JP Cooper on the magic of collaboration

If we were all more willing to go around to our neighbours house, try their food and learn about their culture, or family a little bit more, then maybe we’d understand each other a lot more. Having a greater depth of knowledge and understanding can only expand our horizons.

Speaking of music like a toy, or food is the easiest way I can describe it. Playing with random ingredients, putting them together and discovering how they work together has always fascinated me. It’s a bit like marmite and cheese, you really wouldn’t know until you give it a go.

Collaborating on music is like this. It’s an interesting comparison to make; but it all stems around the idea that we fear the unknown, and often say we don’t like something, because we don't’ know what it is, what it “tastes” like.

I was on a back-foot initially about my Jonas Blue collaboration. It wasn’t a genre I was familiar with, and it wasn’t something I had listened to in the past, but having gotten involved with the writing of the song, I learnt about something completely new, I’ve even partied in Ibiza now as a result of it. Before, it wouldn’t have been on my list of things to do. If someone would have played me “Perfect Strangers” when I was 21, and told me I’d be releasing this now, I would have told them they were crazy.

It was really eye opening to release what could be classed as a very commercial dance track, something I would have categorically said I would never do when I first started making music, but I can say now that the only thing that I lost in the process was my ego. Since releasing this track, I’ve completely changed my view point on what kind of work I take on, and I’ve had nothing but positive experiences as a result.

I have had so many messages from people telling me that “Perfect Strangers” was the song of their Summer, and I’ve seen so many smiling faces in concert halls, arenas, stadiums and at festivals since the release. It might just seem like a simple catchy song, but having witnessed the impact it has had on people, I’ve realised how these simple songs we write, communicate on such a universal level. When I think about it, what else am I here to do? Not only as a musician, but as a human? If we’re not here to connect with people then what is the point in being here at all? Or to put a finer point on it, why limit our communication to such a small group?

I think there have been a couple of documentaries on TV, which bring people of different cultures together under one roof. Initially, they all clash because they’re so firm in their opinions and don’t necessarily want to see anyone else’s but, with time, people start going deeper, start realising that we’re not so different after all. They all had the same basic instincts and loves - they started to pull things apart and found new things that they were open to and could believe in. Making music is just like this. You see other ways that people do things, and think - “actually that’s really interesting, let me try.”

Of course, collaborations can be strange, but I really don’t think they can ever go wrong. Even if they don’t turn out as expected, you learn about yourself in the process, and you gain a deeper understanding of the person you’re working with. You can appreciate that artist in a new way. Coming back to the Marmite thing, I hated marmite most of my life, until I tried it with cheese. Now I can have it on its own. I’ve expanded my awareness. I thought marmite looked like chocolate, I didn’t understand why it tasted so savoury. Really, marmite is an analogy for the whole world. It’s not a case of love it or hate it, it’s simply, understand it or don’t understand it.

There is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ music. There is simply music you understand, or music you don’t.

Music is such a personal process - you may not know why the person has created it, but there is a reason, and it does make sense.

When it comes to collaboration, larger acts are collaborating with newer, fresher acts to allow themselves to stay relevant, and equally, newer acts seek to collaborate with someone more established to elevate themselves to new levels of awareness, and new audiences. There doesn’t have to be something forced behind this, but it’s worth acknowledging that a record label can help to combine artists in a positive way. The creativity of an A&R for a signed artist is important - it’s people making noise about each other, and that’s what is important. For an unsigned act, collaboration may feel more organic, but it’s still playtime, it’s still teaching someone how to play your favourite games and visa versa.

It’s worth assessing the Grime scene in this discussion of collaboration. In this scene, we can see an incredible movement that actively seeks to lift each other up. The reason the Grime scene is making so much noise is because UK rappers are constantly collaborating. A large majority of Grime and UK Rap acts showcase talent they believe in from the beginning, and it’s amazing to see a genre which compliments itself so well. The ego is almost transformed into something new, it’s an inclusive entity.

One of the most organic collaborations that I’ve done was with Stormzy and Hannah Vasanth. We wrote “Momma’s Prayers” together, and it was written in 4 hours. Stormzy had been coming to my shows for years, and I was a huge fan of his, and Hannah and I met on a gig years ago. There wasn’t any forced meeting between us. Although we were all approaching the song from a different place, we found a common ground in the subject matter and it was finished very quickly.

Writing songs and collaborating is like trying to make a meal out of whatever random bits of food you have in the fridge. Some people may prefer to work alone, as there are less compromises to be made, but with the right approach, collaboration is an experience of expansion not constriction.