Joanna Cooke

Joanna Cooke is working her vocal chords hard to change all that. The singer-songwriter and keyboard player possesses a dynamic blues and soul-edged voice that seldom fails to take her fans on a soaring journey, be that on her self-penned records or via her soulful live performances.

The local star, who has been making music professionally for the past decade, has supported the likes Rag’n’Bone Man, Jess Glynne, Tom Jones, Paloma Faith and Jamiroquai keyboardist Matt Johnson at festivals and large concerts — but she says she’s only just starting her journey. She knows she has the talent to fly the flag for Plymouth across the world in the near future.

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Cooke’s self-penned songs are more often than not raw and breathtaking experiences (she does take breaths, though, just so you know) with brutally honest lyrics and driving melodies. There’s blues at the centre of it all but with plenty of jazz and soul in the music too. It all has a contemporary feel to it but there’s nostalgia as well. In short, whether it’s her EDM collaborations or her homegrown earworms, it’s always from the heart.

Born in Honiton, Cooke grew up in Lyme Regis, Dorset. The 36-year-old went to school in Woodroffe, Lyme Regis, and furthered her musical talents in her school’s ‘fantastic’ music department. She then moved to Plymouth, where she graduated with a degree in music at the University of Plymouth. And she’s been here ever since, making music and playing live across the city and far, far beyond.

Made in Plymouth’s Meet The People speaks to the vocal powerhouse off the back of her recent ‘Kaleidoscope’ EP release and ahead of her autumn gig schedule, which will include playing a set at Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park and supporting Mamas Gun at the Bristol Exchange. Here’s how Joanna Cooke responded to our questions…

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Hi Joanna! You’ve got a fair few years of writing, making and performing music under your belt now. But how did you get into it in the first place?

I was drawn to music — particularly vocals — like a moth to the flame. From about the age of 13, I was writing vocals for my brother’s dance music tracks. I then picked up a keyboard that was being chucked out from my school and I started writing my own songs and lyrics to simply express myself. My father loved blues and soul records and would often blast them out as well as classical music. He is an artist too and he was always encouraging us to appreciate the beauty in all art forms —particularly music.

Tell us about your musical inspirations…

In general, lots of different musical styles move me but my biggest influences range from Aretha Franklin and Howling Wolf to Micheal Jackson and Moby.

What are your biggest gigs so far?

I’ve been lucky enough to land major opportunities at big concert and festival venues across the South West over the past decade. I have supported Jess Glynne, Tom Jones, Paloma Faith and Rag’n’Bone Man, for instance. Each one of those support slots was a magical experience.

You represent Plymouth when you gig. How important is this to you and what do you think of the local scene these days?

There’s a healthy music scene in Plymouth, particularly if you’re just starting out. I play all over the South West — and beyond — and I’ve been a full-time music artist for more than 10 years now. So I have discovered many venues you can earn a living from and some larger-seated grass-based music venues dotted around the South West for ticketed events so that you can build your fanbase for your original music. Okay, there are not as many venues as I’d like here in Plymouth and I think the city is slightly lacking in terms of support for original music but the scene does seem to be improving recently. I sometimes travel outside of the South West to play my music and I feel that’s really important for me to grow my fanbase.

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What do you think Plymouth needs in terms of music provision to allow acts like yours to get more exposure and, perhaps, get signed? 

Plymouth could do with more small to mid-sized ticketed venues for grassroots level original artists. It’s as simple as that. And these venues need passionate people running them who can build up a mailing list of music lovers who will come in to sit down and listen to all sorts of new and rising artists. There are some venues like this already dotted around Devon like Ashburton Arts Centre, Calstock Arts, Old Bakery Studios in Truro and Teignmouth Jazz and Blues. But there needs to be more in Plymouth. As for being signed, I’m not sure that’s the be all and end all any more but it depends what the individual wants. If you can show that your music is being well received in your local stomping ground then that’s the first step. You need to build a loyal fanbase who are interested in going on the journey with you and then you need to nurture that and expand it to other areas of the country. That’s my current plan alongside working on dance music collaborations so I can get my voice and songwriting skills known around the world.

