production of the songs – for example, during Time To Wake Up you can hear a kid screaming. This was one of my neighbours playing in the garden while I was doing vocal takes. It works, so it stayed in!
Can you shortly describe each of the tracks that are on the album?
Time To Wake Up – slightly preachy number about climate change
Stuck – shoulda been a popstar, didn’t end up a pop star
I Apologise – sometimes relationships are bad
As Cold As December – people don’t always make you feel better, no matter how good they are
Anthropolitics – it's hard supporting someone with mental health issues. It’s ok to not be ok.
Lord of the Flies ‘99 - watched Trainwreck (Woodstock ‘99), loved it, wrote a song about it
There Are People On The Outside (And They Love Me) - the first Big Brother series was so addictive, wrote a song about it
Love Squared – like a love triangle, but four people
Summer – don't work in a school during the summer term
The Ballad of Robert and Clara – Robert and Clara Schumann’s story is fascinating, read up on it!
Say So – don't get married only four weeks into a relationship, it’s a bad idea
She – Trainspotting is a grim film, wrote a song about it!
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest musical trends?
I’ve got two teenage daughters, so they keep me up to date. For all the talk about Spotify not paying enough royalties (they don’t), the breadth of music available now is incredible. Once you’ve found your scene, you can disappear down a rabbit hole for days. Both my kids occasionally emerge from these burrows with fresh new sounds for me.
What makes you different from others?
My love of 90s and 00s pop. Most men my age can’t sing along to Christina Aguilera’s parts in Lady Marmalade like I can. And I don’t make bubble-gum pop, but there’s a pop sensibility running through it. It needs to be catchy.
What’s an average day like for you?
Well, until Spotify starts paying better I have to do a day job. If you listen to Summer, you might get an idea of what it is. When I’ve got the energy, I make tunes in the evening, although you might also find me gaming and watching boxsets when I’m lacking inspiration.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans.
I try to respond to anyone who contacts me on social media. I’m always willing to collaborate with other musicians, so feel free to hit me up!
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Believe in what you’ve got. I spent years sitting on these songs because I didn’t have the guts to put them out into the world. It’s better to try and fail than to regret never having tried.
What are your plans for the future?
Keep on keeping on! There’s always more music to make. I’ll keep going until Spotify is full!