Eric Brace & Peter Cooper

Eric Brace & Peter Cooper On tour in the UK - May 27 through June 8 www.redbeetrecords.com

Their duo album, You Don't Have To Like Them Both, is out now on Corazong Records.



"Eric Brace and Peter Cooper bring the sound of East Nashville to my radio shows. Authentic, intelligent and beautifully played...." -- Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2

Eric Brace is the lead singer and songwriter for the renowned roots rock band Last Train Home. Peter Cooper is a music journalist, professor of country music, and a highly acclaimed songwriter in his own right. When they play together, it's something special. Brace & Cooper's duo album made the Top Ten on the Euro-Americana chart, as well as the Americana and Folk DJ charts in the US. It was #1 on the Freeform American Roots chart on its release. The lead track, Eric's "I Know A Bird" was the #1 song on the Folk chart on release and received honors from the International Songwriting Competition. We hope you'll come out to see a show! Tell your friends!

Eric and Peter wonderful collaboration "You Don't Have To Like Them Both" has already featured on Bob Harris on BBC 2, (They did a session for Bob earlier this year) MaryAnn Kennedy on BBC 3, Iain Anderson on BBC Scotland, Steve Evans on BBC World Service, Sandy Harsch on RTE 1 Ireland, House of Mercy with Barry Everitt, Stewart Fenwick on Celtic Music Radio, Niall Toner on RTE 1 Ireland, and is a from the first listen a firm favourite and early contender for Medicine Show album of the year, with yours truly.

ERIC'S THOUGHTS:

Earlier this century, my band Last Train Home was based in Washington, DC, but we loved heading south to play gigs in Nashville. Back then, I was writing about music for The Washington Post, while Peter Cooper was (and still is) the music writer for The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville. I didn't know him, but I would mail him copies of LTH's releases, hoping for some positive mentions.

I was mighty pleased when he did in fact say some nice things about LTH in print, but I didn't meet him until we both found ourselves at a Nashville "guitar pull" one night. A "pull" is what happens when a bunch of songwriters get together to eat, drink, and take turns singing songs. I thought Peter was there as a journalist, but when the guitar was passed to him, he delivered one of the best songs of the night. It was one of those that makes you say to yourself: "Man, I need to go home and write a song that'll stand up to that one. That night was when I knew I was going to move to Nashville.

In 2004 I did, and it didn't take long for me and Peter to became great friends. I knew that meant there'd be no more LTH reviews with his byline, but it was a small price to pay for a friendship filled with long sessions of listening to vinyl of Tom T. Hall, the Seldom Scene, Willis Alan Ramsey, Lloyd Green, Charley Pride... accompanied by screw-top red wine and whiskey. By the time Peter had completed his debut CD "Mission Door," I was running my own record label, Red Beet Records, and releasing Peter's CD (which I did in early 2008) was a no-brainer. It's a great record. Get it.

Singing songs together in our living rooms inevitably led to singing songs together in public, and we've lately hit the road (Holland! Germany! Alaska!). That's when the notion of making a record together materialized. We each had a couple of songs to contribute, but we also went searching through songs by other folks--songwriting heroes of ours--that we could somehow make our own.
It was a pleasure narrowing down the possible tracks to the ones you hear on this record (did I mention red wine and whiskey?). We're proud of this record. Hope you like it too.
-- EB

PETER'S THOUGHTS:

Eric Brace and I knew that we needed to make a record. The necessity was brought on by many factors, including the universally shared conclusion that there are simply too few records out there in the world. We knew that just putting some songs out on iTunes or Rhapsody would not be enough, because only a small sector of the population possesses a high-speed connection to that newfangled "Internet." So physical product, the kind sold in tens of thousands of ever-burgeoning record stores, was a necessity.