Your partner Nathan Austin — a guitar teacher who has performed in some of Plymouth’s best rock bands in the past — backs you up on his axe. How awesome is it to have a close relationship when writing tunes and gigging? 

I used to play all the time with Nathan before the pandemic. After the lockdowns, however, we decided I would mainly play solo, saving him for the right shows and to give him a bit of a rest after a full week teaching guitar. When we do play together, it’s magical and it’s now better than ever, given that we have played together for so many years. He is a very talented guitarist and a joy to work with both as part of a duo or in a full band scenario. I write all of my own music on the whole but we have collaborated in the past and I’m sure we will again in the future. It’s always great getting a second opinion… even if I don’t want to hear it sometimes…

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What records have you created that make you most proud?

My latest EP, Kaleidoscope, produced by Mark Edwards, is my finest work to date in my opinion but music is subjective and most people give me a different answer whenever I ask them what their favourite song is of mine. Some like the old stuff and some like the new, which is amazing. And there’s much more to come — I’m constantly collaborating with producers and artists around the world in the EDM scene with a few tracks recently getting Radio One airplay and big Spotify playlist placements. So more building of that to come and also I’m really excited to finally get into my own solo writing phase over the next few months. Watch this space!

Why is performing your tunes live such a magical, emotional experience?

For me, there’s nothing better than people coming up to you after a show and telling you how much a song touched them or moved them on a deeper level or helped them feel less alone or how they had shared in the experience of the lyrics or subject of a song. It means that someone felt something when they heard me and I guess that validates that what I’ve created is good. I’m learning that it’s not a negative if someone doesn’t like my music and you can’t appeal to everyone. I’m just grateful that I’m still going and I’m still able to do what I love. There are new opportunities, experiences, venues, fans and collaborations happening each year which spur me on and I’m excited to focus more on connecting with the audience and navigating social media which is so important these days. 

What does the immediate future hold for Joanna Cooke?

One of my main focuses over the past six months has been getting a band together here in the South West. After such a long time of keeping my team small and manageable — both financially and personally — this is a really fresh presentation of Joanna Cooke and I’ll be creating more opportunities for fans to come and see me in that setting with a fuller sound. I’ll be at the front giving it my all without the safety of my keyboard separating me from the crowd. There will be more ticketed events with a band and with the duo here in the South West and across the country. I’m also going to focus a lot more on the EDM side of my writing which seems to be opening up some exciting doors.

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What about the next decade?

In 10 years’ time, I’d like to be continuing to make my living from music. I hope I’ll have created a successful, sustainable career to the point that it’s not a worry financially when you want to put out more music or go on tour. It all costs so much money and if I can learn how to work the algorithm across all social media and music platforms then I should be able to build things in a sustainable way. I know there are more people out there who will want to be a part of what I do — I just need to find them and use all of the amazing support so far to push me onwards and into the next chapter. Touring Europe and beyond would be a dream which would only happen if I can get a few more invested people around me in the team. I’m so grateful I’m able to do what I do. For the many moments of bliss my musical journey has gifted me so far, for the people who listen and comment every time I perform and for the people who have been with me since day one, here’s to the next chapter!

For more on Joanna Cooke, check out her website here: joannacooke.co.uk. Access her music on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, Deezer, Apple Music and ‘all the usual platforms’ by simply typing in ‘Joanna Cooke’.

Where can you catch Joanna Cooke in late September and October 2024?

Sunday 29 September from 2pm, Alder Vineyard in Okehampton. Tickets: joannacooke.co.uk; Saturday 5 October from 6pm, Plymouth Argyle Football Stadium; Thursday 17 October from 6pm, Drake’s Island Hunters Moon Event, Plymouth (tickets and details coming soon); Wednesday 23 October, supporting Mamas Gun at the Bristol Exchange. Tickets - joannacooke.co.uk.

Story by Matt Fleming

Cover image: Matt Austin Images