Press Kit

This Web site, "scottcooley.com," is Scott Cooley's Electronic Press Kit (EPK), but this page consolidates and summarizes information believed to be of greatest interest to members of the music media, print journalists, bloggers, podcasters, etc. Using this electronic site ensures you are getting the most accurate, up-to-date information in the fastest, self-service manner, while saving trees. Use the Contact page to request printed hard copies, information or materials you are not able to find on this site, or to ask specific interview questions.

Music

🎧 Listen Now: Stream all Scott Cooley songs immediately for free online here:

music.scottcooley.com

See also the Discography , Records and Albums pages for more release-related information.

Performed With List

Scott has most notably performed with the bands Surreal (pictured above) featuring Eric Whirley and Acoustic Jones. He made a television appearance playing originals live and solo on the Ann Arbor community access station once at a songwriter retreat. He has headlined the annual Schmoopiepalooza festival in northern Michigan playing with his wife Lenore who played both accordion and marimba on numerous occasions. He has been one half of the duos Steve Cobb & Scott Cooley who landed the coveted apres-ski gig at the slopeside Sundance Saloon in Vail, CO and Corbin Daugherty & Scott Cooley. He's also been in some other bands: Driftwood, Lake Effect, Acoustic Something, The Bus Drivers, The Wide Awake Drunks and even a Kiss air guitar band at Camp Copeneconic in both Colorado and Michigan. His bandmates and collaborators have included the likes of Corbin Daugherty of Acoustic Circus fame, Steve Cobb, Eric Whirley, Rich Marr of OraMusicTrax, and Georgia's J. Scott Thompson of Peachtree Station, to name a few. He once played live and solo on a stage in Harbor Springs where legendary duo the Accidentals and Americana songwriter and idol Joel Mabus played at the same event, even speaking to him personally at length in this venue - a career highlight. Primarily Scott played lead acoustic guitar, and secondarily lead electric guitar, rhythm guitar, slide guitar, acoustic bass guitar, harmonica, hand percussion, and/or background vocals with those he has performed with, while singing a lead vocal only on a rare occasion.

Places Played List

A former resident of Colorado, Scott has played with acts mentioned in the "performed with" section of this page above for various types of gigs, some paying, some opening, some headlining typically as a lead guitarist; while as a solo act, performances have been limited to primarily voluntary songwriting events and open microphone nights at bars and coffee houses, although he did make a single TV appearance that aired on Ann Arbor public television that was filmed at the Birchwood Inn in Harbor Springs called Songwriter's Open Mic On The Road during the annual Lamb's Retreat for Songwriters event. Scott has played at such Vail, Colorado-area venues as The Gashouse, the coveted apres-ski gig at Vail, CO slopeside bar The Sundance Saloon (see flyer above) in Lionshead, The Jackalope, and The Coyote Cafe in Beaver Creek. Scott has played at such Michigan-are venues as Flint Local 432, The Green Door, Xedos Cafe, Russelville Ballroom, Border's Books & Music, Churchill's, El Capitan, at various house concerts with the Mid-Michigan Songwriter's Group, at Lamb's Retreat for Songwriters in Harbor Springs where great acts like The Accidentals of Traverse City also played, and headlining as the featured entertainment at the annual Schmoopiepalooza festival at Pickerel Lake in Petoskey with Lenore Cooley and the Petosega Players percussion group to name but a few. Originally from the Flint area, and currently still a resident there, he has also lived and played in the Detroit and Lansing areas.

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Featured Video

Watch also the Videos page, or visit youtube.com/scottcooley .

Featured Audio

Stream all SC songs now at music.scottcooley.com

Social Media

Press Releases

2004 Moon Dreams Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2006 Lakeside Landing Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2008 Drive Time Companion Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2010 Sense Of Belonging Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2012 Cherchez La Femme Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2014 Used To Be Good Looking Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2016 Rest Assured Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2018 Missing The Boat Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2020 Bluebird Days Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2022 Bluebird Days II Press Release.pdf: Preview/Print

2022 Lockdown Leftovers Press Release: Blog Post

2024 Sunrise Press Release: Preview/Print

The Sound: Artificial Intelligence Has Answers

How do you describe the music of Scott Cooley?

ChatGPT:

Scott Cooley's music can be described as a blend of folk, Americana, and acoustic rock. His style often features heartfelt lyrics that delve into themes of love, life, and the human experience, accompanied by melodic guitar arrangements. Cooley's music has a raw authenticity to it, with a sound that feels both intimate and genuine, drawing listeners in with its sincerity and emotional depth.

Which artists sound most like Scott Cooley?