Oh, also, we needed something to sell at gigs.
At risk of giving away our secrets, here's what we did:
1. Listened to music and thought of songs we'd like to record.
2. Called a core group of friends – Lloyd Green, Paul Griffith, Jen Gunderman and Dave Roe – all of whom happen to live on the east side of the Cumberland River and all of whom are spectacularly gifted and accomplished musicians.
3. Told engineer Mike Esser to mash the "Record" button.
There was a little more to it than that. We called guitar kings Richard Bennett (from Mark Knopfler's band), Tim Carroll (the only punk rocker we know who has played the Grand Ole Opry and had a song cut by John Prine) and Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart, Lucinda Williams, etc.). We called Grammy winning multi-instrumentalist Tim O'Brien and extraordinary singer-songwriter Jon Byrd. And we got Daniel Tashian to play the ukulele and Scotty Huff to play the ever-lovin' flugelhorn.

The result, I hope, is a portrait of friendship and song, and a peek into what makes under-the-radar Nashville such a groovy little place at the moment. This is what we do over here: We get together and laugh and make music. I was talking with neighbor Todd Snider one day about how fun it'd be to score some hit song jackpot, and he said, "Yeah, then we'd be able to just sit on the porch, watch baseball and pick." At the time, we were sitting on the porch, watching baseball and picking.

Within this album, you'll find world-class musicianship, artwork by Alaska's Jim Gleason, songs about birds, bones, mountains, pools, wells, and heartache, and a picture of Loretta the Dachshund. And you'll find 12 songs we wanted to sing to ourselves. Your "play" button is a ticket to eavesdrop.
-- PC

5/28/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper England, Netherlands, Germany May 28 through June 30
We'll be touring in support of the new record,
"You Don't Have to Like Them Both."
Dates and Locations, listed below!!

5/28/2009 Eric Brace The Musician - Leicester UK Thurs May 28 - 9 pm
Eric Brace solo show,
opening for Amy Speace.
themusicianpub.co.uk

5/31/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Twickenham Folk Club - Twickenham, Middlesex Sun, May 31 - 8 pm
Opening for Ray Bonneville!
Twickenham Folk Club is at the Cabbage Patch Pub, 67 London Rd., Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 3SZ.

6/01/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper The Greys Pub - Brighton, UK
Opening for Tony McManus
105 Southover Street, Brighton, East Sussex
Tel: 01273 680734
www.greyspub.com

6/02/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Leadenhall Market - London, UK Tues June 2 - 12 noon-2 pm
Eric & peter play in the beautiful Leadenhall Market.
Gracechurch Street. www.leadenhallmarket.co.uk

6/02/2009
Brokers Wine Bar - London, UK Tues June 2 - 6-8 pm
in the beautiful Leadenhall Market.
020 7283 5656

6/03/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Private Party - Central London Wed June 3 - 8 pm
This is a private show we're doing with Rod Picott & Amanda Shires, a great Nashville duo. If you'd like to attend, send an email to mail@redbeetrecords.com.

6/04/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper The Green Note - London, UK Thurs June 4
Eric & Peter will be opening.
106 Parkway, London.
Tel: 020 7485 9899
The Green Note

6/05/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper View Too Gallery - Liverpool, UK Fri June 5 - 8 pm
23 Matthew Street, Liverpool

6/06/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Bedford Civic Theatre - Bedford, UK Sat June 6
Opening for the Po' Girls & Sarah MacDougall

6/07/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Private Party - London Sun, June 7 - 8 pm
Private party hosted by Bernard Tuck.

6/08/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Maverick @ Zebra Bar - Maidstone, UK Mon June 8
Maverick @ Zebra Bar, Maidstone.
Tickets 01622 744481 or
www.myspace.com/maverick_zebra

6/18/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper OBA Radio 5 Live - Amsterdam, NL Thurs June 18 -- 7 pm

6/20/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper In The Woods - Lage Vuursche, NL Sat June 20 -- 8 pm
Splendid place, splendid people.
Can't wait to go back!!

6/21/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Stadfeesten Hoorn - Hoorn, NL Sun, June 21 -- 8 pm
On the outdoor stage at Kerkplain.
Hosted by PeTiCantus.

