The last twelve months saw Hein Cooper collect some pretty amazing achievements: two singles on triple j, spins on the BBC, a slot at Falls Festival, record deals across three continents, the best part of a year crossing the globe playing festivals from the UK to Canada, a successful tour of France, and the release of his current single, the breezy slice of summer acoustic pop ‘Rusty’.
Now, Hein has landed back in Australia to announce the release of his debut album The Art of Escape and an extensive 16 date tour across the country.
Hein will spend the next few months out on the road playing a bunch of great headline shows, as well as a national tour with Patrick James taking him from WA to QLD, before heading back overseas to do it all over again for the European and Canadian release of his record.
The album was recorded in Canada with producer Marcus Paquin (Arcade Fire, The National, The Local Natives), bringing out a fresh and genre bending take on the genre. Not afraid to mesh acoustic with electronic and equally proficient in both lush and stripped back moments, the album is an accomplished start for the young artist who embraces light and shade in equal measure.
“I often struggle with the state of the world and how society functions in such a cold and divided way,” said Hein. “But what hurts me most is the way so many people seem to bury these feelings and glue a false sense of happiness to themselves rather than confront the way they actually feel. I’d rather be authentic in my sadness than false in my happiness.”
“I based ‘Rusty’ on this idea. I found that creating a positive happy sound underneath melancholic lyrics captured this feeling because it represented the fight between me and the world’s obsession to be happy all the time. Kind of like the opposite of Coldplay’s technique in ‘Parachutes’ of writing positive lyrics with a melancholy sound.”
HEIN COOPER ‘THE ART OF ESCAPE’ ALBUM TOUR
Thursday January 21 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla, NSW
Sunday January 24 – Bondi Outdoor Cinema, Bondi, NSW
Wednesday January 27 – Rad Bar, Wollongong, NSW
Thursday January 28 – Lizottes, Newcastle, NSW
Friday February 19 – The Foundry, Brisbane, QLD
Thursday February 25 – Workers Club, Geelong, VIC
Friday February 26 – Howler, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday February 27 – Anita’s Theatre, Wollongong, NSW
Friday March 4 – The Basement, Sydney, NSW
Saturday March 5 – Transit Bar, Canberra, ACT
Sunday March 6 – Nannup Festival, Nannup, WA
Saturday March 12 – Lizottes, Newcastle, NSW
Friday March 18 – Pirie & Co Social Club, Adelaide, SA
Saturday March 19 – Jimmy’s Den, Perth, WA