Heal My Heart Cope

On a frigid January evening, with the purple shadows of the Rocky Mountains encompassing me; I entered a small basement in Breckenridge. Anticipation overcame me as my ears eagerly waited to devour the tones of Citizen Cope. There were no seats in the little room and I had the privilege of standing right next to the mic. I was so close, when Cope took his rightful place behind the microphone, acoustic guitar in tow; I could feel the energy vibrating off of him. It seemed fitting that he was so high on a cocktail of who knows what drugs. His music is like a narcotic, the hard ones, that addict you after the first hit. I’m not the only one he effects this way, when his gritty raw melodies wafted out into the crowd…there was not one person who didn’t become entranced. With Citizen, you can tell music is honestly his most powerful dependence. The vice that has helped him endure the stories he depicts. Tales of pain, enlightenment, love, sorrow, exuberance, and depression. Tales that are to vibrantly real to be myths. You’ve probably heard Cope before without knowing. He’s not an artist cut from the mainstream cloth(hence why Cope records and produces for his own label, Rainwater Recordings) but many of his songs have drifted into pop culture’s arena. “Let the Drummer Kick”, seems to be the song that received the most recognition, having been featured on several soundtracks and even commercials. However, Cope’s aresnal is loaded with musical artillery. “Sideways” knocked me off my feet, my family found it during a dark period when we were attempting to cope with the loss of a family member. Nothing, resonated more with me in those dim moments than that song. His voice, was the physical representation of the pain we felt. The heartache he conveyed, carried the healing I was seeking. Through that song, I felt understood; without even having to speak. That was the beginning of my dependence on Citizen Cope, now deeply ingrained in me. Now, I go to Cope when I’m sad, when I’m frustrated, when I’m in need of liberation; and he converses with me. I take my emotions to him and he funnels my feelings through the siphon that is his penetrating vocal power. Never, has there been a time I didn’t leave Citizen Cope feeling better than when I came to him. It’s the kind of unlimited understanding that is reliable, Cope’s lyrical versatility has a malleability able to maintain relevance. So no matter how your feeling, Citizen has the tune to match your mood, and soothe whatever ails you. I suggest you plan a meeting with him soon, and I’m sure it won’t take long for you to develop the same kind of dependence on his musical medicine as I have.