6/23/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Q-bus - Leiden, NL Tues June 23 - 8 pm
Het Muziekhuis, High Gracht 142
Tel 071-514 57 55
myspace.com/qbusleiden

6/25/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper ROTR Rhythm & Roots Concert - Spijkerboor, NL Thurs June 25 - 9:30 pm
Cafe 't keerpunt, Oostermoer 1, 9565 PE
www.myspace.com/rootsontheroad

6/26/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Kulturbahnhof - Neuenkirchen, Germany Fri June 26 - 8 pm

6/27/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper Pfleghofsaal - Ulm, Germany Sat June 27 - 8 pm

6/29/2009 Eric Brace & Peter Cooper TBA - Waldkraiburg, Germany Mon June 29
Details to be announced.

Reviews
Mix
The personality of this album: warm, unassuming, funny, relaxed—exactly what it should be without having any ego about it. Brace and Cooper chose a dozen favorite songs beautifully suited to their voices and their front-porch approach....They gathered a group of musical friends to help realize this really beautiful, enjoyable album that displays a lot more heart and talent than you’ll hear most times you turn on the country radio.

No Depression
Brace and Cooper's smart, soulful vocals sound great together, and the friendly vibe of their performances is truly engaging....this is a true-hearted pleasure of an album.
California Chronicle
These two longtime music journalists have made some mighty fine music separately, Eric Brace over several albums with his band Last Train Home, and Peter Cooper with his 2008 debut, "Mission Door."With this collaboration, the two East Nashvillians sound as if they were meant to make music together, recalling great duos from the Delmores to the Everlys to the O'Kanes.

Audiophile Audition
When I heard about Eric Brace and Peter Cooper collaborating on an album together, I thought we might in for a treat. I was proven right. Brace’s worn and soulful voice is perfectly matched by his songs, which take a bittersweet and melancholy look at life and relationships. Wonderful, heartfelt songs. As for Peter Cooper, I can’t think of a more witty and capable songwriter than him....“You Don’t Have to Like Them Both” serves as a testament to good friendship and fine musicianship...a treat for the ears and the soul.

Hickory Wind
Peter Cooper and Eric Brace (Last Train Home) combine their talents on “You Don’t Have To Like Them Both” and it’s a disc that is hard to not like....The duo’s voices compliment each other, blending perfectly in a way I haven’t heard since Texas favorites Shake Russell and Dana Cooper (no relation) flirted with fame in 1980s. Listening to the disc it is easy to imagine these two talented buddies jamming on a porch in front of some very lucky friends. I’m sure Peter and Eric wouldn’t mind if you picked up a copy and crashed the party.

Country Standard Time
Duets are fun to sing when the chemistry's right, and when listening, if the voices intertwine effortlessly, the alchemy is a wonderment. Eric Brace and Peter Cooper each have distinctive musical voices that meld together delightfully throughout.

Charleston Gazette
Journalists who moonlight as musicians (or vice versa) are always worthy of some skepticism (take it from one who knows) but this collaboration between former Last Train Home singer/songwriter (and former Washington Post music writer) and singer/songwriter (and current music writer for The Tennessean) is the best of both worlds.

Honest Tune
Nashville singer/songwriter Eric Brace's tenor voice is like a favorite blanket or crackling fire on a cold February evening; warm and rich, it resonates simple comfort. Together with Peter Cooper....their recent release, You Don't Have to Like Them Both, is a record that showcases both their collective songwriting brilliance and their take on the work of their Americana peers.... Over a wondrous blend of electric and acoustic guitars, and highlighted by more beautiful pedal steel, Cooper and Brace trade lead vocal duties and their harmonies in the chorus are a sonic treat. You Don't Have to Like Them Both serves notice that, sometimes, pure happenstance can lead to something beautiful. We should cross our fingers and hope that it would happen more often.

Vintage Guitar
"A portrait of friendship and song".... The music resides in the space between folk and country. It's tight and catchy without being slick or overly commercial; perhaps the term "back-porch country" best describes the mood....The picking on 'You Don't Have To Like Them Both,' is first-class...production is warm and natural.... If you like music that doesn't need to be glossy to deliver its message with impact, then 'You Don't Have To Like Them Both' should be part of your next musical meal.

Euro Publicity Rob Ellen
www.medicinemusic.co.uk