Ross Copperman
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Ross Copperman has spent the last decade helping some of the biggest artists in the world use their voices. Now, he’s rediscovering his own.
“I definitely lost my voice as an artist along the way, but it’s always been in me,” Copperman says. “I’ve found it again.”
The GRAMMY-nominated hit songwriter and mega-producer isn’t complaining. After penning smashes that include over 30 No. 1 songs and other chart climbers for stars including Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Darius Rucker, Kenny Chesney and P!nk, Dierks Bentley, and so many more, as well as producing acclaimed and GRAMMY-nominated albums for Urban, Bentley, and others, Copperman is grateful. He sees his immersion in the art of others as a gift––evidence that he’s been serving artists and sounds they were meant to make.
But it’s time for Ross Copperman the artist, a blockbuster songwriter-producer and nuanced pop stylist, to be heard himself. “I’m not walking away from what I’ve been doing, but my passion for being an artist never really went away,” Copperman says. “This whole process of recording my own releases has been cathartic.”
Hope, joy and gratitude pulse throughout Somewhere There’s a Light On, a five-song collection of Copperman’s shimmery Southern pop that marked his return as an artist. Featuring back-to-back singalongs and Copperman’s ferocious musicality, the EP is radio-ready piano, staccato percussion, synths, snaps and smooth vocals, with country music’s love of cohesive narratives. “I’ve always liked to write songs to live in any world and not necessarily be too specific to genres,” Copperman says. “It feels like pop has really been influenced by country writing in the last few years.”
Copperman co-wrote Somewhere There’s a Light On with favorite collaborators, including a pair with Ed Sheeran. “I’ve never loved two songs more than ‘Electricity’ and ‘Therapy’ in my life,” Copperman says of the EP tracks he wrote with Sheeran. “We were pitching them to country artists, and I had this realization: ‘Wow. I think these might be my songs.’”.
Reflecting on his return to the artist’s seat Copperman shares, “All my artist friends have been really encouraging. It’s really made me think about how for 10 years, I didn’t want anyone to know I’d ever even been an artist.”
Copperman is known today as an elite producer and the writer of career-defining gems for other artists, but his professional story began with his own record deal in the UK in 2006. His solo debut gained considerable traction on the strength of songs including “As I Choke,” “All She Wrote,” and more, which also found featured spots on American TV shows. He was on the way up, and yet, Copperman felt compelled to do something else. He walked away. Copperman moved to Nashville, drawn to the city’s songwriting tradition and relative proximity to Roanoke, Virginia, where he grew up playing the piano. In Nashville, he became a student of songwriting, increasingly respected not just for hits, but for his relentless work ethic and kindness. Copperman also fell in love and got married, and then became a father to three––all while building one of the most impressive behind-the-scenes résumés in music.
After helping launch careers for some of country music’s biggest stars with songs that have become fan-favorites and staples in their catalogs, the man behind a decade of sound for Music City is coming full circle returning to his roots as a solo artist. Copperman shares, “Finding love, becoming a dad, helping other artists find their voice…all of this life I’ve lived has informed my new music. Without those experiences, I’m not sure we’d be here at this moment with these songs.”
“I’m so happy and filled with such a profound sense of joy and optimism for the future. I’ve always felt like my purpose in writing songs that I record would be to share joy and encourage somebody who’s down––to know there’s a light on somewhere for them,” Copperman continues. “I’m inspired and also, feeling a little vulnerable which feels good. I’m excited. It’s my next chapter.”
Currently, Ross is in the process of releasing his next project “Human”, a 12-part series of tracks released monthly throughout the remainder of the year. “2021 represented a cathartic journey for me — releasing my first material as Ross Copperman in years. In many ways, after years of writing and producing for others, it was an opportunity for me to find my own voice again. I learned so much through that process and am so incredibly proud of what I put out into the world. Through that experience, I was reminded that years into my adult life, I am still figuring things out: who I am, and what matters most to me. The process of writing and recording songs as my own acted as such a powerful vehicle for me to process these thoughts and my own personal growth. It ignited a journey of self discovery, and taught me that there is so much more still left to explore. This year, I want to take you on that journey with me as I continue to learn myself. I will be releasing a song each month throughout 2022 — starting this Friday and ending on December 2nd. This body of work will be a true reflection of myself and what matters most to me. I cannot wait to share it with you.“