ChatGPT:

Finding artists with a similar sound to Scott Cooley might lead you to explore the realms of folk, Americana, and acoustic rock. While each artist has their own unique style, you might find similarities in terms of lyrical depth, musical arrangements, and overall vibe. Some artists you might enjoy if you like Scott Cooley's music could include:

John Prine: Known for his poignant lyrics and folk-country sound, Prine's music often explores similar themes to Cooley's.
Jason Isbell: Isbell's blend of Americana, rock, and storytelling lyrics could resonate with fans of Scott Cooley.
Gregory Alan Isakov: With his introspective lyrics and gentle acoustic arrangements, Isakov's music shares a contemplative quality with Cooley's.
Ray LaMontagne: LaMontagne's soulful voice and folk-rock style might appeal to fans of Cooley's heartfelt songwriting.
Ryan Adams: Adams' mix of alt-country, folk, and rock shares some similarities with Cooley's musical approach.

While these artists may not sound exactly like Scott Cooley, exploring their music could lead you to discover new artists and sounds that resonate with you in a similar way.

Reviews

There are myths floating around that Scott Cooley is an imaginary person whose existence is not verifiable - probably due to the fact that he is rarely seen in public. Popular beliefs have grown up around Scott Cooley, some of which are false and unfounded. There is a tradition in this internet age whereby music fans post their opinions about music they've listened to online. Legitimate and respected consumers and industry insiders alike have on occasion shared their stories about Scott Cooley in this way. Some of those being a little closer to the truth are offered below, and while we make no attempt to dispel any myths, you are free to judge them and take them into consideration as you form your own opinions.

Choice quotes, articles, CD reviews, and blurbs

"I mostly think of him as a diligent, talented songwriter with an impressive body of work. I love Scott’s songs. They make me laugh, they make me think and they always surprise me. "

-Feed post received via Scott's Facebook page in 2022

About the Rest Assured (2016) album:

"I would not have been able to fall asleep while listening to this album if it had been annoying. I was able to stay awake through most of it."

-Lenore Louise Cooley, Scott's wife

About Used To Be Good Looking (2014) album:

"Hey Scott, just wanted to send kudos on your latest album. I'm really enjoying it. I'm especially hooked on the title track and the jazzy melancholy of "Magazine." Good work sir, as always. Glad to see you're still at it. "

About 2012's Cherchez La Femme album:

"Hey Scott, just wanted to drop you a line and tell you I picked up your new album and I'm really digging it. I've been bopping around my house all day singing Hot Sauce! Darn catchy and lots of fun. "If I Had Time" and "What About Me?" are a couple of my other favorites right now. I had no idea you were such a multi-instrumentalist! Guitar, bass, drums, marimba and washboard? That's awesome. The sound is really great too. As someone who has struggled to do some home recording myself your stuff is just leaps and bounds above anything I was ever able to achieve. I'd love to pick your brain sometime about your recording process. It's really inspiring to see what you've done here. Makes me want to fire up the recording equipment and get to work! Kudos my friend and I hope you sell a bunch."

~Damon Dorsey, painter, artist, songwriter, author & musician from Indiana

About 2008's Drive Time Companion album:

"The last song on the CD, Too Close For Comfort," was "exceptional" and one of Scott's "top two or three all-time best" songs, and "the rest were pretty much all keepers".

~Rich Marr, Flint, MI - area music journalist and author of the column "Strings Attached"

About the 2006 song, Lakeside Landing:

"I esp like...Lakeside Landing, the softness of this song is very tranquil. I could almost hear some violins put behind the chorus of: she's gone, etc..this was great to listen to all the way through. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us! You can really pick a mean guitar, I love it!"

~Jenni Hocott-Riley, Grand Blanc, MI native

About the 2006 song, Mackinac Island :

"This is awesome...I was listening to it and my friend overheard and made me send him the link. Now all my friends are singing it. My boyfriend even sang it to me on the couch last night. :) "

~Anonymous student at Michigan State University in 2013

Fan Mail

"I remember you were a very good guitar player and let me tell you, when I was a 19 year old sitting next to a cute Scott Cooley playing guitar, I was like totally smitten."

~ from a former female fan in Colorado via e-mail received at scottcooley.com

Miscellaneous

"It's a cool song, it's just not done particularly well, like not performed or recorded that great."

"Very amateurish acoustic rock. Inexplicably, people like it."

"Cooley continues keeping it all-acoustic, for no apparent reason."

"With unwavering audacity, he just keeps deciding to go for it."

"He's got songs. I'll give him that. Lots of 'em."

-anonymous

Featured Press - Michigan Bands Review

http://www.michiganbands.com/article-1602-thread-0-0.html

Review Rebuttal: "Not my El Cam, but nonetheless, fairly accurate. However, I should point out that although it does have occasional gutteral noises and grunts, my music is not to be confused with the caveman style that is a remixing of popular song that replaces lyrics with grunts - it does feature the playing of original music and the singing of original lyrics." To hear my most cavemanic song of all time, "B.C." hit play below: ~Scott